John Woo is to Hou Hsiao-hsien what action movies are to contemplative journeys through the dismal abyss that we call life. And I’m feeling happy today! Anyway, put another way, John Woo got $85 million to make The Red Cliff and Hou got $2.6 million for his first martial arts movie, The Assassin. The Taiwanese government has a special fund they use for contributions to their cultural life. They were gracious enough to give him 2 mill. However, that won’t even pay for horses to gallop across the screen. And every Asian martial arts movie needs galloping horses.

Knowing Hou’s previous movies, it’ll be interesting to see him direct an actual action movie. Yes, with people actually doing things instead of staring out windows on moving trains. That is to say, your typical Taiwanese indie drama. I await this movie with baited breath.

Hou’s “Assassin” receives NDF cash [Variety Asia]