The Assassin [2015]

The Assassin [2015]

Original Title: Cìkè Niè Yinniáng

Taiwan

Director: Hsiao-Hsien Hou

My Rating: 6/10

The fight scenes and swordplay save this film from getting a lower rating, because it is pretty slow paced.  There are many scenes where nothing happens, and shots with the characters staring off into space.  The scenery is nice though, so this isn’t entirely painful to watch.

The plot doesn’t exactly cover new territory, an assassin is tasked with a target that they know/have a history with.  It’s been done before, but it’s interesting nonetheless.  The assassin in this story has been raised as such and been indoctrinated with the idea that she is working for justice and the people.  Resisting and rethinking the ideas we were raised to believe is another familiar theme, and it’s an important one.

The title would imply an action movie, but it’s really more of a drama.  If you know that going in, you might enjoy it.  If you’re expecting excitement, you’ll probably fall asleep.