The Dichotomy Of Assassination

The concept of assassinations is not a recent one. It would be nearly as old as civilization itself, for the deliberate killing, often of those in power, but also of individuals who are obstacles to those in power, is an essential part of politics, and the politics of life itself.

Black’s Law Dictionary (the most trusted law dictionary in the U.S.A.) defines Assassination as, “Murder committed for hire, without provocation or cause of resentment given to the murderer by the person upon whom the crime is committed.”

The word is most likeliest to have been derived from 'Hashshashin', a lethal and feared suicide squad founded by a Persian missionary Hassan-i Sabbah (1050s-1124). It was rumoured that the warriors were indoctrinated using hashish
After all, humans are not hard wired to take another's life, unless under provocation, in duress, for a higher cause or in a war.

Studies done have shown that the most successful assassins are the ones who depersonalize the killing by treating it as just a job and dehumanize the victim as a target. They are thus able to effectively conceal their feelings.

A difference can be made here from serial killers who are mostly motivated by the high that they get from the killings and may not be as bothered by the possible risks. Whereas a contracted killer is in it for the money and so will minimize the risk and thus maximize profit. Like a businessman. Yes, man. It is rare, though not impossible, to find female assassins, though you might not believe it after watching Quentin Tarantino's “Kill Bill”
Professional assassins, the ones who would contract killings for a living, and do nothing else, would have to be highly skilled, organized, experienced, intelligent and careful. And only a government would be able to afford them, and not just monetarily. And thus it would be a profession that could ill-afford to be tied down by relations. A good example would be “The American” (2010) by Anton Corbijn, where George Clooney plays one such assassin who kills his lover without blinking an eye when he realizes that his identity is in endangered.

Cinema has had some fantastic films, one of the earlier successes was with “The Patriot” (1928). A silent, it was directed by Ernst Lubitsch, and was based on two plays: Paul I by Dmitry Merezhkovsky and The Patriot by Ashley Dukes (which in turn was from the novel Der Patriot by Alfred Neumann). The story is about an 18th-Century Russian Czar who is assassinated by his trusted Count and who in turns is then killed. It won the Academy Award for Screenplay and was nominated for Best Picture, Director and