Curse Of The Golden Flower (Chinese Movie)
During China’s Tang dynasty the emperor has taken the princess of a neighboring province as wife. She has borne him two sons and raised his eldest. Now his control over his dominion is complete, including the royal family itself.
Curse of the Golden Flower is probably the most talked-about Chinese film of 2006. International star Chow Yun Fat returns to Chinese cinema to team up with Gong Li in a film directed by the famed Zhang Yimou, who continues in the period epic genre after Hero and House of Flying Daggers. In addition to these three big names, the film also features acclaimed Mainland actor Liu Ye and Taiwanese top singer Jay Chou in his first costume role. The extravagant palace and the omnipresent chrysanthemums give the film its dazzling colors, creating an unprecedented visual sumptuousness that is beyond astounding.
Turning Cao Yu’s famous play Thunder Storm into an epic film, Curse of the Golden Flower details a complicated dispute that encompasses both familial and political dimensions. Patriarchal Emperor Ping (Chow Yun Fat) summons his second son, Prince Jie (Jay Chou), to return to the palace after his tour of duty defending the border. Meanwhile, Prince Xiang (Liu Ye) wants to hide his incestuous affair with his step-mother, Empress Phoenix (Gong Li). Spectacularly beautiful from the outside, the royal family is actually falling apart within the golden confines of the palace. The calculating Emperor Ping wants to slowly kill the Empress with help from the Imperial Physician (Ni Dahong) and his daughter (Li Man), but Phoenix is also trying to ally with Prince Jie to start a coup…
The film demonstrates how the hunger for power eventually distorts human nature and leads to shocking brutality. Filled with jaw-dropping fighting scenes and beautifully designed costumes and settings, Curse of the Golden Flower exhibits the full potential of the genre’s aesthetics. Zhang Yimou uses the most exorbitant visual elements to narrate a thrilling story, in which the brightest colors come into contrast with the darkest acts that human beings are capable of.
Also Known As:
Autumn Remembrance (Hong Kong: English title) (working title)
Curse of the Golden Flower (International: English title)
The City of Golden Armor (Hong Kong: English title) (working title)
Directed by: Yimou Zhang
Starring: Chow Yun-Fat, Gong Li, Liu Ye, Chen Jin, Jay Chou
MPAA: Rated R for violence.
Runtime: USA:114 min / Hong Kong:111 min
Country: Hong Kong / China
Language: Mandarin
Subtitles: English
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