View source for The Emperor and the Assassin

{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2023}}
{{Infobox film
|name           = The Emperor and the Assassin
|image          = Emperor_and_the_Assassin.jpg
|alt            = 
|caption        = DVD release cover
| native_name   = {{Infobox Chinese|child=yes|t = 荊軻刺秦王
 |s = 荆轲刺秦王
 |p = Jīng Kē Cì Qín Wáng}}
|director       = [[Chen Kaige]]
|producer       = {{plainlist|
* [[Han Sanping]]
* Chen Kaige
* Kadokawa Tsuguhiko
* Furukawa Hiromitsu
}}
|writer         = {{plainlist|
* Chen Kaige
* Wang Peigong
}}
|starring       = {{plainlist|
* [[Gong Li]]
* [[Zhang Fengyi]]
* [[Zhou Xun]]
* [[Li Xuejian]]
* Chen Kaige
}}
|music          = [[Zhao Jiping]]
|cinematography = {{plainlist|
* [[Zhao Fei]]
* Zheng Hua
* Shang Yong
}}
|editing        = Zhou Xinxia
|studio         = {{plainlist|
* Shin Corporation
* [[StudioCanal|Le Studio Canal+]]
* New Wave Co.
* Beijing Film Studio
}}
|distributor    = {{plainlist|
* [[Sony Pictures Classics]]
* [[Sony Pictures Home Entertainment|Columbia TriStar Home Video]]
}}
|released       = {{Film date|1998|10|08|df=y}}
|runtime        = 162 minutes
|country        = China
|language       = Mandarin
|budget         = 
|gross          = 
}}

'''''The Emperor and the Assassin''''' ({{Lang-zh|c=荊軻刺秦王|p=Jīngkē cì qínwáng|l=Jing Ke Assassinates the King of Qin}}), also known as '''''The First Emperor''''', is a 1998–1999 Chinese historical romance film based primarily on [[Jing Ke]]'s assassination attempt on the [[Qin Shi Huang|King of Qin]], as described in [[Sima Qian]]'s ''[[Records of the Grand Historian]]''. The film was directed by [[Chen Kaige]] and stars [[Gong Li]], [[Zhang Fengyi]], [[Li Xuejian]], and [[Zhou Xun]]. The film was well received critically and won the Technical Prize at the [[1999 Cannes Film Festival]].<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://www.variety.com/article/VR1117923033.html|title= China's Festival Winners|magazine=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]] |date=17 May 2005|accessdate=12 November 2008}}</ref> It was the most expensive Chinese film made up to that time, costing US$20 million.<ref>Yang, Jeff ''Once Upon a Time in China'' (Atria, 2003) p.204</ref>

==Plot==
The film covers much of [[Qin Shi Huang|Ying Zheng]]'s career, recalling his early experiences as a hostage and foreshadowing his dominance over China. He is essentially depicted as an idealist seeking to impose a peace or unity on the world. However, his experiencing of various betrayals and losses slowly turn him into a mad [[tyrant]]. The story consists of three main incidents: the attempt by [[Jing Ke]] to assassinate Ying Zheng in 227 BCE; the (fictitious) rumour of [[Lü Buwei|Chief Minister]] Lü Buwei's having sired Ying Zheng on his concubine before transferring her to become the [[Queen Dowager Zhao|Queen Dowager]]; and the story of an [[Lao Ai|official]] having sired children by the Queen Dowager herself. The first incident is the [[climax (narrative)|climax]] of the film, with earlier scenes foreshadowing it; the other two incidents occur between the fictional genesis and historical manifestation of the first.

In the film, Ying Zheng sends his concubine Lady Zhao to the [[Yan (state)|Yan state]] as a spy to enlist a Yan assassin to attempt to assassinate him, intending to use that as a ''[[casus belli]]'' to start a war against Yan. Lady Zhao persuades Jing Ke to perform the assassination. After learning of Ying Zheng's massacre of the children in her home state of [[Zhao (state)|Zhao]], Lady Zhao desires the assassination in earnest. The attempt fails, but Ying Zheng expresses his fury when his associates make no attempt to stop the assassin and he is forced to kill Jing Ke himself. He is further saddened when Lady Zhao returns to Qin only to retrieve Jing Ke for burial.

==Cast==
* [[Gong Li]] as Lady Zhao
* [[Zhang Fengyi]] as [[Jing Ke]]
* [[Li Xuejian]] as [[Qin Shi Huang|Ying Zheng]]
* Gu Yongfei as [[Queen Dowager Zhao|Queen Dowager]]
* [[Wang Zhiwen]] as [[Lao Ai]]
* Lü Xiaohe as [[Fan Yuqi]]
* Sun Zhou as [[Crown Prince Dan of Yan]]
* [[Chen Kaige]] as [[Lü Buwei]]
* Pan Changjiang as prison official
* [[Zhou Xun]] as blind girl
* Cong Zhijun as old official
* Li Longyin as shop owner
* Li Qiang as Han messenger
* [[Zhao Benshan]] as [[Gao Jianli]]
* Ding Haifeng as [[Qin Wuyang]]
* Hu Yang as young official
* Zhang Shen as dwarf
* Li Hongtao as [[Li Si]]
* Wei Chao as Doujiyan
* Han Dong as Qin cart driver
* Li Zhonglin as Qin prison guard
* Liu Tielian as palace ritual eunuch
* Kong Qinsan as face tattooist
* Xie Zengran as younger Wang brother
* Chang Tao as older Wang brother
* Zhang Jinzhan as Yan ambassador
* Zhao Yanguo as artist
* Lin Luyue as warrior
* Liu Jiacheng as warrior
* Chu Xu as warrior
* Liu Bo as warrior
* Liu Liang as warrior

==Awards==
''The Emperor and the Assassin'' won the Technical Grand Prize at the [[1999 Cannes Film Festival]] and was in competition for the [[Palme d'Or]].<ref name="festival-cannes.com">{{cite web |url=http://www.festival-cannes.com/en/archives/ficheFilm/id/5317/year/1999.html |title=Festival de Cannes: The Emperor and the Assassin |accessdate=6 October 2009|work=festival-cannes.com}}</ref><ref name=BBC/> [[Zhao Fei]] was awarded the 1999 [[Golden Rooster Award]] for Best Cinematography.

==Background==
Chen Kaige noted upon the film's premiere at the Cannes Film Festival that he hoped ''The Emperor and the Assassin'' would hold relevance to the events of the time, notably the [[Yugoslav Wars]].<ref name=BBC>{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/low/entertainment/345742.stm|title= The battle for the Palm d'Or|work = [[BBC News]]| date=17 May 1999|accessdate=12 November 2008}}</ref>

==See also==
* [[List of historical drama films of Asia]]
* ''[[The Emperor's Shadow]]''
* [[Hero (2002 film)|''Hero'' (2002 film)]]
* ''[[Rise of the Great Wall]]''
* [[Qin Shi Huang (2001 TV series)|''Qin Shi Huang'' (2001 TV series)]]
* ''[[Assassinator Jing Ke]]''

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20081104112853/http://www.sonypictures.com/classics/emperorandassassin/index.html Official site] from [[Sony Pictures Classics]]
*{{IMDb title|id=0162866|title=The Emperor and the Assassin}}
*{{rotten-tomatoes|id=emperor_and_the_assassin|title=The Emperor and the Assassin}}
*{{Metacritic film|title=The Emperor and the Assassin}}

{{Chen Kaige}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Emperor and the Assassin, The}}
[[Category:1998 films]]
[[Category:1998 romantic drama films]]
[[Category:1990s historical romance films]]
[[Category:Chinese epic films]]
[[Category:Chinese historical romance films]]
[[Category:1990s Mandarin-language films]]
[[Category:Films directed by Chen Kaige]]
[[Category:Films set in the Warring States period]]
[[Category:Films set in the Qin dynasty]]
[[Category:Cultural depictions of Qin Shi Huang]]
[[Category:Chinese romantic drama films]]
[[Category:Sony Pictures Classics films]]