Review:The Assassin (12A)

Instead this languorous tableau – a chronicle of the life of a young girl snatched from her parents and trained as a precision killer – resembles the work of Stanley Kubrick and Michelangelo Antonioni.

It seems to move at a glacial pace. Thus audiences can wallow in the landscape of ancient China, soak up the dialogue of intrigue and await the (fleeting) moments of high tension as our heroine leaps into (bloodless) action.

Qi Shu is Nie Yinniang, who emerges from a lost childhood to re-enter her family’s circle and the life of Tian Ji’an, the man she loved years before. But Tian Ji’an (Chen Chang) is also the person she must kill…

A sumptuous visual banquet for the eye, The Assassin is also a frugal snack for those unprepared for its artistry. Director Hsiao-Hsien Hou is unhurried in his approach and allows his camera to linger long on places, people and political chatter.

Thus we are treated to the lush landscape of 7th century China, to a fashion parade of costumery, to settings and sounds and symbolism. It is both dense and shallow, focusing on mood and atmosphere as much as clarity. There are blind alleys galore, plus a succession of moments that are presented less for their dramatic effect as for their persuasive and seductive power. The Assassin is not about realism; it is about a world tinged with magic inhabited by characters who, sometimes at least, embrace it.

Winner of the best director award at Cannes last year, The Assassin has also been marked by a high number of walkouts at the various festivals in which it has screened. It’s something to bear in mind before buying a ticket. On staggered release. Tony Earnshaw