# Jing ke ci qin wang (1999)

### reviewed by
Pedro Sena

    (seen at the Portland International Film Festival)

FILM TITLE: The Emperor and the Assassin

             !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Failed love stories, are something else. When told in ways that make it even bigger, it's another. And then there are lines like "the face that launched a thousand ships to sea", which the story of this film closely resembles.It is a time when soothsayers, and many others have predicted, and expected, that what is today China should become one nation, one empire. But there were five or six major provinces that were extremely independent and they would fight many an alliance, or such an act, if they themselves did not feel that they had the right to unite the whole area. Ying Zheng, is now the emperor of Qin, and he is making an attempt to unite the rest of the provinces into one empire.

What one did not expect, or have any idea of, is that this film maker has turned himself into a veritable David Lean, with incredibly well designed shot sequences, and artistic outlooks that are not always, if ever, found in films at all. The sumptuousness and carefully detailed shooting sequences, and cutting of this film, along with its grandeur, is an amazing thing to see. This is a great film, at when it comes to the technical side of things.

As mentioned in a previous review of another Chen Kaige film, I felt that the daring shooting style that Christopher Doyle employed in Kaige's previous film was going to take what was predominantly an acting exercise, into another area. The film stakes were being raised then, and films like "The Emperor's Shadow", "Temptress Moon" were exercises in that direction. What I did not imagine when I said that, was that it was not only about the acting, but just about everything else in the film. It comes to mind immediately the one thing that I believe really stands out in this work, and it is the music of Zhao Jiping. Like those that glorified the great films of Cecil B. De Mille and David Lean, this man has been allowed a chance to let the music also add to the mix, and the results are fascinating. In "The Emperor's Shadow", this was quite evident, and the director Chen Kaige had no qualms about allowing the music to take over the film and lead us, when needed. In this film, the continuity is sacrificed some, into chapters, because the story elements jump so much, but the music allows us to forget all that and blends the various sections beautifully ... I am inclined to think that the directorial direction to use fades between sequences was not exactly needed, but the film works as it is. Still the same story, but the other view points and opinions need to come into play to make sure that we have a whole film in the end. The end result is a five part story, that takes a look at the very first Emperor in China, and what he had to do to get there. it was a magnanimous ideal then for the Emperor ... likewise for the film.

The young Emperor and Lady Zhao had been friends for some time. He ahs always loved her, but she has always been very independent and there are no indications in this film that there had been anything between them beyond friendship. At the start, Lady Zhao wants to simply be worthy of being a part of the court ... no doubt getting a lot of flack from other nobles as to why she is there in the first place. What turns out to be her attempt to make herself a valuable part of the Emperor's life, all of a sudden turns into a one sided love story, that helps Qin become the Emperor, but at the same time lose his beloved, whom he wants for a Queen. But this is not really her wish, and apparently has never been. And this is the quandary that the young Emperor faces from day one, until he eventually is able to accomplish his assigned task ... whatever the price. The price may be that he had to become a ruthless murderer to do it, and that this was not what the woman he loves wanted. She is a foreigner in his court after all, but as children, these things do not matter.

Eventually an assassin is found, and this man, is the one that Lady Zhao takes a liking to. he has pretty much renounced the part of his life that once had made him a great killer. It only took a young blind girl to show him what he could not see. And he could not save her from herself. Her courage alone stands out, and forces a change in his life. This change, as a recluse and worker at various odd jobs, eventually leads him to a local hang out where he shows his strength -- and is noticed by Lady Zhao who happened to be coming by at the moment. Jing Ke, eventually becomes the man hired to kill the Emperor Qin, but the irony of it all, is that he has made up his mind not to kill the Emperor with a sword at all, but merely to show him something that the Emperor has hid from for a long time, which has been hinted at, and is finally shown in the end ... he may not even be the legitimate owner to the power he has. Even as Jing Ke makes his attempts in the end to kill the Emperor, they seem theatrical and not intentional, and he finally gives in and allows the Emperor a moment of hollow victory ... something that he has experienced already with Lady Zhao. What he doesn't know is that Jing Ke and Lady Zhao have been friends/lovers (not clear), and when she finally comes to claim the body of her hero Jing Ke, the Emperor is now shown as a man that has killed to get to the top, and lost everything else that his heart could ever want, specially his only love. Above all, these people have held on to the secret that he may not be the legitimate ruler, now that he is the Emperor.

Stunning films usually balance out the acting, the sets, the music, and everything that they have, that will show in the screen. The acting free for all that was evident in "Temptress Moon" is visible here in that it is now controlled and beautifully worked with. No longer are the main characters strictly a symbol of an old Noh styled theater and tradition that had marled the earlier Chinese and Japanese art forms. These are now full fledged, solid actors and actresses that really explode in your screen and help make a good film great. And it takes a director with a vision, and a desire to accomplish this, to be able to unite such a conglomeration of forces. Chen Kaige has dome that and then some.

Magnificent film, while also a bit of a historical facet on China. While I am of the opinion that it is sad that the only films that can be made in China are these historical pieces, the over all tone to this reviewer is that this film is showing undertones that the government in China is brutal and obviously lacks the "love" to be a beloved person. The Emperor may become the Emperor, but he will no longer be remembered for his deeds and his works. Take notice Chinese leaders, and allow these artists to speak their minds freely, instead of under the breath of a history long past and gone. These arts will be remembered and foster more about ... sadly, all we can do with this history is create a film. In this case a magnificent film, with the qualities that most of us really appreciate.

    FILM TITLE:        The Emperor and the Assassin
    DIRECTOR:         Chen Kaige
    COUNTRY:         China 1999
    CINEMATOGRAPHY:  Fei Zhao
    MUSIC:                Zhao Jiping
    CAST:                   Gong Li, Fengyi Zhang, Xuejian Li, Zhiwen Wang, Chen
    Kaige, Xiaohe Lu, Haifeng Ding
    SUPER FEATURES:  The David Lean of China, no doubt.

4 of 5 GIBLOONS Reviewed by Pedro Sena, Copyright (c) Pedro Sena 2000. All Rights Reserved.

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