By Andrew Lovdahl
Gargoyle staff reporter
Posted Tuesday, April 3, 2007, The OG, arts

BEFORE WATCHING “The Curse of the Golden Flower,” one has every right to expect a magnificent film experience.

Director Zhang Yimou (the creator of “Hero,” which was nothing short of a masterpiece, and “The House of Flying Daggers,” a somewhat shallow but enjoyable and fulfilling film) has a considerable amount of resources at his disposal.

There's an extensive, talented cast led by Chow-Yun Fat and Gong Li; a promising storyline featuring deception, intricate plot developments, familial obligations, martial arts action, and even more deception; not to mention a $45 million budget, an unprecedented figure in Chinese cinema.

However, while this film has its redeeming moments, it ultimately falls short of expectations.

The time is 928 CE, during China's Tang Dynasty. Historically, this was during a chaotic period of wars and power struggles, but the film does not contain significant allusions to actual events. Almost the entire movie is set in the Forbidden City, completely isolated from reality.

One of the most apparent themes of the earlier portion of the film is repetition. In the opening scenes, young female servants prepare for the day in perfect unison; every two hours, palace staff march through the halls, shouting the time, reciting a proverb, and perhaps relating some exciting development (e.g., “the day breaks”).

The five members of the royal family are introduced one by one, gradually painting a picture of dysfunction that would put the Simpsons to shame. They are:

Empress Phoenix (Gong Li, known to Westerners for her role in “Memoirs of a Geisha”), a dignified, dedicated woman who has of late become distant and sickly. It becomes clear that her husband has been poisoning her for reasons unknown.

Prince Wan (Liu Ye), the emperor's eldest son and reluctant heir to the throne who wants to escape the palace and see the world for himself. His mother, according to his father, died soon after Wan's birth. Wan has engaged in a secret affair with his stepmother, the empress, for three years, but this appears to be coming to a close at the beginning of the movie; he is at that time involved with Chan (Li Man), the young daughter of the royal physician (Ni Dahong).

Prince Jai (Jay Chou, a popular Taiwanese singer and actor), who gives his father the utmost respect and his mother the utmost love and concern. His skill as a soldier is unparalleled, save for his father's. He is generally reserved and obedient.

Prince Yu (Qin Junjie), the eager-to-please youngest son. Like a pet dog, he enthusiastically carries out whatever is requested of him, but at the slightest rejection from the emperor, his face falls and he lapses into silence. He holds back his considerable contempt for his family with tragic results.

Emperor Ping (Chow-Yun Fat, the lead actor in “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon”), a calculating leader who rarely shows emotion. Although he tells Wan that he is favorite son, he decides that Jai should be his successor. He commands respect, but when he is denied it he is infuriated.

The first half-hour or so is spent developing these characters and relationships. My favorite of these scenes was when the family sits down to dinner together and their formal conversation quickly devolves into accusations, defiance, and bickering that wouldn't be out of place in “Little Miss Sunshine.”

The plot gets kick-started, a bit jarringly, when Empress Phoenix relates to Jai her daring plans to overthrow the emperor. The family becomes increasingly paranoid, and exactly what everyone knows about the various awful secrets gets difficult to keep straight.

Meanwhile, we learn about the true story behind Wan's mother and the identity of a mysterious spy found in the palace one night. It all builds up to the Chrysanthemum Festival, when all hell promises to break loose.

The combat scenes leave something to be desired. The most exciting one comes near the halfway mark, when black-clad assassins descend from a towering cliff edge to an inn below via primitive zip lines and meet surprising resistance from the small garrison there. This scene's appeal is due in large part to its sheer spontaneity, a quality that was a bit lacking previously.

For example, the assassins make their acrobatic descent just as a husband and wife begin a heartfelt discussion. The viewer has every reason to suspect a plot-exposition dialogue scene, but what they get is a well-choreographed battle that is stylized yet realistic, and involves some very cool weapons — long, curved swords that are attached to long tethers, giving them a range of applications, which happens to include Spidermanesque swinging through canyons and mountain passes.

If there's one aspect of the film that's immune to criticism, it's the sheer visual beauty of each and every scene. The costumes and set designs are immaculately detailed, especially the interiors of the palace. “Opulence” is the word that the cast and crew keep coming back to.

As is Zhang Yimou's custom, color theming is employed to its highest effect. If you saw “House of Flying Daggers,” you surely remember the scenes set to a solid-color background — namely, the fights in the blinding white snow and the dense bamboo forest.

In “Curse,” there's no shortage of this: the endless rows of pastel green and white in the servant's quarters, the vast rows of yellow flowers in the courtyard, and, of course, the climactic clash between an army clad entirely in chrysanthemum gold and an army wearing cold, metallic gray. To top it all off, the whole thing is mastered in high definition, so if you tire of the plot you can still simply stare at the visuals and receive satisfactory entertainment.

The special features consist of an obligatory, unremarkable making-of feature, some footage of the Los Angeles premiere, and a smattering of previews.

This film was rated R for violence alone, which was a bit of an overzealous decision by the MPAA. There is a fair amount of blood, but actual gory images are at a minimum. However, there are a few scenes that may be disturbing to viewers on a mental level, as opposed to a visual level.

Besides the unexceptional action scenes and the overly convoluted plot that too often shifts from parking to sixth gear in a matter of seconds, I have a few other complaints. Much like the conclusions to the other films I've listed so far, the ending is rather depressing, but unlike those other films, the ending is highly unsatisfying.

I won't delve into the specifics for fear of spoilers, but a bit of closure would have been appreciated. I obviously wasn't expecting that the estranged family would be happily reunited by the time the credits rolled, but there's almost nothing positive that the audience can take away. It's depressing just for the sake of being depressing.

Secondly, the movie in general takes itself too seriously. You can see the actors trying to make a great film — that's evidence that they're not. In a great film, you should be looking at the actors but seeing the characters.

“Curse of the Golden Flower” is a decent popcorn flick suited for those of you with an affinity for Chinese filmmaking and a slightly above-average attention span. For something a bit more serious, check out “Hero” or “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon.” On a highly unrelated note, Stephen Chow's “Kung Fu Hustle” would be well worth your time as well.

DVD AT A GLANCE

• Title: “Curse of the Golden Flower”
• Price: $28.95
• Rating: R for violence
• Released: March 27, 2007
• Runtime: 114 minutes
• Special features: “Secrets Within” behind-the-scenes featurette; L.A. premiere; English & French subtitles

RELATED

— The film's official site

— The film's IMDB entry