Curse of the Golden Flower

Yimou Zhang completes his wushu trilogy that started with Hero and House of Flying Daggers with this opulent and extravagant film that manages to be both epic and intimate and even more gorgeous to look at than his previous films. However as a whole I found it less engaging and the soap opera style storyline can sometimes get in the way of believability, leaving it more of a spectacle and leaving you emotionally distant from the characters, not least because most of them are to one degree or another rather unlikeable.

Set in 11th century China the film deals almost exclusively with life within the royal palace. A fortress of unimaginable wealth and luxury the Emperor and his family dwell within the structure preparing for the annual Chrysanthemum festival, which will bring with it the lies and the secrets they all have buried. The start of the film is very unlike Zhang’s other films, there is no epic introduction or captivating sequence, in fact much of the opening of the film goes against expectations introducing the viewers to the daily life at the palace. Whilst the film is quite slow moving the costumes and set design is breathtaking. The palace is bursting with reds and gold’s and the sheer level of detail and use of colour overshadows anything you may have seen before. In fact sometimes it’s almost too much, your eyes straining to take in every detail of excess that lies spread across the screen in front of you. Long time collaborator of Zhang’s Gong Li fills the shoes of the empress Phoenix, and her performance grounds the film. As she comes to realise the terrible truth about her husband we follow her situation from despair to revenge. Zhang’s decision to stay within the palace walls for the first hour of so is a very conscious one and captures Li’s increasing sense of isolation and claustrophobia.

Thankfully before the film slips totally into soap opera style drama we get some good old fashioned ninja fights, as per usual what action in the film is breathtakingly gorgeous despite itself and wonderfully executed. From this one act of violence that shakes you out of the main story we hurtle headfirst to the conclusion, an epic battle of almost unbelievable proportions, the sense of scale hard to comprehend as armies of silver and blue clash in a sea of yellow flowers. By the time the films grinds to its conclusion nobody is spared, the secrets are let loose and yet the blood is tidied away, a potent metaphor for how Zhang sees China the superpower.

Despite the flaws and familiar feel to elements of the film this is still a great film Visually without peer and engrossing and well acted this is a fascinating look into an ancient time and while it may not be as engaging or dramatic as Zhang’s other films it is still worth watching and a real treat for your eyes.

Extravagant, excessive and stunning to look at the slightly stodgy first half is opposed by a brutal and action packed ending. Less engrossing but every bit as stunning to look at as Zhang’s previous films this remains a mark above his many imitators.