Inspired by a real event, the story of "Assembly" begins in 1948, at the height of the bloody civil war of China. A communist-led army captain, Guzidi, is ordered to send his 46 men to defend a position at all costs. He is allowed to retreat only when the assembly call is blown. The call never comes and after a horrific fight, the captain finds out that he is the only survivor. Without a survivor to vouch for them, the 46 men who had sacrificed their lives would simply be listed as missing. Determined to prove the glorious deaths of his men, Guzidi embarks on a journey in search of those who held the key to the mystery of the bugle call.

The word 'assembly' refers to a bugle call used to call in a group of soldiers. Directed by Xiaogang Feng, "Assembly" is based on a true story about a weathered communist-led army captain, Guzidi (Hanyu Zhang), Captain of the Ninth Company, who struggles to return honour to his 46 men and their self-sacrifice. The year 1948 witnessed the launching of the Huaihai Campaign during the Chinese Civil War. In one of Chinese history's deadliest battles, thousands from the People's Liberation Army (PLA) and the Nationalist Army (KMT) fell in the battle that took place between Xuzhou and Bengdu. It was amid this bloody fight that Captain Guzidi led the Ninth Company infantry unit on a sniper mission. His orders were to fight the KMT Army until the retreat assembly call is sounded.

Yet, after many long hours of painstaking resistance, Gu watched powerless as the ammunition ran out and the scant ranks of the Ninth Company grew sparser still. The men were falling one by one. On the brink of death, Lieutenant Jiao Dapeng (Fan Liao), Gu's best partner, announced that he heard the call and asked Gu to retreat with the remaining soldiers. The dying man's words spread doubt within the remainder of the company, but Gu insisted that the bugle had not sounded and that they were to continue fighting at all costs. His life was spared, but all forty-six of his men were killed, and without any other witnesses to vouch for their valiant fight, they are listed as Missing In Action. Determined to prove that all his men died as heroes for their country, Gu embarks on a quest to find the answers to the mystery of the assembly call.

"Assembly" is a film that doesn't fail to grab the audience, and is spectacular in its gritty action, yet it never loses sight of the true humanity at its heart. Not just a military epic, it is also the story of a hero searching for the glory and honour that he and his brothers deserve. It's a story of the return of long-lost heroism. The more dramatic scenes are so moving they can bring tears to the eyes of the audience. It is one heart-wrenching roller coaster, one minute full of fear and the next full of melancholy. There are, of course, light-hearted moments, which help both Gu as well as the audience come to terms with what has happened to Gu's men.

The cinematography was first-rate, and captured the essence of the emotions in the film very well. It is also photographed beautifully and has some visuals that are simply breathtaking, such as the stunning snowy landscapes of Northern China and the forests in autumn. The battle sequences are superbly choreographed, as the apparent mayhem that takes place on screen is amazingly well executed. All in all, it's an outstanding film with strong performances from a well-rounded cast and an engaging storyline.