Cinema is the capturing and creation of space, within which events and characters take shape. Frequently films create a semblance of unified space, but in the case of Assassin’s Creed, space is often fluid and inconstant. Justin Kurtzel’s adaptation of Ubisoft’s blockbusting computer game achieves the remarkable feat of creating an immersive experience that allows the viewer to vicariously undergo the experiences of Cal Lynch (Michael Fassbender), descendant of assassin Aguilar (also Fassbender), as he enters the Animus, a device that causes him to relive the experiences of his ancestor. The technobabble explanations provided by Dr Sophia Rikken (Marion Cotillard), part of a modernised Templar Knights, adds to the mystery of the events that understandably confuse Cal, but once he enters the Animus and his movements and feelings blend with those of Aguilar, the viewer is set for a visceral and enthralling experience where space, time and personality shift dramatically and arrestingly. Kurtzel stylises speech, location and action in a manner similar to his superb Macbeth, and while the emotional heft of Assassin’s Creed may not reach that of the Shakespearean tragedy, it does succeed as a strong film based on a video game (a rare beast indeed), and confirms Kurtzel as a promising talent to watch.
