The Assassins, previously known as Bronze Sparrow Terrace or Bronze Sparrow Platform, is a Chinese historical drama film directed by Zhao Linshan, starring Chow Yun-fat as Cao Cao, a prominent warlord who became the de facto head of the central government in China towards the end of the Han dynasty. The film, released in October 2012, focuses on Cao Cao's life in his later years and depicts two assassination attempts on the warlord. The supporting cast includes Liu Yifei, Hiroshi Tamaki, Alec Su, Annie Yi, Qiu Xinzhi, Yao Lu and Ni Dahong. The film's Chinese title is a reference to the Bronze Sparrow Platform (铜雀台), a terrace constructed in 210 by Cao Cao in the ancient city of Ye (in present-day Handan, Hebei).Synopsis
The film is set in China in the late 210s – the years preceding the end of the Han dynasty. In the earlier two decades, Cao Cao had defeated Lü Bu and other rival warlords to gain supremacy in northern and central China. In 216, Cao Cao is granted the title of a vassal king, "King of Wei", by Emperor Xian, the figurehead Han ruler controlled by him. He constructs the Bronze Sparrow Platform as a showcase of his power.
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