Plot: What’s it about?
Tong Po (Zhang Fengyi) is a rural peasant with a love of nature, but he soon becomes embroiled in a world of pain, hatred, and even death. He meets a young woman named Yiu (Rosamund Kwan) and the two quickly fall in love, but the union is not to be, as dictated by social codes and such. After an attempt to flee together fails, Tong Po is taken from his life, convicted of a crime he did not commit, and has his eyes sewn shut, although the worst of his luck lies ahead of him, if you can believe that. He soon finds himself with a group of other prisoners in an arena of sorts and in order to remain alive, he has to kill all the other prisoners and be the last one standing, in front of an audience, no less. As it turns out, he has some incredible skills and manages to overcome the others, which lands him in a special school that takes select warriors and turns them into assassins, the elite rank of warriors. Of course, he breezes through the school and begins to complete missions with ease, but inside of his heart, he seeks to leave his murderous path and return to a more peaceful, serene place. Will he ever be able to see his former lover again and if so, will his life ever be able to return to normal, even for a brief while?
I found myself liking The Assassin a lot, as it has a solid premise and some great sequences, but it could have been so much better, with a little more budget and perhaps a couple of casting changes. I mean, the visuals look terrific for a lower budget Asian film and the crew knew how to use their resources, but with a better flow of funds, this one could have been transformed into a real blockbuster, no doubt about it. As it stands, The Assassin is a terrific movie with a lot to like, especially for fans of blood soaked sword epics, as you’ll see some nice blade work coupled with an ample amount of the red stuff, for good measure. The sword battles are well executed and provide some good excitement, thanks in part to the wonderful cinematography, which ensures it all looks as cool as possible. I do think some shots moved too fast, but all in all, some great camera work that lets the visuals & action shine through. In the end, I think The Assassin is well worth a look to those interested, especially since Tai Seng has offered a solid disc here, though I do wish it sported a cleaned up, anamorphic transfer.
As I mentioned above, I think this film could have used some casting changes and one of those involved the lead, played by Zhang Fengyi. I don’t think his performance is bad and he carries the film whenever needed, but his energy seems lacking at times and perhaps someone more charismatic could have enhanced The Assassin. Fengyi manages to make the most of his role and never really disappoints however, so his efforts should be commended. I just think his style clashes at times with the character, which lessens the impact of some scenes, though as I said, Fengyi does his best and provides a solid overall performance. Other films with Fengyi include The Emperor & The Assassin, Farewell my Concubine, Police Confidential, Velvet Gloves, Haunted Hunter, and Temptation of a Monk. The cast also includes Rosamund Kwan (Swordsman II, Armour of God II: Operation Condor) and Max Mok (Once Upon a Time in China II, Twilight of the Forbidden City), both of whom seem in fine form throughout.
Video: How does it look?
The Assassin is presented in a 1.85:1 widescreen transfer, which is not enhanced for widescreen televisions. I think the time has come for Tai Seng to move into anamorphic treatments, especially on the releases under their own label, as they’re one of very few studios who still release only letterbox (i.e. non 16:9 enhanced) transfers. I mean, this is still a step up from most of the import discs out there, but the image could be much better with a little more effort, not to mention the added resolution involved. As with most Asian films, there is more print wear than is expected from a film of its age, but on those standards, The Assassin looks solid here. Some scenes show a little more nicks & marks than others, but the print is clean on the whole, on the scale of Asian films, that is. I found black levels to be sharp and well balanced here, while colors were a little faded, but still bright and effective. So don’t expect this to look like more recent American releases, but The Assassin does look pretty good, given the material involved.
Audio: How does it sound?
The included Cantonese track has some thin moments, but that is due to the source materials and not this mix, so no need for complaints there. I’ve heard a lot of remixed Asian tracks and while some sound very good, most still sound thin and this is not the fault of the mix, but of the methods used to capture the sound from the start and conditions of the material. So this rather basic option remains crisp and offers some nice separation, but isn’t pushed as much, so the thin elements never rise up much, which is good news. This disc also includes language tracks in English, Mandarin, and Vietnamese, as well as optional English subtitles.
Supplements: What are the extras?
An audio commentary serves as the main course here, one which features Ric Meyers, martial artist Bobby Samuels, and Tai Seng’s own Frank Djeng. The trio offer up a ton of insight into The Assassin, from general information to behind the scenes details, hitting all points in between. As usual, Meyers also discusses a number of the actors & crew members, letting us know their place in film history, as well other projects to look into. Another excellent audio commentary from Tai Seng here, so let’s hope Meyers is signed on to many others down the road. This disc also includes some talent files, as well as the film’s trailer.
