THE LADY ASSASSIN (CASUAL REVIEW)

This is a casual review of The Lady Assassin, which I have posted elsewhere online. I am making slight edits to this version but it is basically just my initial thoughts after seeing it. My hope is to do more reviews like this one where I just react to a film after first seeing it (normally I spend more time on the reviews and will often rewatch films multiple times for them). I may write more about it after a second or third viewing. I will try to stick to a 1-10 scale for rating them (1 being bad, 10 being great). 

The film is directed by Tony Lou Chun-Ku, who has a cameo as a Japanese Ninja-bodyguard hired by the emperor. Tony Lou did a number of gonzo wuxia films like Holy Flame of the Martial World, Lovers Blades and Bastard Swordsman. He also did movies like The Holy Virgin Versus the Evil Dead, which is good too but a kind of schlock-fest. The Holy Virgin Versus the Evil Dead has one of the best musical cue sequences I have seen in a movie. 

The Lady Assassin came out in 1983, and stars Leanne Lau Suet-Wah (Lu Siniang), Norman Chu (Tsang Jing), and Lau Wing (Fourth Prince). There are plenty of other familiar faces like Ku Feng (Lu Liuliang) and Jason Pai Piao. Daisy Cheung and Yeung Ching-Ching also have cool roles as Tsang Jing's disciples named Pearl and Jade. This one is not quite as crazy as a movie like Holy Flame of the Martial World but still pretty intense when it comes to the fight choreography. It is a palace Intrigue based on real history and folk legend about the death of the Yongzheng Emperor who was the fifth emperor of the Qing Dynasty. 

This period and in particular court intrigue set in this period is usually not as interesting to me as other wuxia stories. So The Lady Assassin had to work a bit harder to secure my interest. Right from the beginning I was captivated by it and my mind never started to wander. While it isn't filled with fights in every moment, there are plenty of fight sequences and the fight sequences themselves are quite entertaining. The does a good job balancing story and action and is well-paced throughout. The characters are all nicely done and physical performances look precise. Norman Chu stands out, as does Leanne Lau. And I liked Jason Pai Piao's character (he is a haughty right hand man to the emperor who is incredibly ambition). Lau Wing makes for an interesting villain here, which I will discuss below. 

The plot revolves around the royal succession as the emperor is dying. The two possible heirs seem to be Fourteenth Prince (played by Max Mok) and Fourth Prince (played by Lau Wing). Fourth Prince conspires with a literary Han rebel named Lu Liuliang to alter his father's will (after discovering it names his brother heir). He promises to end the anti-Han policies of the Qing in exchange for the man's help. He succeeds with the aid of Lu Liuliang's daughter Lu Siniang. As might be expected, the Emperor doesn't hold true to his word and it all culminates in an assassination plot of revenge by Norman Chu's Tsang Jing and Leanne Lau. However the emperor has recruited Japanese fighters and ninja's to protect him so the final confrontation is pretty spectacular. 

The 88 Films disc itself is very solid. The transfer looks gorgeous and that really helps bring these older films to life for new audiences. So I think overall, it is a success and good value (it was 21 Dollars on Prime when I got it, so it is quite affordable). The extras were decent. There is a nice interview with Poon Kin-Kwan, on of the film's martial arts directors. The interview is very informative if you want a first hand account of the evolution of stuntwork and fight choreography in Hong Kong cinema. He goes into how many of the stunt men like were trained initially in Peking Opera. The interview also discusses what it was like being part of Shaw Brothers in the 70s and 80s. He talks about how the industry changed in recent years. However the interview doesn't really get into any details on The Lady Assassin. The disc comes with one of the better fold-out posters I have seen too. There are stills as well. Personally I would have liked to see more information about the movie itself (whether as an informed commentary track or a sleeve with information). I wanted to learn more about The Lady Assassin after watching it, and there wasn't a lot in the extras for that. 

Overall I really enjoyed The Lady Assassin. I might give it a rank of 7, and that could go up or down on further viewings as there is a lot to go back to and enjoy for a 90 minute film. I really liked the Norman Chu role and his relationship with Lui Siniang. Lau Wing was great as the villainous fourth prince. The action choreography and the physical performances in them are what make the movie truly work. Everything looked tight and dazzling. I think also it creates a strong sense of place and atmosphere.

Rating: 7