Die by the Sword: Hou Hsiao-hsien's The Assassin

This elegant, enrapturing historical epic about the troubles of a trained killer garnered Taiwanese auteur Hou Hsiao-hsien the Best Director award at the 2015 Cannes Film Festival. According to Anthony Carew, it also embodies the master filmmaker's signature penchant for stillness and minimalism, ambience and atmosphere, and revelation through reverie.

Additional keywords: wuxia, Shu Qi, antihero, genre.