Reign of Assassins

Although Reign of Assassins is widely known as a John Woo production, it was written and directed by Taiwan’s Su Chao-pin. The film shifts the focus back onto human relationships, marking a return to the well-trodden path of old-style wuxia films. Su’s ambition to create a culmination of the genre is also clear, however, with numerous references to the plots and conventions of wuxia novels. It tells the story of a female assassin who decides to give up her old ways and return to a normal life, yet finds it simply impossible to break away. Michelle Yeoh’s outstanding performance proves her more than a match for the best of the wuxia heroines. Stephen Tung’s action choreography is also exceptional, succeeding in being both tough and gentle. The vivid world of the jianghu evoked in the film is set apart from history or politics – another characteristic of Mainland Chinese filmmaking today.

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