Review of Curse of the Golden Flower (2006) by Keenan S — 05 Apr 2014

Yimou Zhang made a splash in cinema with his superb martial arts films Hero and House Of Flying Daggers. Naturally, after such critical successes and overall success as a film-maker, it was only natural for him to go a grander, more epic scope for his next martial arts film.

However, this film seemed to disappoint many people despite overall decent reception from critics and moviegoers. There were many critics and moviegoers who decried the film as melodramatic, too self indulgent, too excessive in its art style, and also said that it felt too much like a soap opera.

Going into this film, I figured that I would probably enjoy, though I also figured it wouldn't be nearly as good as Hero or House Of Flying Daggers, but I was dead wrong with that thought. I feel that this film is a tremendous triumph for Zhang and I adored every minute of this glorious martial arts epic and drama.

The sheer scope of the film alone is breath-taking, even when you simply look at the set pieces which are stunning and beautiful to look at, but this film is so much more than just some pretty film with the occasional martial arts fight, it is a grand drama with an engaging story that is filled with romance, betrayal, greed, a hunger for power, loss, and sadness.

The plot follows a royal family in which the Emperor is secretly poisoning the empress, three sons vying for rule over the empire, secret romances between Jai and a servant girl, Jai also had a secret relationship with his stepmother, and so much more. The film follows the various characters and their eventual downfall at the hands of their own deeds.

The film feels like a brilliant blend of Shakespearan tragedy, Chinese culture, fantasy, and thrilling martial arts fights all woven together in the form of an opulent, luxurious, engaging, and tremendous film epic that had me gripped from beginning to end. It's a thunderous triumph for the director and one of the most underrated martial arts films of all time. It's one of the greatest martial arts films I've ever seen and I can't recommend it enough to anyone who loves a good epic.