great on so many different levels

Rating: 10/10 (18 April 2006)

Flat out one of the best movies that I have ever seen. You may need to see it at least twice in order to fully understand the plot. Americans should also keep in mind that this is a Chinese movie, not an American movie about China. Therefore, the acting and dialogue might appear stilted and overly formal to American viewers. Chinese historical dramas are made in this style, it's a cultural thing.
The reason why this is a truly great movie is because it is great on many different levels. The cinematography alone is stupendous. There are story lines involving suspense and romance. The movie is driven not just by action, but by character development. In addition, there are kick-ass martial arts scenes. However, this movie goes beyond the typical martial arts movie because martial arts is presented as a philosophy, not a just as a really cool method of fighting. Many people do not understand that Asian martial arts is a culture, religion and way of thinking unto itself. The ultimate goal of a martial arts master is self-control,inner peace and non-violence. This is achieved by becoming so proficient and so well-known that no one ever wants to fight with you. This concept is crucial to the viewer's understanding of why the romance ultimately fails between the two lovers.
The other aspect of this movie elevates it above so many others is the theme of national unity versus individual agendas, of collective nonviolence and peace and the giving up of the individual right to revenge, no matter how honorable. This movie came out during GW Bush's administration(s), when the United States was divided over the Middle East, 9/11 and Iraq. Not only is this movie well-made on many different levels, it achieves a cultural and timeless relevance. At the end of the movie, the assassin (Nameless) finally "gets it" and realizes that his motives to kill the Emperor pale in significance to the Emperor's attempts to achieve peace by unifying China. That is why he gives up his assassination attempt and why he becomes (one of) the hero(es), the other being the Emperor himself. In America, there are those who believe that the best way to end violence is through revenge. Others believe that giving up one's right to revenge (not self-defense) and working for peace through a higher authority (e.g. the collective authority of many nations) is the more successful way. No matter what side you're on, this movie addresses these timeless issues.
Amendment: I should acknowledge that I wrote all of the above before reading some of the other reviews on this site. As an American, I did not realize that the character of the Emperor was based on an actual historical figure, nor did I know anything of the brutality of his reign. At the same time, as an American, not for one instant did I think about any parallels to the Communist party in China, nationalist propaganda or dictators such as Hitler or Stalin. Call me ignorant, but I took the movie at face value, which I saw as a fictional story about the philosophy of martial arts, non-violence and peace.