‘88 Films’ recent Blu-Ray release of ‘The Lady Assassin’ gave me the opportunity to re-watch a film I haven’t seen in twenty years, a swordplay classic from the latter days of the Shaw Brothers output. And seeing something presented in such pristine picture quality always puts me in a sunny disposition before a line has been uttered.
With the ageing emperor planning his successor from fourteen sons, the race is on to exert an influence on the ruler before his demise. The youngest, 14th prince, is seen as the most likely successor, but the 4th prince is determined to change the will to ensure he is named. Allying himself with a group of Ming separatists who want better treatment for their people, the 4th prince succeeds and builds up his power base with the help of his noted general. The mentor of the 14th prince, Tsang Jing, is resigned to being ruled over by the despotic rival, but a chance to usurp the throne comes when a group of rebels is formed, made up of the many people oppressed under this new rule. The stage is set for an intense battle for the throne.
At times breathtaking, occasionally frustrating, ‘The Lady Assassin’ is painfully close to being a classic. Make no mistake, it is a very impressive film and, after the credits roll, you are left barely able to process the action you’ve witnessed. Yet the sub-plots that are left dangling and unresolved character arcs frustrate, and the unnecessarily sped-up action is infuriating.
‘The Lady Assassin’ has a wonderful cast, packed with the very best the studio had to offer at the time. It also tackles the classic story of the 14th prince with all of the pageantry and skill that only the Shaw Brothers can offer, with ornate sets and copious use of the company smoke machine. For a film that is barely over ninety minutes, this packs in a lot of incident and twists and turns galore, giving this quite the epic feel. The characters are, mostly, fascinating and offer very different protagonists to the usual genre piece. With all that said, ‘The Lady Assassin’ could have benefited from either an extra thirty minutes or a less adventurous scope; too many sub-plots are tidied up too quickly or have their resolution ignored, namely the betrayal of Jason Pai Piao’s character.
Director Tony Lou Chun-Ku brings the phantasmagoria of his hit ‘Bastard Swordsman’ films with him here and it makes for an awkward fit. Seeing the sped-up heroics and undercranking somehow doesn’t fit a production that is intended to be a little more grounded – it becomes a distraction at various points in the story. The frustration from watching this is that the choreography really didn’t need this as, for the majority of the running time, it is exceptional. A blistering mix of the very best traditional Shaw Brothers fight action and the new-wave style of Jackie Chan and Sammo Hung, it’s a joy to behold and you’ll have your finger hovering over the rewind button after every scene.
‘The Lady Assassin’ is very good, but there is the nagging feeling that this could have been even better with a little discernment. Nevertheless, it’s a spectacle quite unlike anything that has been since.
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