Rating of
3.5/4
Great melodrama sometimes does make a great movie
Mr. Storm - wrote on 03/17/08
Opulence in design and boatloads of melodrama are what makes Curse of the Golden Flower a great film. Directed by one of the best directors of our time, Zhang Yimou, this picture is the third in a string of martial-arts themed masterpieces (Hero and House of Flying Daggers) that this great filmmaker has made. After watching the first two you begin to wonder what could he possibly have up his sleeve for the next one. Curse of the Golden Flower answers that question in spades.
The story is set well over a thousand years ago, in the Tang Dynasty, and it follows the exploits of a feudalistic family, led by an eccentric Emperor (Chou Yun Fat). We soon realize that his wife, played by the seemingly ageless Gong Li, has no love for her man and it is this dislike that fuels her to seek answers, such as why her husband is obviously having her poisoned with her medicines. They have three young sons, two of which are very close to their mother, one obviously much more than the other. She leans on her sons as the palace intrigue continues, to the point that you do not know who is working for whom at one point.
There are erotic moments in the film, although there are no obvious sex scenes. These erotic moments spring from a love triangle that serves as the major basis upon which the outcome of the film is determined. It is a tale of forbidden love, on all sides of the triangle, one that essentially spells doom and tragedy for all involved. Crown Prince Wan, although loved by two women, is not a happy man. Late in the film, he will be less so. That is not a spoiler. It is an honest appraisal of what happens in all movie love triangles. This film follows that formula, but it is nonetheless a testament to Zhang Yimou's direction that I cared so much for it.
Chow Yun Fat, as The Emperor living amidst so much opulence and riches, finds the right note playing a powerful man made so by complete loneliness. He is at a minimum arm's length with the rest of the world, especially his family. Having absolute power such as a Chinese emperor was accorded led to an existence much like the Emperor of Qin in the film Hero. Always looking over your shoulder, never really trusting, not even your own shadow. Chow Yun Fat finds the heart of this emperor and embodies it for a masterful performance. It does help that he is working opposite the greatest Asian actress of our time, Gong Li, who once again proves with her tortured Empress that she is, quite simply, acting royalty.
No mention of this film could ever be made without mentioning the fantastic sets. The entire palace complex was built on a Beijing film studio lot, the largest movie set ever built in China. It is so life-like. The interiors are an even more fantastic presence. Colored glass was placed on all surfaces, giving the entire indoor a brightness not ever seen in film. The Tang Dynasty was a magnificent time in which the filthy rich loved to display their wealth. In this film, you get to see that wealth magnified into a stunning reality.
This is not a martial-arts epic, per se. It does have some rather spectular fight scenes, such as at the Imperial Doctor's house and the scene where the Emperor sees Prince Jai for the first time in three years. Both were upstaged in the final battle scene, which used over 1,000 real soldiers to create a war on the palace grounds that just awed. But this film was not a succession of Hero and House of Flying Daggers, two films that made martial arts a poetic visual. Curse of the Flying Dagger has a more realistic approach to fighting, which works within the context of this great film. It is a worthy addition to Zhang Yimou's resume, and one that will leave beautiful images imprinted into your head for a long time.
