“The Curse of the Golden Flower” melds Shakespearean-style tragedy with elegant martial arts, beautiful actors and extravagant sets and costumes. The result is Dynasty, Chinese-style, which is not at all a bad thing.
Set during the late Tang Dynasty, the movie focuses on the decaying marriage of a cruel Emperor (Chow Yun Fat) and his moody and secretive wife (Gong Li) and the power struggle between them as each plots the other’s complete destruction. The family dysfunction also extends to their three sons who are pitted against each other and their parents in a Confucian battle of filial piety and brotherly rivalry that can only end in blood.
Even though the story is reminiscent of a TV soap opera replete with passionate affairs, betrayals and revenge, it’s elevated by the strong performances of both Chow Yun Fat and Gong Li. Mr. Chow delivers a performance of controlled and fierce intensity and is complemented by the inspiring Ms. Gong who fully embodies a woman struggling under the weight of oppression.
The production design is impressive, featuring a bright palette of reds and yellows. Its flamboyant excess serves to underscore the oppressiveness of the Empress’ plight as she struggles to free herself from the gilded cage. And the contrast between the external beauty of the palace and the inner darkness of the characters is startling.
Martial arts enthusiasts may be somewhat disappointed as the action sequences are not as viscerally thrilling as in Mr. Zhang’s “Hero” and “House of Flying Daggers”. The final battle scene featuring a wave of gold and black clothed soldiers trampling through endless fields of bright yellow chrysanthemum flowers is breathtaking.
Most of Mr. Zhang’s films have featured subtle critiques of traditional Confucian customs and “The Curse of the Golden Flower” continues this tradition. By focusing his lens on the imperial family and the Confucian code that it symbolizes, Mr. Zhang crafts a tragic tale of a woman driven to the brink of madness by the absolute power wielded by a man.
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