marcello francesco mastrilli ( 1603 – october 17 , 1637 ) was an italian jesuit missionary who was martyred in japan on mount unzen during the tokugawa shogunate , which had banned christianity in 1614 .

after sailing for japan out to find and possibly reconvert the notorious apostate christavao ferreira , who went to japan and renounced his faith there , he was arrested as soon as he got off his ship .

after three days of torture in the pit of nagasaki , he was beheaded .

a painting of his death , martyrdom of saint marcello mastrilli ( 1664 ) , was made by antonio maria vassallo .

susceptible to visions , he was particularly influenced by visitations by the jesuit missionary st. francis xavier , who appeared to him twice in 1633 , and foretold him his martyrdom .

st. frances xavier is credited with twice miraculously restoring mastrilli 's health ( even if only to incite him to do missionary work in japan ) , and since the account reportedly spread quickly through italy , the " novena of grace , " in honor of st. francis xavier , was established .

mastrilli 's initiative is supposedly to thank for the presence of a silver casket in the basilica of bom jesus in old goa , which houses relics of the body of st. francis xavier .

marcello mastrilli

mastrilli , marcello f . : r . p . marcelli mastrilli . . . et xxxii sociorum ac 16 aliorum . . . - 1637
his companions gone , father mastrilli accompanied governor hurtado de corcuera on an expedition against the mindanao pirates . the spanish forces flew two standards : an image of saint francis xavier and an image of christ crucified that had been rescued from the pirates’ hands . during the battle father marcello was struck on the flank by a cannonball ; it bounced off him , leaving him unharmed . in the end the spaniards achieved a resounding victory—which they attributed to the power of saint francis xavier and father mastrilli’s intercession . [ 7 ]
marcello mastrilli was born in naples on 14 september 1603 , the son of the marquis of san marzano . although born into a life of aristocratic privilege , at age 14 marcello recognized his calling to religious vocation and announced this to his parents . meeting his father’s opposition , the determined marcello nevertheless left home in 1618 and entered the jesuit novitiate at naples . soon thereafter he had a vision of heaven opening and instantaneously understood his life’s purpose : a mission to the indies . in that same instant , he was infused with a love for christ that he knew he must live out by suffering for him . [ 1 ] during his years of novitiate , he was often visited by apparitions of saint francis xavier , the apostle of the indies , in the form of a horseman dressed in white .
history : the novena of grace , which begins march 4th and ends on the 12th , the day of the canonization of st . francis xavier , owes its origin to the saint himself . at naples , in december , 1633 , father marcello mastrilli , s . j . was at the point of death . the saint appeared to him and , bidding him renew a vow he had made to labor in japan , said :
, known as the
novena of grace
, originated as follows : in 1633 father mastrilli , s . j . , was at the point of death as a result of an
with that victory sealed , father mastrilli joined the japanese exile community in the philippines and devoted himself to learning their language . he also procured their services in building him a boat of japanese design in which he planned to slip into japan in japanese guise ; many of the japanese exiles insisted on going with him . a chinese ship carried father mastrilli , his companions , and their boat to macau , where the governor became their secret ally : he pardoned a certain ship’s pilot condemned to death for transporting a dominican friar to japan on condition that he carry father mastrilli’s mission to japan . embarking on a spanish ship that would carry them and their landing craft to japanese waters , they met with numerous vicissitudes along the way , including a fierce storm off formosa . father mastrilli is reported to have calmed the storm by making the sign of the cross over the sea with his reliquary containing saint francis xavier’s relics . [ 8 ]
at eleven o’clock on the morning of wednesday , 14 october 1637 , father mastrilli was led from his prison to the execution - ground atop the slope called nishi - zaka that overlooked nagasaki bay . the jesuits’ report on his martyrdom reads :
having been unshaken by the water torture , father mastrilli was returned to his prison cell , where he discovered that all his companions but one had apostatized ; andrew koteda had died in the pit , holding out to the glorious end . [ 15 ] while interrogating the others , the magistrates gleaned information that mastrilli had withheld from them ; they interrogated him again , threatening direr torments . he told them to do their worst , adding , “my god will give me the strength to bear it . ” [ 16 ]
father marcello mastrilli s . j . is a martyr credited in his lifetime with countless miracles , an intrepid warrior for christ whose dream was to convert the emperor of japan to the faith or die martyred as a testimony to its absolute truth . twice he testified to that truth with his lifeblood , first on a parchment signed in his own blood and placed in the hand of saint francis xavier’s corpse in its sepulchre at goa , india . his second and final blood testament was his voluntary death by torture in nagasaki , the fulfillment of his longing to atone for the apostasy of a fellow jesuit who had preceded him to japan .
the novena of grace is a catholic devotion addressed to saint francis xavier , which is usually performed from march 4 to 12 . it was instigated in 1633 by an italian jesuit , fr marcello mastrilli sj , who saw a vision of st francis xavier after he had received a life - threatening head injury . fr mastrilli was on the verge of travelling to japan to work as a missionary at the time and , in the vision , st francis urged him to recommit himself to the mission and told him :
all those who implore my help daily for nine consecutive days , from the fourth to the twelfth of march inclusive and worthily receive the sacraments of penance and holy communion on one of the nine days will experience my protection and may hope with entire assurance to obtain from god any grace they ask that is for the good of their souls and the glory of god .
after his recovery , fr mastrilli not only kept his vow and travelled to japan with a band of 33 jesuit missionaries where he was martyred , but he also widely publicised st francis xavier’s promise and began the devotion of the novena of grace which continues to this day .
boxer tells us , “the record for enduring [ this torture ] is still that of the seventeenth - century italian jesuit , mastrilli , who is said to have withstood it for two days , and received four hundred jars of water on the second day alone . ” [ 14 ]
in goa , father marcello spent many hours praying at st francis xavier’s tomb ; he had it opened and the saint’s corpse dressed in a “magnificent chasuble” donated by the spanish crown . he also got leave from the provincial to take relics from the body—a handkerchief soaked in francis xavier’s blood and a little box containing a relic of his flesh—and left in the saint’s hand a letter signed in his own blood . [ 5 ]
once lowered onto the waves , the little vessel [ 9 ] carrying father mastrilli and his companions struck out for shore , making land at satsuma on 19 september . he entered japan with one japanese companion and was immediately discovered , but bribed his discoverer and set off inland ; as their boat lay offshore , all his other japanese companions were recognized as christians and seized . eventually they confessed that they had sailed with father mastrilli , which information sparked a frenzied search of the countryside for the intrepid priest . after several days he was discovered , his captors led to him by the smoke of his campfire . when they arrived he told them , “my sons , come and seize me . ”
this was the life - defining moment : from his youth marcello mastrilli had studied and labored and yearned precisely for this great and precious hour . the very proving - ground where christovão ferreira , his unhappy predecessor , had abandoned christ , his church , and the religious order called by his name—the society of jesus—would be the stage upon which the integrity , truth , and power of that name would shine forth in all its dazzling glory . indeed , ferreira’s own given name , christovão , derived from the greek christophoros : “bearing christ . ” certainly , mastrilli the scholar would have known that etymology and wrestled in his soul with its implications : he must bear the burden , the cross , the honor and the glory of that name into the darkness and horror of the pit—bear the name unflinching , unyielding , undaunted by the pit’s dank , claustrophobic closeness , its unvented stench , its inferno of unrelenting , unendurable agonies that must be endured , that were his chosen path to paradise , with no turning back short of apostasy . for father marcello’s apostasy would declaim the falsity and the madness of his “alien religion contrary to the beliefs of buddhism and shintō” ; were he to break down after having proclaimed to all of nagasaki—indeed , to all creation—that his end would redound to the glory of his god and to his unshakable faith in that god’s promise of heaven , then news of that breakdown , bruited far and wide , would gravely wound his already - brutalized religion and smear that spotless name he bore into the pit with the foul muck of cowardice , a fault unforgivable in martial - spirited japan . countless earthbound souls would indeed “learn from his punishment”—to the horror and dismay of all the onlooking souls up in heaven .
on 11 december 1633 marcello was gravely injured when a workman , taking down draperies hung in the cardinal’s palace at naples for the feast of the immaculate conception , dropped a hammer on his head from a great height . he fell into delirium and lingered on the edge of death for ten days . on the 21st he was visited by yet another apparition of that friend of his in heaven , who led him through a series of prayers and vows , finally declaring , “you are healed : kiss in thanksgiving the sacred wounds of the crucifix . ” [ 2 ]
father marcello , hands tied behind his back , was wrapped in coils of rope from his feet up to his chest and , hanging by his feet from a gallows , lowered head - down into the pit . then the wooden lid—made in two halves , with cut - outs in the center to clamp and pinch the victim’s body—was closed on him . this method of “persuasion , ” invented by takenaka uneme - no - shō , [ 24 ] a former magistrate of nagasaki , had proven more effective in procuring forced apostasies from christians than had any other regime of torture . this was understandable , given its effects on the victim :
father mastrilli was returned to his prison to recuperate for the final torture : he had been sentenced to die in the pit . joyfully welcoming the bearer of his death - sentence , he prophesied that he would not die in the pit , but would instead be beheaded . [ 19 ] it would prove to be his last night before the final horrors began . “he passed the rest of the night in an ecstasy accompanied by miracles , ” reports léon pagès . [ 20 ]
the magistrates ordered that the priest be beheaded at once . on hearing the news , father mastrilli was jubilant , as this was precisely the end he had predicted . after the executioners had pulled him from the pit , he knelt on the sacred earth atop nishi - zaka and , invoking his patron in heaven , “he cried out with great emotion , ‘father saint francis xavier , father saint francis xavier , ’ words that were heard by the portuguese who were present . ” [ 29 ]
father eusebio francisco kino , s . j . , thirty - three years after the miraculous cure of father mastrilli , credited his own recovery from near death to the intercession of st . francis xavier . like father marcello , kino vowed to spend his life in the missions , finally arriving in the pimería alta ( sonora and arizona ) in 1687 . after founding mission dolores , his first visitas were dedicated in honor of saints ignatius and xavier at the close of the celebration of the canonization of the two saints . kino was a fervent promoter of devotion to st . francis xavier , his own patron saint , whom he saw as the great protector of native peoples throughout northwest mexico . the final days of kino’s own life came at the very close of the novena of grace as he was dedicating a chapel in honor of xavier in the mission pueblo of magdalena , sonora , march 15 , 1711 . now nearly three centuries later , throngs of devout christians flock to magdalena each year to honor st . francis xavier — a kind of continuing novena of grace . many say the pilgrimage also honors the “apostle to the pimas” just as much as the “apostle to the indies . “ whether kino or xavier , they were each men of unwavering faith wholly dedicated to the salvation of the people they had come to serve .
and learn they did . when the “iron tongue” was removed from his mouth on that mountaintop killing - ground sanctified with countless martyrs’ blood , father mastrilli thanked the magistrates , who themselves had come to nishi - zaka , and proclaimed to them , to the torturers , and in the hearing of all the crowd , the thousands of citizens of nagasaki who had come to see this spectacle , “now you shall know , sirs , how great is the god whom we adore , and how precious the paradise for which we hope . ” [ 23 ]
impressed though they were by their prisoner’s apparent sincerity and strength of character , the nagasaki magistrates had to carry out the shōgun’s law . to urge father mastrilli’s apostasy , they subjected him to the water torture for two days on end . the first day they used the funnel technique , wherein the victim has a funnel shoved into his mouth and great amounts of water poured into him so that water and blood come gushing out through the victim’s mouth , ears and nose . [ 12 ] the second day’s torture was more refined . a contemporary eyewitness , quoted by historian c . r . boxer , describes this method :
contrary to the executioners’ expectations , however , this bateren , [ 26 ] this priest , neither squirmed nor groaned , but kept perfectly still . thinking him prematurely dead , the executioners opened the lid ; father mastrilli told them , “i desire nothing ; i am in paradise . ” when the magistrates renewed their effort to tempt him to apostasy , he told them that the sun would reverse its course before his faith would fail . when the guards , perhaps to tempt him or perhaps out of real concern , asked him if he wanted water , he answered , “i want neither water nor anything else ; only glory , glory ! ” [ 27 ]
taken to nagasaki , father mastrilli appeared before the shōgun’s magistrates on 5 october 1637 . when asked why he had come to japan , he answered that he had come to speak to the emperor , to restore him to health were he still alive , and to teach him the law of jesus christ . [ 10 ] ( the “emperor” of whom he spoke was in fact the shōgun iemitsu , who was thought to be afflicted with leprosy . [ 11 ] ) he then told them that he had been sent as an ambassador by saint francis xavier , whom the magistrates knew to have been long since dead , and he recounted to them the story of his miraculous healing by xavier’s spirit .
although the news had not yet reached catholic europe , on october 18th of that same year , the jesuit provincial in japan had apostatized under torture at nagasaki . this man , christovão ferreira , had given in after five hours’ hanging in “the pit”—perhaps the most horrible torture ever devised by man . when the disconcerting news did finally arrive , many european jesuits came forward to volunteer themselves for an atoning mission to japan , hoping to die there as martyrs . father mastrilli was chosen as the mission’s superior , with good reason : he had earlier asked the father general of the society of jesus for permission to go to the indies to convert souls , whereupon the father general responded that he need not ask him for the permission that saint francis xavier—in apparition—had already given him .
from goa the mission sailed to macau—the portuguese base in east asia—hoping to proceed onward to japan , but found there that no japan - bound portuguese ship would take a priest aboard . for fear of cutting macao’s economic lifeline—the japan silk trade—and of putting all portuguese in nagasaki at risk of capital punishment by the shōgun’s deputies , the clerical authorities in macao had banned the smuggling of clergy into japan on pain of excommunication . [ 6 ] the jesuits sailed on to manila to try their luck there , arriving on 3 july . the governor of the philippines , don sebastián hurtado de corcuera , was enthusiastic about their intended mission to japan , but the spanish populace opposed the plan for fear of the mass slaughter of clergy that it would almost certainly entail ; they dissuaded father mastrilli’s companions from accompanying him , and all but he returned to macau .
normally , when a christian had been hung upside - down in the pit for an extended time , toxic blood would collect in his head , blood that must be vented by means of incisions on the temples lest he die too soon—for , after all , the magistrates wanted apostasy through torture , not death . yet , after four days’ torture in the pit , father mastrilli showed none of the usual symptoms . reports of this phenomenon alarmed the magistrates . one can guess their fears : perhaps the paradise this dauntless bateren had spoken of was real . perhaps the people of nagasaki , the guards and executioners included , were witnessing an ongoing miracle granted this bateren by his foreign god , a sign that all others might indeed learn from—but a lesson prejudicial to “the grand shōgun , emperor of japan , ” an incontrovertible sign of the truth of that “alien religion contrary to the beliefs of buddhism and shintō . ” if so , then they must act , and fast . [ 28 ]
[ 1 ] léon pagès , histoire de la religion chrétienne au japon depuis 1598 jusqu’à 165 1 . ( paris : charles douniol , 1869 ) , 828 , note . [ 2 ] pagès , 829 . [ 3 ] for interesting details on this apparition , see : ines g . županov , “passage to india : jesuit spiritual economy between martyrdom and profit in the seventeenth century” in journal of early modern history , vol . 16 , issue 2 ( 2012 ) , pp 121 - 159 . [ 4 ] pagès , 830 . [ 5 ] pagès , 831 . [ 6 ] c . r . boxer , the christian century in japan , 1549 - 1650 . ( lisbon : carcanet , 1951 ) , 369 - 370 . [ 7 ] pagès , 832 . [ 8 ] pagès , 833 . [ 9 ] a replacement for the boat the japanese exiles had built ; it had been found unsuitable . [ 10 ] pagès , 834 . [ 11 ] he may in fact have had smallpox . see liam matthew brockey , the visitor : andré palmeiro and the jesuits in asia . ( cambridge , mass : belknap press , 2014 ) , 405 . [ 12 ] saint magdalena of nagasaki received that torture , described here : urltoken [ 13 ] boxer , the christian century , 351 . [ 14 ] ibid , 351 . [ 15 ] pagès , 836 . [ 16 ] willis , clive . “the martyrdom of father marcello mastrilli s . j . ” journal of the royal asiatic society hong kong bran ch 53 ( 2013 ) : 220 . urltoken [ 17 ] willis , 220 - 221 . [ 18 ] pagès , 836 . [ 19 ] pagès , 836 - 837 . [ 20 ] pagès , 837 . [ 21 ] willis , 222 . a translation from the original portuguese . [ 22 ] ibid . [ 23 ] pagès , 838 . [ 24 ] 竹中采女正 , nagasaki bugyō from 1629 to 1633 , when he was removed from his post for illegal trading . he was forced to commit seppuku in 1634 . [ 25 ] borrowed from urltoken . the excerpt from françois caron is quoted in boxer , the christian century , 354 . [ 26 ] japanese borrowing of the portuguese ‘padre . ’ [ 27 ] pagès , 838 . [ 28 ] the jesuits’ report notes an additional reason : “the reason for their hurry was a forthcoming celebration in the temple the next day , a day on which acts of judicial punishment were forbidden . ” willis , 223 . also noted in léon pagès , histoire , 838 . [ 29 ] willis , 223 .
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on the ninth day after the death or burial of relatives and friends . they held the number seven more sacred than any other . on the contrary , we find among the ancient romans an official nine days ' religious celebration whose origin is related in livy ( i , xxxi ) . after a shower of stones on the alban mount , an official sacrifice , whether because of a warning from above or of the augurs ' advice , was held on nine days to appease the gods and avert
was made whenever the like wonder was announced ( cf . livy , xxi , lxii ; xxv , vii ; xxvi , xxiii etc . ) .
on the ninth day after death or burial . this , however , was rather of a private or
character ( cf . homer , iliad , xxiv , 664 , 784 ; virgil , aeneid , v , 64 ; tacitus , annals , vi , v . ) . the romans also celebrated their
, a yearly novena ( 13 to 22 feb . ) of commemoration of all the departed members of their
( cf . mommsen ,
corp . inscript . latin .
, i , 386 sq . ) . the celebration ended on the ninth day with a sacrifice and a joyful banquet . there is a reference to these customs in the
(
corp . jur . civil . justinian .
, ii , turin , 1757 , 696 , tit . xix ,
de sepulchro violato
) , where creditors are forbidden to trouble the heirs of their debtor for nine days after his death . st . augustine ( p . l . , xxxiv , 596 ) warns
. later on , the same was done by the pseudo - alcuin ( p . l . , ci , 1278 ) , invoking the authority of
, and still more sharply by john beleth ( p . l . , ccii , 160 ) in the twelfth century . even durandus in his
rationale
( naples , 1478 ) , writing on the
mortuary celebrations , one finds that of the ninth day with those of the third and seventh . the
constitutiones apostolicae
( viii , xlii ; p . g . , i , 1147 ) already speak of it . the
and anglo - saxons . even if it was connected with an earlier practice of the
. a nine days ' mourning with daily mass was a distinction , naturally , which could be shared by none but the higher classes . princes and the
the nine days ' mourning was retained , and so came to be called simply the
pope ' s novena
( cf .
,
museum italicum
, ii , paris , 1689 , 530 sqq . ,
ordo roman . xv
; p . l . , lxxviii , 1353 ; const .
in eligendis
of
, 9 oct . , 1562 ) . the usage still continues and consists chiefly in a novena of masses for the departed . a
of the sacred congregation of rites ( 22 apr . , 1633 ) informs us that such novenas of mourning ,
and allowed in the churches of religious ( decr . auth . s . r . c . , 604 ) . they are no longer in common use , though they have never been forbidden , and indeed , on the contrary ,
was transferred for the whole country by the tenth council of toledo in 656 ( cap . i ;
,
coll . conc .
, xi , 34 ) to 18 dec . , as the most fitting
. and this usage , because of the people who took part in the celebration , was permitted to continue ( 28 sept . , 1658 ; decr . auth . , 1093 ) . a french
( martene ,
de antiq . eccles . ritib .
, iii , venice , 1783 , 30 ) . in
the novena seems to have spread only in the seventeenth century . still , the
praxis caeremoniarum seu sacrorum romanae ecclesiae rituum accurata tractatio
of the
piscara castaldo , a book approved in 1525 by the author ' s father general ( naples , 1645 , p . 386 sqq . ) , gives complete directions for the celebration of the
were also ( 2 sept . , 1690 ) declared permissible ( decr . auth . , 1843 ) . in general , in the seventeenth century , numerous novenas were held especially in the churches of religious and to the saints of the various orders ( cf . prola ,
de novendialibus supplicationibus
, romae 1724 ,
in the celebration of novenas , special permission was granted ( decr . auth . , 3728 ) , and in the
with a novena , especially to recover health . the original home of this novena must have been
, and the neighbourhood of the lower rhine . specially noteworthy up to the year 1000 are the novenas to
, st . marcolf , and st . mommolus . st . mommolus ( or mummolus ) was considered the special
, 1733 , 645 sqq . ;
acta ss .
, august , ii , 351 sqq . ;
the power to cure scrofula by a touch of their hand . for this purpose , shortly after their
of st . marcolf at corbeny and make a novena there . those who were to be healed had to make a similar novena . but the best known is the novena to
, which continues even to our day . this is made against madness by people bitten by a mad dog or wolf ( acta ss . , november , i , 871 sqq . ) .
( cf .
acta ss .
, loc . cit . , where the attack is met and the novena justified ) . before this ,
abuse of this novena . but he does not reject novenas in general and we see from his works that in his time they were already widespread ( opera , paris , 1606 , ii , 328 ; iii , 386 , 389 ) . but notwithstanding
. not , of course , that every single variation or addition made in whatever private novena must be justified or defended . the holiest custom can be abused , but the use of the number nine can not only be justified but even interpreted in the best sense .
; the number nine , which is lacking of ten , is the number of imperfection , which is fitting for mortal kind . in some such way the
, philosophized on the meaning of the number nine . for this reason it was adapted for use where
; pseudo - ambrosius , p . l . , xvii , 10 sq . , 633 ;
, p . l . , cix , 948 sq . , cxi , 491 ; angelomus monach . , in lib . reg . iv , p . l . , cxv , 346 ;
at the ninth hour , as in the penitential books ( cf . schmitz ,
die bussbucher und die bussdisciplin
, ii , 1898 , 539 , 570 , 673 ) , or remarked that , by means of holy mass on the ninth day , the departed were to be raised to the ranks of the nine choirs of
from the beginning , so that it was reckoned among the
apostolic hours
( cf .
him in nine lessons , while from ancient times the kyrie has been heard nine times in every mass ( cf . durandus ,
rationale , de nona
;
novena is the nine months of christ in the womb . but for every novena of preparation , as also for every novena of
to make this preparation . and when the young church had faithfully persevered for nine full days in it , the
to blessed margaret mary alacoque recommended the special celebration of nine successive first fridays of the month ( cf . vermeersch ,
pratique et doctrine de la dévotion au sacré coeur de jésus
,
waited so long before positively approving and recommending novenas rather than that she finally took this step ( cf .
collection de précis historiques
,
, and even there for only one church , was the novena in preparation for the feast of st . joseph in the church of st . ignatius . this was done by the
, 10 feb . , and 4 march , 1713 ( cf . prola , loc . cit . ;
for it on 10 apr . , 1764 ( resc . auth . s . c . indulg . , 215 ) . not until later , especially from the beginning of the nineteenth century , were various novenas enriched with
in common for the whole church . they number in all thirty - two , intended for the most part as novenas of preparation for definite
, prior to the feast of st . joseph ( 19 march ) and one at any time during the year ; one novena each in
implored his assistance in a novena with such success that it came to be called the
novena of grace
. this novena is now made publicly in many countries from 4 to 12 march , the latter being the date of the
by doing so as soon as possible . all of these novenas without exception are to be made , in private or in public , with
novenas , to a certain extent official , have but contributed to increase the confidence of the faithful in novenas . hence , even the private novena of
flourishes in our day . through the novena to our lady of lourdes , through that to
or some other saint , the faithful seek and find help and relief . the history of novenas is not yet written , but it is doubtless a good part of the history of childlike
nihil obstat . february 1 , 1911 . remy lafort , s . t . d . , censor .
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the mission left lisbon on holy saturday , 7 april 1635 . forty religious were originally to have left for japan , but , “due to the parsimony of the royal treasury” of philip iv , only 33 embarked . [ 4 ] on 8 december , the feast of the immaculate conception , they reached goa , the capital of portuguese india . there they learned of the martyrdom in japan of twenty - four jesuits the preceding year .
“they tie the martyr down on a board , leaving his left hand free so that he can place it on his breast if he wishes to give a sign that he will recant . his head is left hanging down a little , and the torturers do not stop pouring great quantities of water on his face … the victims make such frantic efforts to breath [ e ] that they usually burst a blood - vessel . ” [ 13 ]
handed over to the torturers , he was stripped naked and subjected to scorching of his private parts with red - hot tongs . his modesty offended , he shamed the torturers for stooping to such vile torments ; they put away their branding - iron and subjected him to the water - torture for a third time . [ 17 ] although tortured to the edge of death , he still clung to his faith . [ 18 ]
his mouth was gagged by an iron tongue with sharp , projecting points that prevented him from proclaiming our holy faith . trussed with ropes and chains he was borne astride a horse . the right side of his head was totally shaven , while the left side was painted red , a token of extreme ignominy to the japanese . [ 21 ]
yet he was not jeered at by the crowd . behind him was carried a banner proclaiming :
the grand shōgun , emperor of japan , orders this sentence to be inflicted on the person of this madman for coming to japan to preach an alien religion contrary to the beliefs of buddhism and shintō , so that all others may learn from his punishment . [ 22 ]
it felt like his head was going to explode ; his mouth , nose and ears would soon start oozing blood . françois caron , the chief of the dutch trading - post in hirado , wrote , “this extremitie hath indeed … forced many to renounce their religion ; and some of them who had hung two or three days assured me that the pains they endured were wholly unsufferable , no fire nor no torture equalling their languor and violence . ” [ 25 ]
and heard , no doubt , by that friend of his in heaven and all the heavenly host .
it took three slashes of the sword to sever his venerable head . perhaps the swordsman , in the silence of his heart and in that name the bateren had borne into the pit , was shouting his own cry to heaven as he raised his sword atop nishi - zaka—whose earth , mixed with holy martyrs’ blood , overlooked christian nagasaki and its sparkling bay , japan’s door to the wider world .
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next tuesday , 4 march , we will begin our novena of grace with st francis xavier sj . a prayer booklet has been prepared by two alumnae of the chaplaincy at oxford university , under fr simon bishop sj , the director of spirituality for the jesuits in britain . the prayer booklet combines the words and example of pope francis and those of st francis xavier sj . “they are of a kindred spirit and are perfectly matched , ” says fr simon . “i hope anyone who takes part in the novena of grace will find the reflections , the prayers and the pictures both consoling and challenging .
while the traditional nine days for the novena of grace are in march , the novena can be prayed at any time of the year . the prayer booklet produced by the jesuits in britain is available from jesuit parishes throughout britain . the prayer leaflet in pdf format is attached .
rt @ frtimsj : the @ jesuitsbritain will establish a new laudato si ' institute at @ campionoxf at @ uniofoxford . urltoken https : / …
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promise :
all those who implore my help daily for nine consecutive days , from the 4th to the 12th of march included , and worthily receive the sacraments of penance and the holy eucharist on one of the nine days , will experience my protection and may hope with entire assurance to obtain from god any grace they ask for the good of their souls and the glory of god .
the father arose , instantly cured . so well has the saint kept this promise that this devotion in his honor became universally known as the novena of grace . its efficacy is not restricted to the dates mentioned . it may be made very appropriately from november 25 - december 3 , the feast of st . francis xavier . though any prayers can be said in honor of the saint , the foregoing are generally recommended .
o saint francis xavier , well beloved and full of charity , in union with thee , i reverently adore the majesty of god ; and since i rejoice with exceeding joy in the singular gifts of grace bestowed upon thee during thy life , and thy gifts of glory after death , i give him hearty thanks therefore ; i beseech thee with all my heart ' s devotion to be pleased to obtain for me , by thy effectual intercession , above all things , the grace of a holy life and a happy death . moreover , i beg of thee to obtain for me . . . ( here mention the spiritual or temporal favor to be prayed for ) . but if what i ask of thee so earnestly doth not tend to the glory of god and the greater good of my soul , do thou , i pray , obtain for me what is more profitable to both these ends . amen .
if , for any reason , the above prayer cannot be said , it will suffice to say five times our father , hail mary and glory be . - - - - - s . c . ind . , march 23 , 1904 .
eternal god , creator of all things , remember that thou alone didst create the souls of infidels , framing them to thy own image and likeness ; behold , o lord ! how , to thy dishonor , hell is daily replenished with them . remember , o lord ! thy only son , jesus christ , who suffered for them , most bountifully shedding his precious blood : suffer not , o lord thy son and our lord to be any longer despised by infidels ; but rather , being appeased by the entreaties and prayers of the elect , the saints , and of the church , the most blessed spouse of thy son , vouchsafe to be mindful of thy mercy , and forgetting their idolatry and infidelity , cause them also to know him whom thou didst send , jesus christ thy son , our lord , who is our health , life , and resurrection , through whom we are freed and saved , to whom be all glory forever .
personen zu kirchengeschichte , systematischer und praktischer theologie , kirche und konfession ( 3 . 6p )
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devotion to st . francis xavier in the southwest of the u . s . a . and in the state of sonora
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reign of assassins is a 2010 wuxia film directed by su chao-pin and co-directed by john woo .

the film is shot in china and set during the ming dynasty .

the film stars michelle yeoh , who plays an assassin who tries to return to a normal life after being counseled by a monk .

after saving her husband and herself from robbers , she attracts the attention of her former assassin gang .

the film began production on october 30 and was shot in china and taiwan .

while shooting , john woo was on set continually advising director su chao-pin , which led to woo being credited as a co-director .

reign of assassins had its premiere on september 3 , 2010 at the 67th annual venice film festival , where it met acclaim from critics .

it premiered in china on september 28 , 2010 and has been purchased by the weinstein company for north american release rights and by lions gate pictures for united kingdom release rights .

reign of assassins

reign of assassins excels all around and is a film out of china to check out .
reign of assassins - sword fight scene - ah sheng vs . lei bin & turquoise
a classic in the making ? the second reign of assassins trailer says maybe so .
reign of assassins -
the best wuxia film since crouching tiger , hidden dragon .
actress michelle yeoh attends the ' reign of assassins ' photocall during the 67th . . .
reign of assassins offers plenty of exciting sequences , but it frustratingly never fully delivers what it promises to .
reign of assassins - sword fight scene - ah sheng vs . lei bin & turquoise - youtube
actress pace wu attends the ' reign of assassins ' photocall during the 67th venice . . .
this cast list of who was in reign of assassins includes both lead and minor roles . ( 11 items )
( left ) michelle yeoh , and ( right ) jung woo - sung in reign of assassins .
reign of assassins
is a delightful martial - arts romp that occasionally lacks clarity , finesse .
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if you want to answer the questions ,
who starred in the movie reign of assassins ?
and
what is the full cast list of reign of assassins ?
then this page has got you covered .
reign of assassins cast list , listed alphabetically with photos when available . this list of reign of assassins actors includes any reign of assassins actresses and all other actors from the film . you can view additional information about each reign of assassins actor on this list , such as when and where they were born . to find out more about a particular actor or actress , click on their name and you ' ll be taken to page with even more details about their acting career . the cast members of reign of assassins have been in many other movies , so use this list as a starting point to find actors or actresses that you may not be familiar with .
golden lion for lifetime achievement recipient john woo attends the ' reign of . . .
woo , whose martial arts epic
reign of assassins
premiered at the festival , told variety he considers himself a bridge between china and hollywood .
- german dvd / blu - ray of the film ( title :
dark stone - reign of assassins
) is scheduled to release on september 20 , 2012 .
i was asked to remove the reign of assassins promo reel video as it was not an official release . sorry , you will have to wait for an official trailer .
actress michelle yeoh attends the ' reign of assassins ' photocall during the 67th venice film festival at the palazzo del casino on september 3 , 2010 in venice , italy .
actress pace wu attends the ' reign of assassins ' photocall during the 67th venice film festival at the palazzo del casino on september 3 , 2010 in venice , italy .
now going by the english title of reign of assassins , the first promo reel for the john woo / su chao - bin co - directed feature is available for buyers at the efm .
actress michelle yeoh attends the
reign of assassins
premiere during the 67th venice film festival at the sala grande palazzo del cinema on september 3 , 2010 in venice , italy .
golden lion for lifetime achievement recipient john woo attends the ' reign of assassins ' photocall during the 67th venice film festival at the palazzo del casino on september 3 , 2010 in venice , italy .
on that day , our beloved director john woo was presented with the
golden lion for lifetime achievement
and his latest production
reign of assassins
thrilled the international audience in its world premiere .
is scheduled to be released on australian dvd and blu - ray on june 22nd , by madman entertainment . region 4 ( pal ) , mandarin chinese with english subtitles , 115 min , with making of reign of assassins and theatrical trailer .
two female assassins brandishing poison needles killed the casino - loving half - brother . . .
beijing , aug . 20 ( xinhuanet ) - - john woo ' s new multi - million dollar martial arts film
reign of assassins
set up its official website on thursday , august 19 , and released posters of the twelve leading roles .
reign of assassins ,
shot in china and set during the ming dynasty , stars michelle yeoh as an assassin who falls in love with the son of a man killed by her gang . it is woo ' s first film with a female protagonist .
currently in post production , john woo and su chao - pin’s martial arts action thriller reign of assassins stars michelle yeoh as a retired female assassin whose past returns to haunt her . the film will have its world premiere at venice .
in the world of “ reign of assassins , ” plastic surgery is accomplished by inserting poisonous insects into one’s nasal cavity , a procedure that apparently leaves you looking like michelle yeoh . that’s what happens to the wonderfully named drizzle ( played initially by kelly lin ) , a top member of the dark stone assassins squad famed for her lethal “water - shedding” sword technique , who decides she’s had enough of her life of crime and wants to settle down .
lion rock productions has also independently produced , in addition to its numerous studio films , red cliff , the highest grossing film in china at the time of its release , as well as the upcoming martial arts swordplay drama reign of assassins , released by the weinstein company .
mainland veteran actor wang xueqi will be the leader of a group which rivals michelle . barbie hsu and shawn yue are both members of this group as assassins .
the writer and director of “bodyguards and assassins” , teddy chen , reunited with donnie yen in 2014 for “ kung fu killer “ .
i have seen many chinese martial arts movies and the reign of assassins gave me the feeling of watching one of the classics . the action choreography is top notch and most importantly , believable . story wise is not the most original out there , but if you ' re looking for action , look no further .
reign of assassins in ancient china , drizzle ( michelle yeoh ) is the most deadly and ruthless assassin . after a life of theft and murder , she seeks to atone for her ways . she starts a new life in the capital , but her old gang are hot on her trail .
plot - wise reign of assassins reminds me a lot of the martial arts productions from the early 90s , a golden period for hong kong cinema and its martial arts films . the film follows zeng jing , an assassin trying to retire from the world of martial arts . complicating her retirement is the theft of an important artifact , which sets a crew of angry adversaries on her tail .
a delightful martial - arts romp that makes up in wit and exuberance what it occasionally lacks in clarity and finesse , “reign of assassins” unspools in a version of ancient china where killers yearn for lives of quiet domesticity , secret identities abound and death rarely has the last word . while the film takes some time setting up [ … ]
from the commercial perspective , bodyguards and assassins by teddy chen reached the top of the asian box office chart by taking in about 300 millions rmb .
as the tension mounts and the action begins to crescendo , leon lai holds off dozens of assassins using his metal fan as a weapon . there is quite a bit of wirework that is captured with dizzying camerawork , as lai navigates a stone staircase dispatching assassins all the while . when hu jun arrives on the scene , we are left in no doubt as to who is the most skilled and deadly of the assassins , as he strives to stop the bodyguards once and for all .
reign of assassins is a pretty good continuation of the martial arts genre . it ' s not often that female characters get a lead in these type of films , yeoh demonstrates it ' s not because they lack the ( screen ) fighting skills . the only post - 80s film featuring female leads i can actively remember is the heroic trio , which incidentally also features yeoh in one of the key roles . i for one think the lack of testosterone is a welcome change of scenery .
reign of assassins started life when producer terence chang , partner with john woo in lion rock productions , was looking for an action vehicle for international star michelle yeoh . after several meetings with taiwanese writer - director su chao - pin , he decided on a wuxia film to showcase yeoh’s skills as a martial artist .
venice ( hollywood reporter ) -
mr . & mrs . smith
relocate to ancient china in the dazzling martial - arts epic
reign of assassins ,
in which asian superstars michelle yeoh and jung woo - sung play an ordinary married couple , each unaware the spouse is a world - class assassin .
in a mere five seconds , the pudgy playboy son of late north korean dictator kim jong - il was taken down by a team of poison - toting assassins in a 007 - style murder plot .
woo , who co - directed
jianyu
( reign of assassins ) , which premiered friday on the venice lido out of competition , returned to china two years ago after directing hollywood films for 16 years , including broken arrow ,
face / off
and
mission impossible 2 .
jianyu
is his third film since his return .
john woo , praised for his ability to depict the friendship between men in his work , has decided to turn his attention on women . the director explained ,
' reign of assassins ' is not a film that simply focuses on kung - fu and hatred . in fact , it tells a romantic love story . ' '
as far as amazon goes , as of the time of this posting , only an all - region import dvd of reign of assassins seems available , though the cover art incorrectly states it was directed by john woo . su chao - pin , a relatively inexperienced and unknown director , received almost constant council from john woo on set , but woo himself said he “didn’t want to impose [ his ] style on su… [ he ] only gave advice and shared [ his ] experience . ” putting john woo as the director on the dvd cover will no doubt help it to sell more copies , as when quentin tarantino or robert rodriguez put their names under a “presented by” banner for the less mainstream movies they support , but su did write and direct reign of assassins himself .
“ reign of assassins ” star wang xueqi plays “li yutang” a businessman who provides financial support for the revolutionaries and rallies a group of bodyguards to protect sun wen ( sun yat - sen ) . “ashes of time” star tony leung ka - fai is “chen shaobai” , a real life character who was a supporter of sun yat - sen and the revolutionaries . he established the china daily newspaper in hong kong to increase support for the revolutionary cause .
korean action star jung woo - sung ( reign of assassins , the good , the bad , the weird ) will attempt to fill the shoes of chow yun - fat as a hitman who “risks everything to protect a beautiful singer that he unintentionally blinded . ” john h . lee ( a moment to remember ) will direct from a script written by newcomer josh campbell .
i frequently read movie website pajiba , a site whose non - hollywood columnists like…practically none of the movies that come out in both the cineplex and the arthouse . but they happen to be really excited about the teaser trailer for the new john woo - produced ( and some sources say co - directed ) film called reign of assassins which according to imdb is technically still filming .
the spy - movie - worthy attack went off with just one hitch — jong - nam’s assassins were caught on cameras throughout the airport .
our first taste of martial arts action comes with an attack on simon yam’s opera troupe . abseiling from a theatre ceiling whilst throwing acid over their opponents , the qing assassins waste no time in their brutal assault on yam’s men . the assassins are armed with poles , tipped with vicious barbed spikes and hooks on chains . it’s a rare treat to see yam using a traditional broadsword as he fights with three assassins led by “wrath of vajra” star xing yu . rather like the kung fu films of old , a lot of blood sprays about , but being a product of the 21st century , it is represented digitally .
the convoy is diverted into a street lion dance , which is cover for an ambush by the assassins . nicholas tse uses his rickshaw as a weapon , whilst li yuchun faces xing yu . she gets her chance to shine as she heroically fights off xing yu’s team of assassins whilst he prepares an explosive booby trap .
reign of assassins should also be lauded for being the first proper lead role for michelle yeoh since crouching tiger , hidden dragon . the former international queen of martial arts cinema has seen her stock drop quite a bit since her james bond + crouching tiger one - two punch , with vehicles like the touch and silverhawk arguably hurting her leading lady cred . indeed , reign warns of a mismatch due to her romance with the clearly younger jung woo - sung . and yet , the pairing is handled well , with yeoh ' s quiet strength and maturity proving a perfect fit for zeng jeng . the film isn ' t flawless ; at some points , the plot twists and revelations don ' t seem to entirely gel , but those moments come late in the film , far after reign of assassins has likely won its audience over . at first glance , the film looks like just another genre flick aimed at the west , but its old school narrative and excellent characterization make it a standout in a could - be played - out genre . hopefully su chao - bin gets another shot at this genre – and this time , he should get sole director credit . su likely wants that credit , and reign of assassins demonstrates that he ' s earned it . ( kozo 2010 )
the re - make will be shot in 3d and is set to be directed by john h . lee ( a moment to remember , saying good - bye , oneday ) starring jung woo - sung ( reign of assassins , the good , the bad , the weird ) . woo will be sitting in the producer’s chair on this one .
reign of assassins started life when producer terence chang , partner with john woo in lion rock productions , was looking for an action vehicle for international star michelle yeoh . after several meetings with taiwanese writer - director su chao - pin , he decided on a wuxia film to showcase yeoh ' s skills as a martial artist . . . .
i should change the title of this thread soon . here ' s the new trailer : reign of assassins - promo trailer tt : jianghu literally means ' river lake ' and it refers to itinerant martial artists that traveled the waterways of china . wulin means ' martial forest ' and it refers to the community of chinese martial artists . wulin is a bigger term - we are all wulin . jianghu is a little more secular , a little more ' street ' if you will .
a delightful martial - arts romp that makes up in wit and exuberance what it occasionally lacks in clarity and finesse , “ reign of assassins” unspools in a version of ancient china where killers yearn for lives of quiet domesticity , secret identities abound and death rarely has the last word . while the film takes some time setting up its convoluted specifics , the essentials seem to have gone satisfyingly right in the collaboration between taiwan’s su chao - pin and a resurgent , post - “ red cliff ” john woo . “ reign ” should please local crowds starting sept . 28 , but will undergo some tinkering before opening stateside as a weinstein release .
the latter film is the one that really endeared me to michelle yeoh and i was first introduced to woo - jung sung in the film musa . seeing them together in reign of assassins should be fantastic , not just because they’re great actors and aesthetically pleasing , but because this film will not feature zhang ziyi as a spoiled princess - type . yeah , i said it .
rumoured to bestow supernatural powers on the people who possess them , the remains of an indian monk are prized by dark stone , an ancient order of assassins . but one of their number - drizzle ( michelle yeoh ) - has taken them and disappeared . it ' s only a matter of time before her past catches up with her .
reign of assassins has a 70 % score on rotten tomatoes with 10 reviews , although i suspect the score will change when more reviews are published after the film reaches a wider western audience . the weinstein company , known for their dragon dynasty releases , owns the release rights in the u . s . and it should hopefully find its way into more american homes soon . ( ssw )
( french title :
le regne des assassins
) will be screened at the 7th chinese film festival in paris on september 23rd , les 3 luxembourg .
holy shit , has wuxia cinema truly make a comeback ? reign of assassins is a very well crafted film , with an engaging plot and well written characters . some fight sequences could have been a bit more fluid , but i ' m not complaining . it ' s the kind of movie we don ' t get very often , so it ' s very much a welcome gift . fantastic antagonist , and the wizard guy rocked too .
reign of assassins is basically a history of violence set in feudal china and with martial arts assassins instead of mobsters . due to the council of a monk named wisdom , shortly after her betrayal of dark stone , drizzle chooses to try to shed herself of her old violent life and begin anew . she gets married , and everything seems to be going along nicely , but , as the good surgeon says later on , “karma really is a bitch . it’s tough being a person . ” that’s the lesson we’ll take from the movie . it’s tough being a person . almost every character , including the dark stone assassins , who are each humanized and not presented as mere villains meant to be dispatched , seems to want to shed their old identities and start over , but whether through tradition , obligation , bad habits or just karma , starting over isn’t as easy as all that . the thematic currents of identity and karma flow through every character , and even jiang , the seemingly simple courier with whom drizzle falls in love , has a buried secret .
the biggest problem is that reign of assassins has some stellar competition amongst its peers . it can ' t battle with the best , but still manages to impress on most levels . it ' s no new hero or the banquet , it simply doesn ' t push the boundaries as much like these films could , but apart from that ( and the mediocre soundtrack ) there really isn ' t much to complain about .
the tomatometer score — based on the opinions of hundreds of film and television critics — is a trusted measurement of critical recommendation for millions of fans . it represents the percentage of professional critic reviews that are positive for a given film or television show .
should have a heroine named drizzle . she ' s a member of the dark stone assassins and , like many hit persons , decides to go straight . taking a hint from co - director john woo ' s hollywood movie
list is made up of a variety of actors , including michelle yeoh and jung woo - sung .
woo and su turned reign of assassins into a true visual spectacle . the cinematography is stunning , using lots of dark yet powerful colors , trusting the majestic camera work to do the rest . all the fight scenes are a joy to behold and even the more toned - down and dramatic scenes are exquisitely photographed . it makes films like these a lot easier to watch . from the opening to the very last scene , there isn ' t a boring or dull scene to be found .
this is a bold kill . especially because the assassin ( or assassins ) couldn’t possibly have planned for everything , like obscene dwarf burlesque ( 41 : 30 ) or joffrey whimsically demeaning his uncle ( 44 : 35 ) . how did the assassins know joffrey would dump wine all over tyrion’s head ( 45 : 37 ) , thus providing them a perfect opportunity ?
it was decided when reign of assassins was being financed that woo would co - direct the film . su is one of taiwan’s hottest young talents – in 2002 he wrote and directed the hit comedy better than sex and has also written high - concept thrillers double vision and silk . he also directed the latter film , but as he only has two directing projects under his belt , and is relatively unknown in mainland china , the investors said they would be more comfortable if woo co - directed .
zeng jing is skilled enough to escape them and retires after signing up for cosmetic surgery to hide her old face . she marries and seems to be living a happy life , until fate comes to collect her dues . from that point , it ' s all battles and twists that make up the bulk of this film . told in a somewhat atypical chronological order , reign of assassins has a stronger and more developed plot than most peers , most probably because chao - bin does a great job of handling both script and direction at the same time .
in the midst of the chinese revolution during the late 1940s , couples flee to the island of taiwan .
team on the red carpet of the opening ceremony of the 13th shanghai international film festival , june 12th .
this article aims at explaining the plot of the movie reign of assassins . spoiler alert . this 2010 film was directed by su chao - pin and john woo . the film stars michelle yeoh and jung woo - sung in the lead roles . it is a period film set in china during the ming dynasty . the movie is fast paced and is nonlinear with surprise elements thrown in . the fight choreography is quite majestic with innovative swordplay . great film , go watch , come back , read spoilers .
the last emporer a dramatic history of pu yi , the last emperor of china , from his lofty birth and brief reign in the forbidden city , the object of worship by half a billion people ; through his abdication , his decline and dissolute lifestyle ; his exploitation by the invading japanese , and finally to his obscure existence as just another peasant worker in the people ' s republic .
with no heir to succeed him , the elderly prefect , pertinax , became emperor . however , he proved unpopular and his reign was short - lived . thus began a crisis of succession and the year of the five emperors . nevertheless early in 195 commodus achieved the godhood he seemingly so desired when he was deified by septimius severus .
likely after jung woo sung is done with promoting reign of assassins , he will dive back into athena filming , which remains his only project for the remainder of the year . there is a woman hanging all over my i lub you , which normally makes me all ragey and grrrr . but said lady happens to be michelle yeoh , who is exquisite and his co - star , not to mention can kick my ass six - ways to sunday . for those reasons alone , i give her an exemption to paw at my honey .
john fremes , president of worldwide distribution at essential entertainment said : “john woo’s the killer is one of the most influential and classic action films of all - time . the 3d version will no doubt appeal to fans of the original as well as capture a new generation of enthusiasts . ”
commodus ( caesar marcus aurelius commodus antoninus augustus ) was born on 31 st august 161ad to marcus aurelius and his wife , faustina the younger . he was the sole surviving son of marcus aurelius ; his elder twin brother died in 165ad , and his younger brother in 169ad . commodus was later to become emperor of rome and was the first to have been born during the reign of his father . he was also the last of the nerva - antonine dynasty .
in 182ad lucilla , his eldest sister and window of a former emperor ( lucius verus ) , conspired to assassinate commodus . the conspirators failed , however , and would - be - assassins were executed , and lucilla exiled to capri where she was later killed .
: the central character of the story . john woo ' s ideal image of a xia nv ( swordswoman ) for the sake of love , she stops killing . also for the sake of love , she picks up her sword again
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chao - bin su and john woo delivered a great film , filled with awesome action scenes and above - par dramatic filler that stands its ground amongst all the other martial arts films coming from hong kong . if you ' re looking for a quality martial arts epic , look no further because this film has everything to quench your thirst . as long as you don ' t expect to be totally blown away by , there isn ' t much that will keep you from enjoying reign of assassins .
ratpack films will bring to uk cinemas the period action thriller reign of assassins , co - directed by john woo ( red cliff , face / off ) and su chao - pin ( silk ) and produced by terence chang ( woo ' s regular producer ) . the film stars michelle yeoh , kelly lin , barbie hsu , shawn yue , jung woo - sung , and xueqi wang . release date is february 15th . in ancient china ,
drizzle
is the most deadly and ruthless assassin of the dark stone gang . after a life of theft and murder , she seeks to atone for her ways and leave the gang forever . undergoing a drastic procedure to alter her appearance , she changes her name to jing and starts a new life in the capital . even with her newfound life as a shopkeeper and a budding romance to ah - sheng , the dark stone gang is hot on her trail . she alone holds the secret of the mystical buddhist monk ' s remains , which legend says the possessor will gain control of the whole world . the gang will stop at nothing in their pursuit to control this power . note : reign of assassins is already available on blu - ray in hong kong . urltoken has reviewed the release here .
mark lisanti : there’s nothing quite like watching your favorite villain get got , especially when it’s a bad guy you’ve been tortured by for years , enduring his operatic cruelty with the clenched anticipation of the delicious justice surely to be served at any moment , but which eludes him again and again , extending his reign of terror and intensifying your well - earned bloodlust .
the flashing blades and swirling choreography of the endless fight scenes and the charisma of yeoh keep you engaged but the end result falls far short of her crouching tiger triumph a decade ago .
the action really kicks off in the last third of the film as a convoy of rickshaws surrounded by the bodyguards makes its way through the crowded streets of hong kong . dozens of assassins appear from upper floor windows and roofs , armed with crossbows . former nba star , mengke bateer uses his basketball skills to launch water melons at the attackers , as the convoy weaves and dodges a hailstorm of arrows . li yuchun is no shrinking violet as she takes out one of the crossbow snipers using traditional kung fu strikes , whilst donnie yen punches and kicks his way across the balconies above the streets .
jung woo - sung is actually a pretty good choice for the new killer , assuming someone has to be chosen . he was ‘the good’ in the good , the bad , the weird and stars in the john woo - produced reign of assassins . he also appeared in john h . lee’s film a moment to remember , in which i recall him being rather effective . all things considered , i’d rather see this version filmed with a korean script , but if it has to be in english to score international sales , so be it .
the footage included is still quite rough , looking to be completely raw and fresh out of the camera , but still shows plenty of the good stuff . before making his name as a heroic bloodshed director focused on massive amounts of gunplay , woo directed films of all genres including classic wuxia films and this is very much a return to that . michelle yeoh stars as a woman defecting from a clan of assassins who are less than pleased to see her go . lot ' s of old school martial arts action ensues and while the tone of the film seems to be generally quite straight faced there are definite nods to the goofier sides of wuxia as well , including one warrior who fights with a flaming sword clenched in each hand .
in october 1906 , sun wen makes plans to visit the british - controlled colony of hong kong , under the premise of seeing his ailing mother . in reality , he is there to discuss his campaign with fellow tongmenghui revolutionary members to overthrow the corrupt and crumbling qing dynasty in china . upon learning these plans , the qing empress dowager cixi sends a group of assassins , led by yan xiaoguo , to kill sun .
as the tale of a star femme assassin choosing married life over mayhem , the scenario has more than a whiff of “kill bill” ; indeed , “reign” reps a frenzied stew of references , well - worn twists and unabashed cliches — executed by filmmakers who take palpable pleasure in reheating and recombining familiar genre elements . su’s script has all kinds of fun with gags about eunuchs ( a key plot point ) and off - the - wall dialogue , though its sentimental refrain about lost love ( “i would turn into a stone bridge and endure 500 years of wind and rain” ) harks back to the drippiest romantic aphorisms of mid - ’90s wong kar - wai .
opinions tend to differ , but personally i feel it ' s been years since john woo managed to direct a truly satisfying film . his chi bi project was decent enough but didn ' t hold up against the competition and his late hollywood work just isn ' t good enough to compare to the the highs in his oeuvre . a little ironic as woo ' s name seems mostly attached to this film for the guidance he gave chai - bin ( and for obvious commercial reasons of course ) . chao - bin is credited as both writer and prime director for reign of assassins , so it ' s really his film .
a story of three couples and their intertwining love stories set in 1940s taiwan and shanghai , centered around the 1949 sinking of taiping .
not sure about the actual film , in this trailer the voices of some of the actors are dubbed , including michelle ' s .
set in ancient china , zeng jing is a skilled assassin who finds herself in possession of a mystical buddhist monk ' s remains . she begins a quest to return the remains to its rightful resting place , and thus places herself in mortal danger because a team of assassins is in a deadly pursuit to possess the remains which holds an ancient power - wielding secret .
los angeles , 31 january 2011 : essential entertainment has joined lion rock productions in its remake of the killer in 3d , currently in pre - production , which will be directed by john h . lee ( a moment to remember , saying good - bye oneday ) and written by josh campbell . jung woo - sung ( reign of assassins , the good , the bad , the weird ) will star in this english language re - telling of john woo’s iconic action masterpiece , with additional cast to be announced shortly . the film will be produced by woo ( face / off , mission : impossible ii ) and terence chang under their lion rock productions banner . essential entertainment will be handling worldwide sales .
revolutionary chen shaobai arrives in hong kong a few days before sun’s arrival , to meet li yutang , a businessman who provides financial aid for the rebel’s cause . as sun wen’s arrival draws near , li rallies a group of patriotic believers to serve as bodyguards for sun wen when he arrives . as sun wen makes his way through the streets of hong kong , the bodyguards and assassins fight for the political future of the chinese people .
los angeles , 31 january 2011 : essential entertainment has joined lion rock productions in its remake of the killer in 3d , currently in pre - production , which will be directed by john h . lee ( a moment to remember , saying good - bye , oneday ) and written by josh campbell . jung woo - sung ( reign of assassins , the good , the bad , the weird ) will star in this english language re - telling of john woo’s iconic action masterpiece , with additional cast to be announced shortly . the film will be produced by woo ( face / off , mission : impossible ii ) and terence chang under their lion rock productions banner . essential entertainment will be handling worldwide sales .
set in ancient china , zeng jing is a skilled assassin who finds herself in possession of a mystical buddhist monk ' s remains . she begins a quest to return the remains to its rightful resting place , and thus places herself in mortal danger because a team of assassins is in a deadly pursuit to possess the remains which holds an ancient power - wielding secret . written by rojak88
when john woo mentioned remaking his own the killer for american audiences who don’t like subtitles gumming up their gunplay , it turns out he wasn’t just speaking abstractly : woo has officially begun pre - production on the film , lining up director john h . lee ( a moment to remember , 71 : into the fire ) and star jung woo - sun ( reign of assassins , the good the bad the weird ) for an “english language retelling” of his 1989 original , which will , of course , be shot in 3 - d , with doves all up in your face . the rest of the cast will reportedly be announced soon . for the singer who is accidentally blinded , we nominate ke $ ha . now as to who should play the singer in the movie … [ / mimes golf swing ]
woo will supervise and su execute the direction of the film , which is scheduled to start shooting in china this september . the literal translation of the chinese title is rain of swords in the martial arts world .
- reportedly the world premiere of the film will be held on september 3rd at the 67th annual venice film festival ( out of competition ) .
. director su chao - pin will attend the new york premiere of the film which will be screened as a part of a special focus -
su chao - pin : taiwan ' s king of entertainment
.
venice - -
mr . & mrs . smith
relocate to ancient china in the dazzling martial - arts epic
reign of assassins ,
in which asian superstars michelle yeoh and jung woo - sung play an ordinary married couple , each unaware the spouse is a world - class assassin . replacing guns and bombs with flashing swordplay , aerial fighting and fantasy effects , the beautifully balanced story finds time for humor and a piercingly romantic finale . this lush visual treat should have no trouble finding kung fu audiences , with crossover potential to the western art circuit . it bears the double direction of taiwanese writer - director su chao - pin (
silk
) and genre master john woo .
- - korean indie mirovision is putting on a good show with a sales debut for
the housemaid ,
a love - triangle horror drama that is a remake of one of the best korean movies of the 1960s .
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in 428ad , bodhi , prince of southern india becomes a buddhist monk and sets off for china earning a hallowed reputation as a mystical martial artist . following his death , his remains mysteriously disappear . hundreds of years later , zhang , a high - ranking court official , is assassinated by drizzle . his son jingxiu , whilst mourning his father ' s death , is attacked by a group of assassins . they leave him for dead , but somehow he survives and escapes their clutches .
influenced by the movies of bruce lee and jackie chan , glen began training in martial arts and gymnastics in 1995 . he made his first of many visits to malaysia and singapore in 1998 to learn chin woo kung fu under the supervision of master teng wie yoo . glen is the author of
the art of coaching
and
fearless the story of chin woo kung fu
, and runs a kung fu & kickboxing school in hertfordshire , england .
) , by taiwan ' s gamania digital entertainment which is one of the investors of the film . the online game is scheduled to release this year .
let’s go through the story in a linear format . helps makes things clear . first , there was the indian buddhist monk - bodhi . it is believed that his mummified remains have supernatural powers . that one could master kung fu and rule the martial arts universe . the remains are in two halves . one of the halves is in possession with prime minister zhang and his son renfeng . a group of assassins called the dark stone gang , want the remains . the gang consists of the following :
- the turkish release date of the film has been set at december 24 .
actor javier bardem meets michael gove to discuss protection of the antarctic . . .
using the alias kim chol — the same name printed on his passport during the monday attack — the banished heir posted numerous photos of himself in front of fancy hotels and tourist sites around the world , according to the telegraph of britain .
after david lim was struck with vascular dementia as a result of three strokes , his activity is limited to his room and at the doctor’s . his youngest son , eric , took on the role of sole caregiver at the age of 24 .
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the image in question itself appears to confirm multiple rumors . for instance , the existence of boats ( or , at least , a schooner ) confirms previously reports that indicated the new installment will evoke themes from assassin ' s creed iv : black flag , arguably the most successful installment to release thus far on the new generation of consoles . furthermore , at the top - left corner , we see a mission titled ,
follow shadya to khenut’s villa .
khenut was the queen of egypt during her husband ' s ( king unas ) reign from 2375 – 2345 bc .
( 4 ) wang xueqi and the sword of king of dharma wheel . wang is the leader of the assassin group and the teacher who taught michelle the sword techniques . but he hid some unique skills and never taught her those unexpected tricky moves .
will be moving to taiwan later in the month . principal photography was completed in mainland china at the end of last month . taiwan filming will finish a couple of remaining key scenes . most of the post - production will be done in taiwan .
after this plot , commodus began to see enemies everywhere and retreated from rome to his country estates . thus began a ten - year reign of terror . he became a megalomaniac : he compared himself to hercules , calling himself the son of jupiter . sources state that he often adorned himself with a lion skin and a club to imitate the hero ; coin issues and statues depict him in this guise . he also declared himself the new romulus ; by 192 , he had in fact re - named himself , the city , the months of the year , and several other venerable institutions .
chinese tourists fined $ 8 . 50 each for disrespectful dance in front of sabah mosque
a romantic and action packed story of three best friends , a group of high end art thieves , who come into trouble when a love - triangle forms between them .
the film uses its wire - fu trappings to allegorise buddhist notions of self - transformation in a world of illusions . throw in some inventive chopsocky tempered by romance , and you have a fatalistic wuxia about the martial pursuit of a
normal life
.
fortissimo films handles the sales of the film outside mainland china , hong kong , taiwan and south east asia , while media asia is in charge of the asian territories .
i was thinking that those dark society aspects of the jianghu would be included in the wulin and of the jianghu as the itinerant sector of the wulin , thus a subset , but that ' s not quite right . wulin does imply an attitude of chivalry , so i might concede your point . rivers , lakes , trees . . .
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huong’s alleged female accomplice , siti aisyah , 25 , of indonesia , was arrested thursday morning along with her boyfriend , muhammad farid bin jalaluddin , 26 , of malaysia .
to the opening ceremony of the 13th shanghai international film festival on june 12th . according to the chinese media , the main cast and crew members will accept media interviews in the afternoon and they will walk on the red carpet of the opening ceremony in the evening . the theatrical release of the film is currently scheduled for the end of september .
sbs director of audio and language content , mandi wicks , said : “sbs is committed to celebrating australia’s multicultural events , encouraging all australians to embrace our diversity . lunar new year is one of the biggest events of the year and we are thrilled to be marking the occasion with a season of special activity and programming across the sbs network . ”
this review does not contain any spoilers . as a born and bred chinese , i have seen my share of chinese martial arts movies . the reign of assassins gave me the feeling of watching one of the great classics . it ' s story is not the most original , but it gives a nice background for the viewer to see the beautiful acting and action scenes . at times it ' s a love story at others a suspense flick with all the intrigue . the actors do a good job in conveying their emotions to the audience . most of the characters get fleshed out , so your not only interested in the main characters . story wise i have to say that some of the things were a bit confusing , but if you paid attention it all made sense . the action scenes are plenty and well choreographed . the fighting was made believable , nothing was over the top . i especially liked how the action sometimes slows down just to show the viewer how things are done . this brings the action more to life and you actually notice all the small gestures the actors need to make in order to sway or dodge an attack . overall i liked the movie and i highly recommend fans of the genre to watch it . i surely enjoyed it .
yeoh plays the role of a skilled martial artist who changes her identity in order to leave a gang of deadly assassins , the dark stone , and attempts to lead a normal life . korean star jung woo - sung , who played a gun - slinger in kimchi western the good , the bad , the weird , plays her seemingly innocent husband . the cast also includes chinese character actor wang xueqi , taiwanese actresses barbie hsu and kelly lin and hong kong star shawn yue .
at the conference , the five actors were divided into two groups , a group of good guys and a group of bad guys , according to their characters in the film .
the story begins on 10th january 1901 with a depiction of the real - life assassination of revolutionary leader and english teacher yeung ku - wan . shot and killed by a qing agent , it ignites a slow - burning fuse to a powder - keg of action .
the soundtrack is of lower quality , but suffices for a film like this . sometimes a little over - dramatic , though most of it is pretty bearable . simple re - workings of classic themes that do fit the mood of the film , but don ' t go far in defining its atmosphere . luckily the visuals are strong enough to counter this , otherwise it would ' ve weighed a lot more on the overall feel of the film .
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this film is more than a run of the mill martial arts action picture . michelle yeoh , as ever , brings a touch of class to her role , and most of the scenes are beautifully shot . a touch on the long side perhaps , hence four stars .
, a chinese - language war epic / romance set against the back - drop of the final years of china ' s civil war . director su chao - pin was brought to the script team . after a long period of preparation the project did not work out .
the official ceremony took place in a packed palazzo del cinema , just ahead of the world premiere of
jianyu ,
which was co - directed by chao - bin su .
» best of film junk -
frank shits himself
( from ep . 515 )
but is it enough ? one of the great luxuries afforded to benioff and weiss is that , unlike shows that are still laying the track even as the locomotion of production threatens to run them over , game of thrones purrs along a preestablished path . because of this , audiences are more than willing to invest precious time and energy into story lines that have spent years meandering along the edges . this is unique , especially considering the savviness and general impatience of contemporary tv fans . homeland viewers were ready to court - martial dana brody , for example , after just three digressive episodes in her presence . yet with game of thrones there’s an implicit assumption of a payoff lurking , like one of varys’s spies , somewhere just ahead .