In 9th century China, 10-year-old Nie Yinniang is abducted by a nun who transforms her into an impressive warrior. One day, she is sent back to her home province with orders to kill the ruling lord, whom she was expected to marry. Nie Yinniang must choose: assassinate the man she loves or betray the sacred honor of her training.

After a distinguished career of social-realist dramas, the great Taiwanese filmmaker Hou Hsiao-Hsien keeps his feet – and camera – on the ground for his first incursion into the martial combat genre. Realistic action sequences replace the swirling sword choreographies and slowmotion special effect pirouettes typical of the form. What matters most in The Assassin, as in Akira Kurosawa’s classic samurai films, is the particular human philosophy and moral codes behind the strange business of being a righteous assassin. What also matters is the force of Hou’s wonderfully crafted cinematography and art direction, which deliver scene after scene of ravishing beauty. Every frame is a painting. – Orlando Rojas

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