Chen Kiage (Farewell My Concubine) and Zhang Yimou (Red Sorghum, To Live) have been always considered two of the greatest director of modern China cinema history. This time Chen took three years after his previous film and came back with a movie about the first Chinese emperor Qin and his legendary story with a woman he loves, his adversary and an assassin in very ancient China of 221 BC. Assassin Jingke stab emperor Qin is a well know story that nearly every Chinese know it so well. Assassin Jingke was considered a biggest hero in the history for his great sacrifice spirit and the brave suicide assassination, although his action was failed. Zhang Fengyi is one of my favorite actor (I like his performance in Farewell my concubine), his assassin Jinke is silent and full of passion in the heart, that is convincing. Li Xuejian is honorable actor but just miscast here, His King Qin is always with tears in his eyes and feels miserable. I can not understand why Chen decides to make this most tyranny emperor in the Chinese history always crying. The most attractive role in the movie is Marquis Changxin, he married Qin's mother and most time he looks like idiot but actually he has his own ambitious plan. Marquis Changxin is convincingly played by Wang Zhiwen, I like him so much.
The movie do have some memorable moments, one is Jingke took a assignment to kill the whole family of ironsmith, but when he facing the angelic blind daughter of ironsmith, he cannot do his job. Late, the daughter killed herself. That event had a biggest influence for the rest of Jingke's life, also a big impact for the audience.
The movie has some most popular Chinese comedian (Pan Changjiang for prison officer and Zhao Benshan for Gao Jianli) for the friendly cameo, when they appears in the screen, audience shout and smiled. This would not happened when this movie is showed in country outside China.
I don't know if it is the biggest budget film in China, but it is surely one of them. They built Qin's palace especially for this movie and now becomes a tourist sight. It is near my city. I didn't go there but my father did. He said it is great building.
Overall, this is the excellent movie for the people like ancient Chinese costume and culture. The photography is very beautiful. Compared to the greatest "Farewell My Concubine", Chen does not make it reach that level. I give it *** for the rate from * to ****.
