The look of The Assassin assessed

Hou Hsiao-hsien’s extraordinary foray into the martial arts wuxia genre The Assassin is one of the year’s most acclaimed (recently picked as the best by Sight & Sound and Manohla Dargis at the New York Times) and anticipated films—it’s Hou’s first feature since 2007’s superb Flight of the Red Balloon—and one of the year’s most beautiful.

Hou’s exquisite compositional sense and formal daring have always been among the many gifts that have solidified his standing as one contemporary cinema’s essential artists, and they are in full flower in The Assassin. The New York Times recently detailed the film’s visual dynamism in a fantastic interactive piece—from its recreation of the Tang Dynasty to the strategies behind the fight sequences (no flying warriors here) to the thinking behind the lighting schemes—it’s an essential read for fans of Hou and for those about take the dive into this remarkable film. You’ve got two chances left to see it here at the Wex.