Torture

To put aside all doubts - I like Hsiao-Hsien Hou, but this movie is simply a torture from beginning to end. I have got the feeling that he is playing a nasty and funny trick on his audience (especially Western ones), which succeeded magnificently, if you read the discussions on this board, especially those voices defending the movie: "If you don't get it, it is because of your distorted Westernized expectations of story-telling." or "You have to get everything spoon-fed to you." etc. etc. etc. etc.

If you look at my ratings, you will see that I like a lot of very slow (and weird) movies, but this one was simply boooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooring.

And, by accident. I just found the background to Hsiao-Hsien Hou's joke: I challenge everyone who defends "The Assasssin" to watch "A Touch of Zen" ("Xia nü") http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0064451/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1

The same beautiful cinematography, comparable characters and plot elements (if you assume that "The Assassin" has a plot), but King Hu TELLS A STORY.

I think what Hsiao-Hsien Hou did, was take this masterpiece (that perhaps hardly anyone still knows), took some scenes at random, recreated them (some shots are almost identical) and edited them in some kind of random order leaving out all the elements that might constitute a plot that anyone (and I challenge the "experts" on mythology and history, too, without reading up extensively on the background) could even understand. It somehow reminded me of Woody Allen's "What's Up, Tiger Lily?" without being funny (if "Tiger Lily" is funny). The biggest joke is already at the start: the historical background given as an introduction which is completely useless, but which fools you into believing that what might follow might make any sense ;) .

Well done, Hsiao-Hsien Hou - most of the critics fell for it (and this is no sarcasm!)! You have revealed the foolishness of the self-appointed movie experts - my honest congratulations! :)

Nali*

PS: I know that someone will now nitpick the two movies and explain to me that these are "completely different eras and regions" and that they can't be compared. That's alright with me. Do all the explaining you like - I could not care less about "The Assassin". I endured it once and I got the joke, although it was a painful experience. Often movies inspire me to do more research on the background, but here I could not care less. If you still think, it is a masterpiece (and it is indeed a masterpiece, but for completely different reasons than most defenders here state) - good for you. It does not really matter, if our opinions on this movie differ - the world will still keep on turning.