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£30m drama rich in colour
CURSE OF THE GOLDEN FLOWER
Directed by Zhang Yimou
Certificate 12a
BREATHTAKINGLY opulent, costing £30million, this is China’s most expensive film to date – and it shows.
Director Zhang Yimou, who gave us Hero and House of Flying Daggers, seems to like his epics set in the good old days, so here we are back in the 10th century with the emperor (Chow Yun-fat) returning after a three-year absence to decide who will succeed him.
They’re a rum lot, this family – dysfunctional is putting it mildly.
His estranged wife, the empress (Gong Li, now a major international star) has been sleeping with his favourite number one son, the crown prince (Liu Ye), who in turn has been bedding the royal doctor’s daughter (Li Man).
The settings are a riot of golds and reds – the emperor’s army clad in shimmering gold armour – while the climactic battle scene fought on a mass of chrysanthemums is an image that will haunt you for days.
A powerful, sumptuous melodrama, and a visual treat.
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