This is the story of a working-class hero. Seriously. Sure, he may have a top-knot hair style and a shiny blade at his side, but Jimmy Wang Yu is nobody’s sucker. The Assassin is a blood-soaked suicide letter and, thanks to the talent behind the camera, it comes across as almost effortless in its revenge narrative.
You simply can’t look away.
The Assassin, starring Jimmy Wang Yu, is a masterpiece of wuxia cinema. The film is beautifully lensed and well-acted as one two-armed swordsman finds himself on a deadly path for revenge, thanks to a jealous rival. Haunting in its quiet moments of small pleasures, The Assassin is an instant Shaw Brothers classic thanks to its burst of sudden energy as civil clashes turn uncivil really quickly.
Directed by Chang Cheh and featuring the work of fight coordinators Lau Kar-leung and Tong Gaai, The Assassin begins in an incredible poetic fashion which calls back to the ending of this epic adventure. It is a ballsy move for an action flick, but that’s par for the course in this sweeping epic. Just don’t be in a hurry because there’s a lot our hero must endure before his fate is sealed.
In fact, the existential crisis is strong with this one as Nie Zhang (Wang Yu) as he battles his loyalty to his own family (including a childhood sweetheart) and his desire to stop the injustices occurring in the warring states of China. He feels his duty is one of blood and fears his own inaction is a betrayal of self.
Enough of rolling around in these lush green fields with his sweetheart, Niah Yung (Hsiang Chun Li) already! It’s time to fight! And fight he does, especially when the survivor of an assassination attempt - the kindly Yen Shui (Tien Feng) - offers him the chance to take on the corrupt Han Kui (Huang Tsung-hsing). It’s a palace-bound suicide mission, but Nie accepts it and spends the bulk of the movie saying farewell to his friends, loves, and family. It’s touching and emotional and filled with all sorts of tears and he accepts his role and seals his fate as an assassin. 
Nothing else matters to him. This is his role. It is his fate and, honestly, what a finale it is as he single-handedly takes down one Han soldier after another. And, yes, the blades and the blood swings freely, slashing and splattering everywhere as he makes his way toward his own end game. But Cheh’s storytelling spends a lot of time looking at the consequences of Nie’s bloodlust, especially as it relates to his family and his one great love, who feels a strong connection to him.
This is brilliant cinema, my friends. It transcends Chop Socky Cinema and becomes a weighty phenomenon which must not be neglected or overlooked. It is now a part of Shout Factory’s Shaw Brothers Classics: Vol. 1, which contains a new feature length audio commentary covering the movie from David West, critic and author of Chasing Dragons: An Introduction To The Martial Arts Film.
Home Video Distributor: Shout Factory
Available on Blu-ray - June 13, 2023
Screen Formats: 2.35:1
Subtitles: English
Audio: Mandarin: DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 Mono; English: DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 Mono
Discs: Blu-ray Disc; 11-disc set
Region Encoding: Locked to Region A
Yu is a two-armed swordsman who is betrayed by a jealous rival, but initially seeks a life of simple pleasures until an accidental meeting with another patriot sets him back on the road to bloody, brutal vengeance.
Video
Presented in a 2.35:1 aspect ratio, The Assassin gets down to its dirty business with its audience in mind. The poetry on display comes through in the lush fields, the crispness of the interiors, and the sudden violence which echoes throughout the film, including its finale. Black levels are strong throughout, bringing out nice details in both the loud and quiet moments of this epic adventure.
Audio
Let the blades fly! We have choices here, which I appreciate. Fans of this martial arts offering get a solid Mandarin Mono DTS-HD Master Audio With New Subtitle Translation or an English Dub Mono DTS-HD Master Audio. Both are sufficient for the front loaded action sequences.
Supplements:
This disc also has a Celestial Trailer for the film. The film is a part of Shout Factory’s Shaw Brothers Classics, Vol. 1 and is not available individually.
Commentary:
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Included on the disc is a phenomenal commentary track from author and critic David West.
Special Features:
- Celestial Trailer
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Composite Blu-ray Grade
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MPAA Rating: PG-13.
Runtime: 121 mins
Director: Cheh Chang
Writer: Cheh Chang; Kuang Ni
Cast: Jimmy Wang Yu; Chiao Chiao; Hsiang Chun Li
Genre: Acttion | Drama
Tagline:
Memorable Movie Quote:
Distributor: Shaw Brothers
Official Site:
Release Date:
DVD/Blu-ray Release Date: June 13, 2023
Synopsis: Yu is a two-armed swordsman who is betrayed by a jealous rival, but initially seeks a life of simple pleasures until an accidental meeting with another patriot sets him back on the road to bloody, brutal vengeance.
