Simply put I did not enjoy this film at all and it has been the first film in a while that I actually dozed off in and did not finish.
Seeing all these rave reviews I just can't help but feel that perhaps I might have missed something and I'd love to give this film another go.
Before I do that I would like to try and understand it better. For those of you here who like this film, what do you like about it and why?
I've found it's quite common for people who enjoy slow paced/artsy flicks like this to come to this forums and "brag" that they enjoyed it, IMO, to get a feeling of superiority above the general folks (and according to such characters, because they are not smart enough to "understand it"). Not the general rule, but just read the comments in this forum to notice it. They start insulting right away and telling you to "go watch Fast and the Furious instead." I think I'll call them "the movie radicals".
Initially I was thoroughly captivated by the cinematography.
I was also curious to "solve the mystery" of the story, as I sensed there was something underneath my complete incomprehension.
(I saw it on a medium-sized screen, not full theater size but larger than almost all home things. I'd guess it was around 5x8 feet, and I was sitting around 6 feet back. It was a theater environment, quiet, completely dark, and cushy seats.)
It took a lot of searching on the net and a couple watches just to figure out the story. I found a remark by Hou Hsiao-Hsien indicating this was typical for a westerner. (The film is based on a folktale/myth, telling a story that everyone already knows ...except us, because that story is not in Bulfinch's Mythology.)
Then -preparations finally done- on the third watch it all made sense and it was thoroughly enjoyable.
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I was kinda confused by the story, and I was a little disappointed that there wasn't as much "fighting" as I was expecting a movie called "the assassin" would have. But I did enjoy it for the beautiful scenery, and just the amount of color it had. The women(most of them) were beautiful. I'll probably need to read up on it and maybe try to figure out what the whole plot was, but like you I didn't really understand all of it. I fell asleep the first time I tried watching it because it was pretty late and I had smoked a bunch of weed before hand. But I did enjoy it a bit.
shareI have enjoyed all of Hou's film's that I've seen. I find his "still" and "slow" approach to be relaxing and peaceful. Since I have to deal with a lot of stress with my work, I find his films to be a great way to unwind. I have time to examine every detail of his shots and then just be still with them for a while and practice breathing. I also think that more than most other films his films reward repeat viewings.
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