The Taiwanese Film THE ASSASIN Dir by Hou Hsiao-Hsien

THE ASSASIN is a Taiwanese film with English subtitles.  Dir. Hsiao-Hsien (b. China 1947) was taken by his family to Taiwan fleeing the Chinese Civil War.  The Hsiao-Hsien was awarded The Golden Lion Award at this year's Cannes Film Festival for the stunning shot film, THE ASSASIN, which is set in 9th C China.  The plot is a pastiche of myth, martial arts, loyalty and love story.  The choreography for the sword fighting scenes are remarkable and reminiscient of "Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon."  The heroine is played by the breathtakingly beautiful Taiwanese actress Shu Qi.  Qi plays the martial arts master assigned by her mentor to kill her former fiancee.  The plot is plodding with minimal dialogue but these factors don't deter from the allure of the lush landscapes, period costumes, choreography & battle scenes and the exquisite Shu Qi.  THE ASSASIN is not as visually impressive as "Crouching Tiger" but it falls within a similar martial arts genre with its own mystique and majesty.  The film could be viewed without sub-titles and not diminish its impact or aesthetic powers.