The Assassin: A Critically Acclaimed Martial Arts Drama Review
TAIWAN’S SUBMISSION FOR BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM AT THE 88th ACADEMY AWARDS®, the critically acclaimed Martial Arts Drama, “The Assassin”.
Before this movie, I have not had the pleasure of watching any work by Hou Hsiao-Hsien, so I started this movie not knowing quite what to expect. I’m not going to outline the story here, because I think reviews should be more about impressions, and because the details of the plot are perhaps the least important aspect of this film. I am going to tell you the things that impressed me and kept me in the moment of the movie.
The visual language Hou Hsiao-Hsien creates are all simply wonderful. The camera often lingers on images dozens of seconds longer than most films would dare whether it be a field, a scene of the field, a meditative character, etc. “Slow” is perhaps an understatement, so if that bothers you, I can guarantee you won’t enjoy this film. I appreciated the opportunity to consider the subjects on which the director lingers, and there was one particular moment or two that really helped me enjoy the style.
In the first third of the film or thereabout, there is a scene that shows a man sitting alone in a room. He has a lazy, neutral expression on his face that, at first, suggests depression or some kind of sadness. But as the camera lingers, we begin to wonder if there is something else going on beneath the surface. Now, when the scene was over, although there was more to it than I have mentioned. There was a scene where we are given a few lingering shots of goats. The camera closes in on the faces of the animals and right away I thought of the expression on the man’s face in the earlier scene. It’s extraordinary to see two seemingly disparate scenes at opposite ends of the film come together in this way.
I have my own thoughts about what Hsiao-Hsien is trying to portray but anyways, what I am trying to get at is that while it may be tempting at times to wonder why are they hanging onto a certain shot of an object that is not doing anything, such shots are always purposeful.
Music is approached similarly. Where it appears, it is absorbing, you are not hearing it like you would with a soundtrack, unless you consider the sounds of nature to be just that. The ending is a prime example of why this is a good decision.
If you prefer fast-paced editing, you will be disappointed if you are looking for a completely novel plot. But if you want your ears and eyes to enjoy all of the beauty, and you enjoy the forwardness of this film, you will definitely enjoy “The Assassin”. Which can be purchased on Amazon.(aff. link).
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