Review of Curse of the Golden Flower (2006) by Ryan H — 10 Aug 2008

If nothing else, this film is an absolutely astonishing visual experience. The ornate detail and lavish beauty of imperial China's royal family is portrayed in a stunning and magnificent way. Almost every frame of this film could be considered a work of fine art.

In addition to this, throw in an original and captivating plot that could be described as Shakespearian in it's complexity. Deception, murder, scandalous affairs and secrets abound. Chow Yun-Fat gives an excellent performance as the villainous Emperor and all-knowing father figure who is attempting to slowly poison his wife as revenge for an affair with her step-son, the crown prince.

Since the setting is in ancient imperial China, of course there are ninja's, kung foo, and an excellent climactic epic battle scene, all of which are quite entertaining. My only complaint was with the dubbed voice acting which, as usual, was sub-par.

If you have a choice, I would recommend watching the sub-titled version. Even if it is in a foreign language, the original actors almost always give a better performance in these types of films. Either way though, this epic and extravagant film is not be missed.