Fast forward to October 8, 1998. A film company is busy for the premiere. After all, the new film premiered in something special — the Great Hall of the People on the west side of Tiananmen Square in Beijing. At that time, Chen Kaige had just won the Palme d'Or. Nominations for various international awards, one after another. 
Compared with Zhang Yimou's high production, Chen Kaige's annual grinding of a film has become the norm. As a fifth-generation director, the most iconic figure. Chen Kaige's carefully polished works are worthy of palace-level specifications. However, the result of the premiere was unexpected - this film was met with overwhelming criticism. Many audience members even left the venue in the middle of the screening. Although Chen Kaige immediately made major changes to the film, this big production with an investment of 70 million yuan in 98 only received 10 million box office in the end. 
From word-of-mouth to popularity, it was a huge failure. But more than ten years after its release, things began to reverse. The Douban score of the film gradually climbed to 82。Netizens even went forward to rehabilitate it. Could it be that the audience at the beginning was blinded? "Jing Ke Assassinates the King of Qin".
The subverted King of QinThe fifth-generation directors seem to be very fond of the stories of the Qin Dynasty. Around the turn of the millennium, Zhou Xiaowen filmed "Song of Qin", and Chen Kaige made "Jing Ke Assassinates the King of Qin". In the early years, Zhang Yimou was still not addicted enough after performing "Ancient and Modern Wars of the Qin Warriors". turned his head and handed over a "Hero", officially opening the door to domestic commercial masterpieces. 
Everyone shoots Daqin. But whether it is Jiang Wen's Yingzheng or Chen Daoming's King Qin, they all hold the hegemony and majesty of the first emperor through the ages. But Li Xuejian's King of Qin: sometimes heroic, sometimes obscene, sometimes ruthless, sometimes naïve. Especially when he was saying serious lines, he suddenly opened his mouth and laughed. 
This strange perception is not only limited to the King of Qin in the film, but also reflected in many Qin people in the film. According to everyone's consistent impression, the overall temperament of the ancient court and emperor should be elegant and restrained. Subtlety and restraint and self-denial are the existing impressions that most people have of the ancients. However, this trait, in fact, is not entirely in line with the pre-Qin period. After starring in Ying Zheng, Li Xuejian once talked about his summary: "The characteristics of the Qin Dynasty are 'clumsy', and I can find examples from the terracotta warriors, Han statues, pre-Qin bronzes, calligraphy and paintings. Therefore, my performance can't be too polished. ”
During the pre-Qin period, there was social turmoil and constant wars, and people were mostly direct in their expressions, and did not pay much attention to etiquette and form. Coupled with the fact that the Qin State already has a tradition of being brave and warlike, the strange look and feel of the court drama in "Jing Ke's Assassination of the King of Qin" comes from this. Therefore, although the film goes against the inherent impression of many people, it is also closer to historical facts. After talking about the style of the ancients in the pre-Qin period, let's talk about casting. Because there is no real portrait left in the world, the true appearance of King Yingzheng of Qin has always been a mystery. "Taiping Yulan" once recorded: "Qin Shi Huang Ming Zheng, Tiger Mouth, Sun Angle, Big Eyes, Long Zhun, eight feet six inches long, seven girths. ”
In the Records of the First Emperor of Qin, the minister of the Qin State Wei Yu described it like this: "The king of Qin is a man, the peak is accurate, the eyes are long, the birds are beautiful, and the jackals are sound. "The two kinds of Yingzheng looks, one is tall and majestic, the other is obscene and weak, and they can't find common ground at all. The film finally chose Li Xuejian to play the role of King Qin, obviously choosing the latter. At the same time, this is also contrary to people's impression of the "Emperor of the Ages". 
So, why does "Jing Ke Assassinate the King of Qin" insist on presenting the original appearance of the pre-Qin Dynasty, and why does it have to make Yingzheng morbid and obscene? Speaking of which, we have to talk about the other protagonist in the play: Jing Ke. 
Perfect Jing KeJing Ke's martial arts in history are not the highest, and the means are not the strongest. If it weren't for Qin Shi Huang, he would most likely just be a nameless assassin. However, for the kindness of Prince Dan and for the protection of the righteousness of Yan Kingdom. Jing Ke chose to assassinate Qin and participated in this action that was destined to go and never return. For future generations, the name Jing Ke actually represents a kind of self-sacrificing chivalrous spirit.
There are clear historical materials about the process of assassinating Qin. But Jing Ke's own life and prehistory are not recorded in much detail. This also gave space for the creation of "Jing Ke Assassinating the King of Qin". Jing Ke in the film was originally a killer who collected money to do things. For only 10 dollars, you can exterminate the butcher. Every transaction is clean and clean.
Until one day, he was hired to kill a swordsmith. After moving his hands to check around, he found that the blind girl in the craftsman's house was still alive. Jing Ke saw that this blind girl was delicate, so he said You can't see me, I won't kill you. Who would have thought that the blind girl committed suicide in front of him. Before she died, she told Jing Ke: I have no way to beg for food on the street, and I have no dignity to live.
This incident made Jing Ke realize that killing people not only makes people lose their lives, but also takes away the dignity of others. After that, he wandered to Yan to weave straw sandals, and no longer did anything to kill. At this time, Jing Ke couldn't find the meaning of living. His life was sloppy and guilty, because he couldn't face the people he was killing. Until Yingzheng raised troops, the battle broke out. Jing Ke witnessed the tragedy on the battlefield, the tyranny of Yingzheng killing children. The assassination action allowed him to find a way to atone for his sins and regain the meaning of life.
In fact, this is Chen Kaige's understanding of "Jing Ke is not the governor of things, leaning on the pillar and laughing" in the history books. "Jing Ke Assassinates the King of Qin" filmed Jing Ke with a complete life, which is actually to compare with the gradually crippled Ying Zheng. And this is the key to this film transcending its time.
A classic that transcends the times There is a line in "Jing Ke's Assassination of the King of Qin" that has been repeated. "King Yingzheng of Qin, have you forgotten the great wish of the ancestors of the Qin State to rule the world? The first time this line appeared, it was the death of Yingzheng's father, King Zhuang Xiang. became the king of Qin, Yingzheng lost his father, and also lost the identity of the innocent boy who let go of horses when he was in Zhao.
The second appearance was in the Dazheng Palace, where Lu Buwei (played by Chen Kaige) hanged himself. In order to unify the great cause of the six countries, Yingzheng lost the possibility of recognizing his biological father.
The third appearance is after the failure of the assassination of Qin, the original character Zhao Ji (played by Gong Li) came to collect Jing Ke's body. In the process of unifying the six countries, Yingzheng was completely swallowed up by the desire for power. not only lost himself, but also lost his beloved Zhao Ji.
The appearance of the three lines corresponds to the various stages of Ying Zheng's identity as "King Qin" and stripped of himself. In the film, Ying Zheng has an obvious process of change - at the beginning, his ideal was to unify the six countries and protect the people from the invasion of war. Next, he experienced various threats of losing the throne, such as Chang Yu's rebellion and Lü Buwei's self-hanging. In order to unify the six countries, Yingzheng must be decisive. At this time, the ideal of striving for the people of the world has gradually come to naught. In its place, there is tyranny, suspicion, and the heart of a tiger and wolf who watches the world.
Jing Ke Assassinates the King of Qin", why didn't you shoot a majestic King of Qin? Because what it wants to present is a sick government that is devoured by the "king's great wish". With the perfect Jing Ke as a contrast, although Yingzheng finally sat on the world, he could only be laughed at by the dying Jing Ke. "The matter of Da Zheng Palace, Fan Yuzhi didn't say anything, he kept his word better than you. ”
In 1998, "Jing Ke's Assassination of the King of Qin" was not recognized by ** and the audience, perhaps because it presented a historical view that transcended the times. For a historical figure who has achieved great things and made great achievements. It's not about showing what he's accomplished, it's about digging out what he's lost.