AFI FEST

by Ari

Curse of the Golden Flower - Zhang Yimou
 
I’ve already expressed my admiration for the work of Zhang Yimou here and here. He’s one of my favorite filmmakers in the world right now, arguably the most visually assured artist working in film. In my review of House of Flying Daggers, I mentioned how his recent martial arts epics initially seemed like a complete reversal from who he was as a filmmaker. Hero and House of Flying Daggers quickly became his most successful and commercial films, widening his recognition across the globe. While both of those films still retained Zhang’s trademark sensibilities, from visual excellence to intimate drama, they still represented a new Zhang Yimou. The evolution of a filmmakers craft is what determines how pivotal and influential their contributions are to the world of film. One of the most admirable characteristics of his work is that he insists on taking new directions and trying new things with each film. Zhang’s ambition seems to be growing more and more as he continues to work, never resorting to simplicity or falling back on previous ideas.

With his unconnected martial arts trilogy, now complete with Curse of the Golden Flower, Zhang Yimou has brought forth one of the most notable accomplishments in film this decade. His trilogy represents the virtuosic and passionate craft of a filmmaker in his finest form. Another excellent and recent example of this accomplishment and vision is Chan Wook Park’s vengeance trilogy - Sympathy For Mr. Vengeance, Oldboy, and Lady Vengeance. Park’s trilogy is connected thematically, but each film strikes a different tone. This is similar to what Zhang Yimou does with his martial arts trilogy, each film telling a different story with a different style, yet developing a complete thematic whole. Curse of the Golden Flower is the grand finale of the trilogy, but also a film that separates itself from Zhang’s previous martial arts efforts. For those who feel that Raise the Red Lantern is still his masterpiece, Curse of the Golden Flower will be exceptionally pleasing. His newest feature has more in common with his earlier films than his last two martial arts epics, an exquisite piece of tone and visuals that is less about martial arts and more about character and theme. Those expecting the continuous battles of Hero and House of Flying Daggers may be disappointed by the slower, more deliberate pacing and personal drama of this picture. Curse of the Golden Flower is focused on characters first and foremost, spending a considerable amount of time establishing who they are in relation to each other and the world they inhabit. The most fascinating aspect is how careful and subtle the story is layered, building an operatic tale of palace intrigue and plotting. The narrative structure is particularly theatrical, which should be no surprise considering it’s based on a play by Yu Cao. This is old-fashioned Zhang Yimou, but with an ambition and scope unlike anything he’s ever done.

The plot concerns the royal family during the Tang dynasty. Emperor Ping (Chow Yun Fat) is poisoning his second wife, Empress Phoenix (Gong Li), by inserting a potent new ingredient into her daily medicine. This ingredient will slowly destroy the mind over the course of two years. Everyone in the palace, including their three sons, is aware of the Empress’ illness, but not the actual cause. She suffers great pain as the poison slowly takes effect, with no real understanding of how to treat it. Her son, Prince Jai (Jay Chou) is looking to become a great military leader for experience and reputation. In the first duel, he practices with his father, the more powerful and wise fighter. The Emperor defeats him easily, explaining to his son that he can never take anything by force alone. Their eldest son, Prince Wan (Liu Ye), is from another birth mother, and having a secret affair with the Empress, along with another affair with one of the palace servants (Man Li). Their youngest son is mostly dismissed as unimportant, something that irritates him greatly and eventually comes back to haunt them. Once the Empress discovers the secret behind her medicine, she persuades her eldest son to help abdicate her husband from the palace. This causes much distress between the Empress and Wan, eventually pitting husband against wife, brother against brother, father against son. Past secrets are revealed, connecting all of the characters and building to an epic climactic battle involving two massive armies. Curse of the Golden Flower is the coldest and darkest of the trilogy, delving into themes of hate, deceit, ill-fated romance, and sinister intentions. The Emperor wishes to control the Empress rather than kill her, and Zhang uses the poison as a powerful metaphor for the destruction of the family.

Curse of the Golden Flower is an intimate, personal drama interspersed with martial arts spectacle. There are two set-pieces of enormous scale, the first being a midnight attack on a small village that sees palace guards swinging through the air on ropes connected to the surrounding mountains. It’s very impressively staged, and a strong reminder that the film contains such imaginative and energetic mayhem. That being said, nothing prepares you for the fantastically mounted climactic battle. Most people will immediately think of Lord of the Rings when they see the images of two gigantic armies collide. Zhang uses CGI to enhance the size of the battle, but it’s effective CGI used in the right places. This is the most enormously staged battle sequence the genre has ever seen, and Zhang deserves applause for its vision.

Gong Li leads the magnificent cast in yet another beautiful collaboration with Zhang Yimou. His muse of many years, Li is stunning as the tortured and conniving Empress. There’s no doubt she inspires Zhang, and nobody films her like he does. The camera, simply put, loves her. Chow Yun Fat is equally good as the villainous Emperor with his imposing figure and malevolent plotting. This is his best performance in years.

Curse of the Golden Flower is a visually rich and thematically engrossing period drama, one of Zhang Yimou’s most confident and thrilling films. It comes out in limited release in December.