Curse of the Golden Flower -
 "Click to view larger image")
In the spirit of such landmark Asian films as Akira Kurosawa’s RAN from Japan and Zhang Yimou’s own HERO and HOUSE OF FLYING DAGGERS, CURSE OF THE GOLDEN FLOWER promises to be Zhang Yimou’s most colorful and biggest production to date, fusing high drama and romantic intrigue with the best of contemporary martial arts.
China, Later Tang Dynasty, 10th Century.
On the eve of the Chong Yang Festival, golden flowers fill the Imperial Palace. The
EMPEROR (Chow Yun Fat) returns unexpectedly with his second son, PRINCE JAI (Jay
Chou). His pretext is to celebrate the holiday with his family, but given the
chilled relations between the Emperor and the ailing EMPRESS (Gong Li), this seems
disingenuous.
For many years, the Empress and CROWN PRINCE WAN (Liu Ye), her stepson, have had an illicit liaison. Feeling trapped, Prince Wan dreams of escaping the palace with his
secret love CHAN (Li Man), the Imperial Doctor’s daughter.
Meanwhile, Prince Jai, the faithful son, grows worried over the Empress’s health and
her obsession with golden chrysanthemums. Could she be headed down an ominous
path?
The Emperor harbors equally clandestine plans; the IMPERIAL DOCTOR (Ni Dahong) is
the only one privy to his machinations. When the Emperor senses a looming threat,
he relocates the doctor’s family from the Palace to a remote area.
While they are en route, mysterious assassins attack them. Chan and her mother,
JIANG SHI (Chen Jin) are forced back to the palace. Their return sets off a
tumultuous sequence of dark surprises.
Amid the glamour and grandeur of the festival, ugly secrets are revealed. As the
Imperial Family continues its elaborate charade in a palatial setting, thousands of
golden armored warriors charge the palace. Who is behind this brutal rebellion?
Where do Prince Jai’s loyalties lie? Between love and desire, is there a final
winner?
Against a moonlit night, thousands of chrysanthemum blossoms are trampled as blood
spills across the Imperial Palace.
Movie information
| Release Date (USA): | 2006-12-22 |
| Rating (USA): | R |
| Release Date (UK): | 2007-04-13 |
| Rating (UK) : | 15 |
| Director: | Yimou Zhang |
| Producer: | William Kong;Weiping Zhang;Yimou Zhang |
| Studio: | Sony Pictures Classics |
| Writer/s: | Yimou Zhang;Yu Cao (play) |
Cast
| Chow Yun Fat | |
| Gong Li |
Merchandise
 |
 |
