The Emperor and the Assassin (1998)

7.2R162 minDirector: Chen Kaige

1998 Chinese film

The Emperor and the Assassin (Chinese: 荊軻刺秦王; pinyin: Jīngkē cì qínwáng; lit. '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 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. It was the most expensive Chinese film made up to that time, costing US$20 million.

Plot summary adapted from Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.

FAQ

What is The Emperor and the Assassin about?
The Emperor and the Assassin (1998) — In pre-unified China, the King of Qin sends his concubine to a rival kingdom to produce an assassin for a political plot, but as the king's cruelty mounts she finds her loyalty faltering.
Is The Emperor and the Assassin based on a true story?
See the production background and source material details on the official Wikipedia article.
Is The Emperor and the Assassin scary?
Content rating: R. See the reviews tab for parental guidance and tone notes.
What is The Emperor and the Assassin (1998) about? Plot, synopsis and ending explained — Screencodex