The Emperor and the Assassin
Seen it?1998 | 162 min | History, Drama
Sunday Safe Betearly ratingWhy it’s a Sunday Safe Bet
It earned strong reviews (81% on Rotten Tomatoes), though it had almost no lasting buzz and soft box office. A safe bet when you want something reliable.
Based on critics, audiences, awards, box office and buzz. Details below.Is it for you?
- Who'll love it
- Made for history buffs.
- The mood
- Thoughtful and character-driven.
- The pace
- Unhurried and epic, at 2 hr 42 min.
- What might put you off
- Rated R: meant for adults.
- It's long: 2 hr 42 min.
- It's in Chinese, so expect subtitles (or a dub).
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.
How it earned its rating
- CriticsStrong
81% on Rotten Tomatoes, 75 on Metacritic
- AudiencesNot counted
Not measured yet: not enough ratings
- AwardsNot counted
No major awards or nominations
- Box office & staying powerBelow par
$20 million worldwide; still draws a steady audience long after release
- Buzz & cultural impactWeak
About 19K people sought it out in the past year
Trailer
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Cast & crew
Directed by Chen Kaige
- Gong LiLady Zhao
- Zhang FengyiJing Ke
- Li XuejianYing Zheng
- Wang ZhiwenMarquis Changxin
- Sun ZhouPrince Yan Dan
- Chen KaigeLu Buwei
- Pan ChangjiangPrison Official
- Zhao BenshanGao Jianli
- Ding HaifengQin Wuyang
- Zhou XunBlind Girl