Marketing campaigns can be a huge detriment to a movie, creating expectations for a target market that is invariably not linked to the film. Just take in the trailer of Hsiao-Hsien Hou's ravishing masterwork "The Assassin." The trailer emphasizes the major plot points, a woman in exile trained to kill so that she can have revenge on the man she once loved, and the film's action. In fact, watching the trailer, the viewer would come to expect that this is an action packed movie that, like its trailer, is filled with fast cutting and propulsive energy.

Except the film is nothing like its trailer. In fact, it is the polar extreme of its trailer.

Those familiar with Hou's work will know beforehand that what is depicted in the trailer could not possibly be the work of the craftsman, whose filmmaking has geared toward longer takes in recent years, the pace slackening into a more contemplative approach.

This is exactly what "The Assassin" is. And how truly wonderful it is for these very reasons.

Set during the Tang Dynasty, the film does in fact "tell the story" of Nie Yinniang (Qi Shu), a trained assassin, who returns to Weibo to get revenge of Tian Ji'an (Chen Chang) with whom she was once betrothed. Yet this is simply a surface plot, as the film seeks out a far grander view of the world within which the narrative takes place.

In some ways, Hou is not as focused on telling a story as he is on exploring a world and in the processing bringing the viewer into that time. Everything about the production design, from the colors, to the architecture, to the political conversations is part of the immersion process. Yinniang and Tian are crucial elements of this world, but the film looks around the world far more extensively.

What makes this experience so magical are the visuals. Simply put, there is nothing more glorious to look at this year than the painterly imagery that dominates this picture from start to finish. Initial sequences are in black-and-white, with Yinniang as the focal point of the narrative. At one point we see her walk through a forest, the shadows from the trees wrapping around her, emphasizing her murderous side.

Once she returns to Weibo, color comes into the world, breaking up Yinniang's journey into two stages. We see a scene through a veil, keeping the viewer at a distance from the world and yet providing a stark reminder of the silk that dominated the era. We see the crepuscular sky reflect on the water. We see a dance composed with tremendous depth so that the performers are in the foreground yet the focal point in the background remains the audience, in this case Tian Ji'an. Another glorious image follows Yinniang walking out of a forest after a duel, her adversary walking in an opposite direction; their movement is almost like looking at an expansive mirror. A confrontation between husband and wife is staged in one-shot from a distance, emphasizing the viewer's intrusion into this private abode from afar. This is barely scratching the service of what glorious imagery is in store for the patient viewer.

And patience is certainly required. As noted, Hou utilizes long takes to great effect, thus keeping the pace of the film rather slow. It provides the viewer with ample opportunity to digest the imagery in front of him/her while also making viewers concentrate on dialogue unfolding. A lot of times, these dialogue scenes ultimately prove to be stories being told to another character and the audience, and this way of shooting also allows for a stronger degree of intimacy.

For those wondering, there are action sequences and they are gloriously staged. There is no gravity-defying stuntwork as the film is clearly rooted in reality. Yet that does not make these sequences any less arresting. They go by rather quickly, so audiences are again pushed to savor every moment as if it were the last.

The performances all maintain an even keel, emphasizing the formality of the time and also keeping these characters at a distance; we feel that they come from a different time, but their withdrawn nature makes them all the more intriguing to watch.

"The Assassin" is not going to fulfill the expectations of those following up on the marketing campaign. So it might be best to turn away from trailers before watching this film. Come to it with a willingness to explore a different world, with the patience that comes with such an objective. Let the glorious images wash over you and you will be rewarded in a manner that few other films this year can.