The Emperor and the Assassin (Jing Ke ci Qin Wang)

The Emperor and The Assassin (1998)

  • 81% of critics liked it
    (36 reviews)

  • 76% of users liked it
    (6,308 ratings)

A lavishly produced historical drama from China, Jing Ke Ci Qin Wang/The Emperor and the Assassin tells the complex, multi-facetted story of the man who became the first Emperor of a unified China, another man who has sworn to kill him, and a woman who is loved by both men. Late in the Third Century… More

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R,
Directed By
Written By
Wang Peigong, Kaige Chen
Genres
Drama, Art House & International, Classics
In Theaters
Nov 14, 1998 Wide
Sony Pictures Classics

Critic Reviews

  • Philip Martin, Arkansas Democrat-Gazette

    ...full of sweeping battles and scenes of sometimes confusing palace intrigue

  • Michael Dequina, TheMovieReport.com

    It's hard to argue against such a melodramatic approach when such palpable, haunting emotion is created.

  • Jeffrey M. Anderson, Combustible Celluloid

    Chen mixes in rich details and politics to make it all come alive and seem relevant.

See more critic ratings and reviews on Rotten Tomatoes

Fresh (60% or more critics rated the movie positively)

Rotten (59% or fewer critics rated the movie positively)

Featured Audience Ratings

  • Universal D


    Loads of costumer details, wartime battles, and a bit of Chinese history combine to make for an interesting couple of hours as the King of Qin ignominiously struggles to unite a divided China dead set against any grand uniting schemes or dreams (imagine as if Napolean tried uniting… More

  • JY S


    <i>The Emperor and the Assassin</i> is a historical drama, with a touch of Shakespeare, from writer and director Kaige Chen.<p>The plot does have its moments and it is interesting at times, but it is just too drawn out. The film is broken into chapters, which works… More

  • Stella D


    gorgeous epic about china's first emperor, every bit as good as hero and said to be more historically accurate. also it's almost 3 hours long but it's a complicated story! and it's not really a wuxia film

  • danny d


    interesting and powerful, gong li is beautiful in this film

  • John B


    Loved it....although I admit to being a little confused through some of it. Just wait until Chinese directors turn their cameras on non period pieces.

Read all 6 featured audience ratings

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