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The Emperor and the Assassin

1998 · 162 min

A vast, solemn historical epic that moves slowly and grandly, steeped in intrigue and moral decay, rewarding patience with tragic weight.

Overview
In pre-unified China, the King of Qin sends his concubine to a rival kingdom to produce an assassin for a political plot, but as the king's cruelty mounts she finds her loyalty faltering.
Rent or buy in the UK
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  • YouTube
More options Data from JustWatch
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How it feels

Written by AI. It can be wrong.

Tone
  • darkstrength 3 of 3
  • melancholicstrength 2 of 3
  • tensestrength 2 of 3
  • earneststrength 2 of 3
Pacing
slow-burn, 1 of 4, from slow-burn to relentless
Attention
demanding, 4 of 4, from background-friendly to demanding
Themes
  • power
  • betrayal
  • loyalty
  • ambition
  • war
Places
  • countryside
  • big city
Era
period
Audience
adult
Form
  • nonlinear
  • ensemble
Content intensity
  • Gore mild
  • Language mild
  • Violence strong
  • Sex mild
All scales, 0 to 10
Scales, 0 to 10
ScaleValue0 to 10
Action4
Horror2
Humour1
Realism7
Romance4
Tension6
Darkness8
Complexity8
Emotional weight8

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Where to watch in the UK

Rent or buy
  • Apple TV Store
  • YouTube

Streaming data from JustWatch.All options on TMDB

Details

Genres
history, drama
Directed by
Chen Kaige
Written by
Chen Kaige, Wang Peigong
Starring
Gong Li, Zhang Fengyi, Li Xuejian, Wang Zhiwen, Sun Zhou, Chen Kaige, Pan Changjiang, Zhao Benshan
Music
Zhao Jiping
Cinematography
Zhao Fei
Runtime
162 min
Country
China, France, Japan
Languages
Polish, Mandarin

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