The Assassin

Years in the making, Taiwanese master Hou Hsiao-hsien’s (Flight of the Red Balloon) mesmerising first foray into the martial arts genre is a breathtakingly elegant and ravishingly composed tale of a complex web of betrayals set in ninth-century China.

When lethal assassin Nie Yinniang (Shu Qi) fails an important assignment, she is sent back to her homeland on the orders of the nun who both abducted her as a child and trained her in the deadly arts. Her new orders, designed to both punish her and eliminate the last vestiges of feeling in her being, is to kill the man to whom she was once betrothed, who is now a powerful governor. Navigating an intricate web of intrigue as she pursues her murderous goal, Yinniang is haunted by phantom visions of what her life could have been and experiences emotions that may lead her to defy her Mistress and discover a new, unexpected source of strength.

Extravagant and intricately detailed, this is perhaps the most extraordinarily beautiful recreation of the interiors, decor, dress and manners of imperial China that has ever been put on film. A cinematic masterpiece that saw its creator deservedly pick up the award for Best Director at this year’s Cannes, you won't be able to resist getting lost in its rarefied world.

• This screening of The Assassin on Tue 2 Feb is part of our Cinébites deal: Get 30% off any main dish in the Café/Bar with a valid cinema ticket.

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