CURSE OF THE GOLDEN FLOWER

Director; Zhang Yimou
Starring; Chow-Yun-Fat and Li Gong
****
Opulence, Gold, and Royalty!

Set during the opulent Later Tang Dynasty's reign in 10th Century China, The Curse of the Golden Flower is the biggest epic - Chinese style - that has ever hit the screens. With extravagant sets and costumes, filmed within the Forbidden City, this richly detailed classic brings back to life the lavish and extremely flamboyant lifestyle that described the Later Tang dynasty in all its glory.



From director Zhang Yimou (House of Flying Daggers), teamed up with Li Gong (Memoirs of a Geisha/2046) as Empress Phoenix, and Chow-Yun-Fat (Pirates of the Caribbean/Bulletproof Monk) as Emperor Ping, this colourful and well drawn out drama, is pure entertainment all through.



A dysfunctional royal family, an illicit liaison, incestuous relationships and several clandestine attempts to kill and overthrow the Emperor are the plots that make up the story line. Brilliant performances by Li Gong as the Empress and Jay Chou (Prince Jai) make this movie a worth it watch.



The movie leaves you dazzled with its brilliance that cant be ignored in the larger than life cinematography, well detailed choreography and the over powering presence of Gold and The Yellow Chrysanthemums that transport you effortlessly back into that era of Royal Chinese splendour. Make sure you catch this Epic Flick if you're one of those Historical Buffs whose just dying to get more information on Chinese Royalty, but even otherwise, the film promises a well spent entertaining two hours.

This is the Historical Epic at its best.