Film Review

09 January 2009 12:35 BST

Curse of the Golden Flower

Directed by Yimou Zhang, out April 13th at cinemas, starring Chow-Yun Fat, Gong Li, Jay Chou, running time 114 mins.

In a nutshell…
Visually wondrous Chinese soap opera

What's it all about?

Amidst the demise of the Tang Dynasty of 10th Century China, the return of a prodigal prince sparks a conflict between the Emperor (Chow Yun-Fat), and his consort (Gong Li), with their sons compelled to choose between their domineering father and impetuous mother. A ponderous opening of courtly deception, incest and simmering tension builds to a breathless climax, with the lavish visuals of its supposed predecessors, Hero and House of the Flying Daggers, reaching staggering new heights.

Who's in it?
In an atypical turn, Chow Yun-Fat brings admirable Shakespearean depth to a potentially formulaic role, but it's the performance of Gong Li that makes palatable the more melodramatic scenes. With the same ballsy intensity that allowed her to steal every scene in the frequently plodding Miami Vice, Li is mesmerising, even in an easily unsympathetic part. Jay Chou also provides sterling support as the conflicted Prince Jai, provoking support in the climactic battle even with the audience undecided as to the merits of his mission.

As an example…

"What I do not give to you, you must never take by force" – Chow Yun Fat's Emperor outlines the strict doctrines of his patriarchal regime.

Likelihood of a trip to the Oscars

With style very much superseding substance, the sumptuous visuals predictably garnered a nomination for Best Achievement in Costume Design, only for Chung Man Yee to lose out to Sofia Coppola's punky Marie Antoinette, (though it did win the Period award at the Costume Designers Guild Awards).

What the others say

"The film remains a high-budget soap opera that leaves us too much time to admire luscious visuals that can seem almost ludicrously camp" – The Times.

"In the end, Curse also looks alarmingly like a dry run for the opening and closing ceremonies Zhang has been hired to direct for the Beijing Olympic Games in 2008" – David Chute, LA Weekly.

So is it any good?

The action is undeniably thrilling and the production design on a par with its captivating predecessors, yet it remains a fairly hollow experience. The melodrama reaches repeatedly laughable heights, and there's a nagging sense that the conflict between Fat and Li is played out like the decades-old hatred of American WASPs bickering over the beef bourguignon.

Though the cinematography is as impressive as you'd expect of the most expensive Chinese film ever produced, it stumbles at the same hurdle as the rest of its genre – an inability to emotionally engage Western viewers. Then again, maybe it's harsh to criticise the dramatic aspects of a film that consistently provides exuberant thrills and never fails to remain aesthetically fantastic, even in its slowest moments

7/10

Lewis Bazley

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