I'm at a loss how to write a review of this movie. On one hand the technical aspects of the film is quite good, excellent in fact, especially considering the budget (it was the most expensive Chinese film ever made in its time). On the other hand the film strikes one as being overlong, bloated, stuffed with its own importance and muddled in its examination of history. Not to mention the "mannerist" (to borrow an adjective from British critic Tony Rayns) acting and the demented portrayal of Qin Shi Huang by the lead actor, Li Xuejian. Sadly, Li seems not to know where his performance is heading. Every other actor, including Zhang Fengyi, Wang Zhiwen and the gorgeous Gong Li, seems to be like mannequins attached on a string and jerked about by director Chen Kaige.It astounded me 12 years ago to see this movie, because Chen had a very high reputation then (he won the Palme d'Or for "Farewell My Concubine" and helmed two of the best Chinese movies ever made, "Yellow Earth" and "King of Children"). I found it then boring and unconvincing, with no new slant to common historiography. In fact, most of the actors seem to be acting in a mannerist theater which makes some of the performances insufferable. I revisited the movie 10 years later, only to find my earlier assessment holds.I was only convinced I was right after watching Chen Kaige's "The Promise". It seems that Chen has come to a point he is merely making a movie for the sake of doing one - and that he no longer has anything important or refreshing to say. Looking back, I would say the downward trend really started in "The Emperor and the Assassin". My 5 stars is for the technical aspects only, not for the directing or the performances.

I have found this epic to be of an astonishing, striking, even heartbreaking beauty. Some kind of monumentality in beauty and decorative richness, a magnificent dramatic movement and dynamism. The choreography herein is hugely enjoyable, the actors are thoroughly enjoyable. I have been a big fan of CROUCHING TIGER … as well, but this one was even better. They have Kitano's ingenuity in delighting in what is pleasurable. This beauty affirming adventure cinema is an act of courage. When was the suspense so exquisite and genuine? And the art of showing huge crowds, gigantic armies …. The film has something deeply satisfying, and a steadfast good taste. There is an enormous pleasure in making such a deliberately impressing and clean show ….It's good beyond words. Few, few adventure films ,let alone epics, gave me such an uninterrupted delight.Fan can be monumental. …is not monumental art—but is monumental fun,like Leone's movies, like some '60s epics; also like the hobbits trilogy. It is large—sized fun.

Average attempt at a grand epic. Sadly the film is overly long, unnecessary slow, especially at the beginning & ending "chapters" of the film.The biggest disappointment of the film had to be the editing. It was quite poor in parts & if it was part of the "visual style" of the film, then it was totally unnecessary.That said still worth at least a look

Kaige Chen's epic co-incidentally covers much of the same historical period as Xiaowen Zhou's Qin Song /Emperor's Shadow (1996) but, despite the greater length and presumably larger budget, it emerges as the lesser of the two epics. Both films concentrate on the first unification of China by the ruthless and troubled King of Qin and feature a conspicuous branding of a female lead. But whereas Emperor's Shadow gives the whole process an obsessive gravitas, despite Kaige Chen's best efforts (and he manages some beautiful looking compositions) the present production is more diffuse and, to me anyway, was on a different level. The earlier film is more powerful (there is nothing as striking as the Tarkovsky-like 'sacrifice of the bells' moment, which is at the start of Qin Song, for instance) even though Kaige Chen has the full advantage of some marvellous locations. The portrait of the Qin King is also less impressive here. Fengyi Zhan simply has far less of a cruel, regal presence in the role than does Wen Jiang, and there is nothing like the overpowering relationship between the Emperor-to-be and his 'soulmate' - be it assassin or musician - that exists in the earlier work holding the long narrative together. Having said that, there is much well mounted angst and drama as the king inevitably exploits many of him around him, some grand battle scenes, and a lot else to enjoy. I would also add Musa to the list of worth-seeing Asian epics which are currently available on cheap import DVDs. This current title has the best picture with none of the occasionally distracting compression problems of the the others (the film is on a 2 sided disk).