Curse Of The Golden Flower (2006)
Stars
Yun-Fat Chow, Li Gong, Jay Chou
Director
Yimou Zhang
Set in ancient China, on the eve of the Chong Young festival the Emperor (Yun-Fat Chow) returns unexpectedly to his Empress (Li Gong) and his two sons.
In his absence the kingdom has been rife with affairs, alliances, and conspiracies, all of which threaten his own power. The Emperor has secrets of his own as well, which threaten his hold over the kingdom further.
As the mistrust unravels the family, the palace is attacked by a group of myriad armoured warriors, leading up to a thrilling climax.
Martial Arts Styles Used
Kung Fu
Weapons Used
Chinese Straight Sword, Chinese Broad Sword, Curved Sword, Bow, Grappling Hook, Chinese Spear
As we have now come to expect from Yimou Zhang (who also directed Hero and House of Flying Daggers) this film is very dramatic, beautifully made and intensely colourful.
The opening scenes give you a sense of the palace atmosphere, with the 1000s of servants, beautiful colours, and "family life" of a royal family.
And the colour in this film is one of the things that will hit you most. The palace walls, furniture, costumes - all of which are very vivid and are central to the atmosphere of the film.
The fight scenes are scarce in comparison to other films with this director and cast, but are very well done when they do appear.
The climax of the film is perfectly executed by both director and actors. Yun-Chow Fat is a true great, and the way that he and Li Gong act together in this film, especially the end sequences, are exquisite.
Author: The Bear Martial Arts Team
