The Curse of the Golden Flower

[The Willow Sword]

So what is the dilly on this New chow yun fat flick? I saw the trailer for it when i went to see fearless. It looks really really good.

Any info about this one from the KFM Peeps? Gene? Design Sifu? anyone?


Peace,TWS

[Li Kao]

Well, the original title was called The City of Golden Armor, but they renamed it for the American market. It's the next big wuxia film by Zhang Yimou, whose last two movies were Hero and House of Flying Daggers.
Chow Yun-Fat plays the emperor and Gong Li will be the empress. I believe the crux of the story will involve the power struggle between the emperor, empress, and the 3 princes, so expect alot of political powerbrokering and backstabbing, intermingled with some romance and mystery. I think this one will have some great action/martial arts sequences but a more interesting and intriguing plot than Hero and House of Flying Daggers.

You can view a different trailer than the teaser one playing before Fearless at this website. http://www.sonyclassics.com/curseofthegoldenflower/

The set photos have looked magnificient -- Zhang built replicas of the Forbidden City and the Hall of Supreme Harmony and the imperial palace was decorated with an ungodly amount of fake chrysanthemum flowers -- much like all of his movies, expect vivid use of colors (golden, primarily, in this case) to help convey the mood. I'm sure it will be visually stunning from what I've seen. There should be a few large-scale battles as well which look amazing -- apparently they built 20,000 suits of armor to be used in filming.

The action choreographer is the legendary Ching Siu-Tung, who worked on Zhang's last 2 films as well as with Tsui Hark, Stephen Chow, and Wong Jing. His list of credits include: Shaolin Soccer, Duel to the Death (that awesome Japanese vs. Chinese swordfighting oldie), the Duel (the recent one with Andy Lau), The Heroic Trio (with Michelle Yeoh, Maggie Cheung, and Anita Mui), City Hunter, Butterfly Sword (with Donnie Yen), Swordsman I and II, John Woo's The Killer, A Chinese Ghost Story, Dragon Inn, etc., etc. He even had a small acting role in the seminal 1966 King Hu movie Come Drink With Me when he was 13 years old! Sorry, I got a lil carried away there, but this guy is a true legend to me, and along with Yuen Woo Ping are the undisputed masters of recent Hong Kong fight choreagraphy. I'm expecting more good stuff from him ...

I can't wait to see the Fatman again in a period piece -- and I'm digging the salt-and-pepper beard he's sporting in this one. Gong Li looks to be as sultry and seductive as usual. One of the princes will be played by Jay Chou, who debuted last year in the live version of Japanese comic series Initial D.

Also, Zhang is introducing a new cutie, fresh out of the Beijing Drama Academy (where both Gong Li and Zhang Ziyi attended). Her name is Li Man and she is 17 -- perhaps she'll be the next young Chinese star ala Zhang Ziyi? (you heard it here first). Zhang does have a knack for plucking out unknown new actresses and catapulting them into instant superstars. Her character will fall in love with the eldest prince.

This is definitely one that I will resist seeking out in VCD/bootleg form -- I want my first viewing to be at the theater, so I can appreciate it.

[Li Kao]

According to sina.com.cn:

The Chinese press reports that, according to an insider, Zhang Yimou's third period epic Curse of the Golden Flower has been officially selected by the authority to compete for the Best Foreign Language award of next year's Oscar. The anonymous insider claimed that some good words of mouth from people who saw the film actually helped the film to get the nomination. A few other titles were also up to the nomination but were not strong enough to defeat Golden Flower. The Banquet, Feng Xiaogang's Hamlet inspired historically drama, which has a story setup very similar to that of Golden Flower, received mixed/negative reviews both at home and overseas; The Road, Zhang Jiarui's drama about a bus drive and a ticket-seller's friendship / love story in the 1960/70's, also failed to draw a strong support; and the production studio of Curiosity Kills the Cat, a modern day urban psychological thriller by Zhang Yibao, basically used the bidding for the nomination as a publicity stunt for the low budget flick, which will open next month in China.



During the past two decades, more than half dozen movies by Zhang Yimou were sent to bid for the award. Three of them made to the final round, Judou, Raise the Red Lanterns and Hero, but Zhang had never won once. Curse of the Golden Flower will be released this December in Asia and in North America, by Sony Pictures Classics

[GeneChing]

All that I might add is that it's scheduled for a limited U.S. release on Dec 22. That's deep in the holiday rush. If it does well, a later wider release may happen, akin to the way Hero was marketed.

We'll have more for you when it gets closer.

[jethro]

Well if it is Zhang Zimou's next big Wuxia epic then it had better have a wider release. There is a big difference between his movies and other action movies.

[The Willow Sword]

Thanks for the info. i like the trailers, both of them. i need to keep an eye out for a sneak preview viewing as they do that very often here in Austin.

TWS

[jethro]

The helmets and armor look really cool.

[@PLUGO]

Just thought I'd bump this up as the trailers (http://comingsoon.net/films.php?id=14526) are poping up on DVD new releases this month.

[Asian49ers]

Not sure if anyone cares, here is the music video for the movie.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PiO3DD-iTjQ

[GeneChing]

China director's "eye-popping" scenes arouse debate
Wed Dec 20, 3:43 AM ET (http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20061220/en_nm/china_curse_dc)

BEIJING (Reuters) - Chinese director Zhang Yimou's latest martial arts blockbuster "Curse of the Golden Flower" has been nicknamed "Curse of the Golden Corset" by the country's Internet users transfixed by the actresses' bodice-ripping gowns.

The $45 million epic set in the Tang dynasty features bloody battles, ornate sets and an "eye-popping" role from Gong Li, "whose breasts are so tightly wrapped that they appear ready to pop out of her costume," Xinhua news agency said on Thursday.

"What I remember is not the fighting scenes or the acting, but the shiny white flesh," Xinhua quoted Internet surfer "Bond" as saying in a personal review.

The term used for "golden flower" sounds similar to "golden corset" in Mandarin, though the Chinese characters are different.

An online video parodying "Curse" had cast Oscar-nominated Zhang as the principal of a breast enlargement school, Xinhua said.

Actress Gong defended the skimpy costumes as modeled on Tang dynasty fashions.

"They show the beauty of a woman's curves. There was no feeling of awkwardness or danger for us wearing the costumes," she said.

"Curse" had set a new opening-weekend box office record in China, and had grossed 96 million yuan ($12.28 million) in its first three days, Xinhua said.

($1=7.818 Yuan)

An Ugly Bruce Lee patch to whoever can post a link to that online video parody....;)

[jethro]

I hate to admit it but Gong Li's breasts are the thing that look most appealing in the film to me. Maybe it will be as good as Hero and HOFD but I know already know it will be better in one way, for me at least. :D

[GeneChing]

Check out our e-zine review CURSE OF THE GOLDEN FLOWER - Mum's the Word (http://ezine.kungfumagazine.com/ezine/article.php?article=691) by Dr. Craig D. Reid

[lunghushan]

Crouching Tiger was directed by Ang Lee who despite being Asian has directed quite a few Western films.

IMHO the other films since that have tried to recreate that success either didn't have a good story, or good production values, or were a bit too focused on style (like Hero).

Maybe they should focus on the type of movie they're trying to make and make it more palatable to a Western audience if they want more success.

[Li Kao]

Hmm well I have enjoyed all of the recent wuxia movies coming out of China in the last few years ... Crouching Tiger certainly opened up the door for more movies of that style. Of course the genre of wuxia has been around for a long time -- see http://www.kungfucinema.com/categories/wuxiapien.htm for a brief timeline. It's hard to pinpoint exactly why Crouching Tiger enjoyed the success it did -- there were several reasons in my opinion. First, Ang Lee had gotten a foothold in Hollywood and his name wasn't unfamiliar. Not that his early Hollywood films were blockbusters, but Sense and Sensibility had garnered an Oscar, so he already had some credibility with American film. Secondly, Yuen Woo Ping did a great job with the action sequences and there is no question the movie was a visual treat. Yuen Woo Ping was also coming off of the success of the Matrix, so there was a certain buzz associated with him as well. Another factor -- the actors and actresses. Chow Yun Fat and Michelle Yeoh were both superstars in Hong Kong, though when Crouching Tiger came out, they too had already made some mainstream Hollywood movies. Michelle Yeoh had her big introduction to Hollywood a few years earlier in the coveted role as a Bond girl. Chow Yun Fat's first 2 forrays in American cinema, The Replacement Killers and The Corruptor were not exactly triumphs, though his next, Anna and the King fared better. Zhang ZiYi was a newcomer, though her performance justly helped make her a star as well. Finally, Crouching Tiger had an intriguing story (thanks to Du Lu Wang's excellent source material).

I would agree the recent wuxia movies haven't quite reached the mark set by Crouching Tiger, and none may ever have the same amount of success, but I know Zhang Yimou has still made a decent profit from his last films -- they are definitely not flops in a financial sense. And I'm hoping that more and more directors keep trying their hand at this type of film. I still love my old school, Shaw Brothers style movies but I think the wuxia films are great too.

I think Curse of the Golden Flower may just be the best of Zhang's recent trio of wuxia films -- and heck, even if the story ends up being a bore, we still have Gong Li's barely-contained bosom to look at :D

[jethro]

CAN'T WAIT TO SEE THIS!!!! Especially after just seeing The Promise which was about as bad as it gets.

[lunghushan]

CAN'T WAIT TO SEE THIS!!!! Especially after just seeing The Promise which was about as bad as it gets.

Yeah, I rented the Promise last night. Not sure what to say about that except that I fast-forwarded from about 30 minutes into it to the end.

It reminded me a little bit too much of those Saturday morning kung fu movies where they fight with scarves and jump into the air about 5 feet and then glide like 100 feet towards their opponents, all the while doing wavy hand movements.

[oasis]

as expected, the cinematography was stunning. loved the colors. fight scenes were limited but powerful. the elite emperor guards were an interesting touch...almost came off as demons.

very interesting and indeed twisted story.

this is definitely one to see on the big screen, especially to see the grandour of the forbidden city

[unkokusai]

Zhang does have a knack for plucking out unknown new actresses and catapulting them into instant superstars.

And catapulting them into his bed! :cool:

[lunghushan]

And catapulting them into his bed! :cool:

That's just the price of stardom.

[Jimbo]

I saw it yesterday. I loved the sets and the cinematography. Gong Li is still a hottie. The final battle scenes were reminiscent of Hero, only on a wider scale, perhaps. The soldiers and ninjas came off almost monster or zombie-like.

It was interesting to see Chow Yun-Fat play the villain, which he did a good job at. It's interesting, under the circumstances of the story, how even such a huge palace can begin to feel claustrophobic to the characters.

[unkokusai]

That's just the price of stardom.

No its not.

[jethro]

I thought this was a very good movie throughout. Extremely boring but picks up 30 minutes or so in. Chow Yun-Fat puts on a great performance. Gong Li is easily on his leve of acting. The princes were fine.

My main problem was how this movie just remained to be slightly above average all the way through. I liked the short duel between father and son at the start but the final battle sequences weren't needed. They could have just continued making this a real movie instead of the fantasy it became. While the story holds you until the end, the editing had major issues. At one moment they show the gold armoured troops running towards the gate, they cut to the emporer for a 5-10 minute scene and then cut back to the troops running. I had long forgotten that they were running and figured the battle would have been over. I could go on and on about how average this movie was but maybe it is just because I am comparing this to the director's last 2 martial arts masterpieces.

The sets were great, Chow and Gong were perfect in every facial expression they made, but the only thing that lived up to Hero and HOFD was the music and not even that was as good. The end left me with a bit to think about I guess but overall I am dissapointed.

[5Animals1Path]

The belt scene in the middle of the battle was hilarious. Probably unitentionally so, but still funny.

[Li Kao]

My review is pretty much the same as Jethro's -- enjoyable movie but not as endearing as I had hoped. Certainly can't fault the actors -- Chow Yun Fat was awesome as per usual (I loved the scene where he shrugged off the armor and later when he let his hair down). Gong Li was impressive (as were here "assets" which were featured quite prominently -- I have to admit, it gave you something to drool over, err, I mean look at during the slower parts). I liked the battle scenes though there were several sequences where the CGI was rather obvious.

Jethro -- I know what you mean about the troops that seemed to be running forever -- though if you've ever been to the Forbidden Palace and felt the immensity of it, it seems a little more believable. I don't know how to state this the right way, but the movie was perhaps a little "too epic" at times -- too many shots of throngs of soldiers, endless layers of flowers, etc. It was overdone in that respect just a bit -- perhaps it was because of the camera shots.

Regarding the story, I found it rather similiar to the Banquet: a royal family all battling for power, each plotting behind eachother's backs and testing loyalties, the love triangles and secret affairs, even the whole incest thing. A very morbid kind of story if you think of it, with some rather cold, calculating characters whom it was hard to feel much sympathy for.

Overall -- I did like the movie but it was probably my least favorite of Yimou's last few films, despite the stellar acting. It definitely was the least action-oriented of his latest, as this one was mainly about imperial power-brokering and family treachery/dysfunction.

[Li Kao]

The belt scene in the middle of the battle was hilarious. Probably unitentionally so, but still funny.

I was amused by this initially too -- in the same way I was in CTHD when Chow Yun Fat dismantled Zhang Ziyi and took the Green Destiny from her with his bare hands. Of course, the way the scene ended was more disturbing than funny ...

[jethro]

I think there have been a couple spoilers in this thread but nothign that you couldn't forget about and still be able to watch the movie without really knowing anything going into it. The thing that made me mad was how they give us that awesome action sequence with Chow at the beginning and then there is literally nothign that can come close to matchign it. I thought the action sequences during the middle of the film were good enough to help the story along and like I said before, the movie would have been fine without the action at the end and it should have just focused on the story. Instead it seems like it was a sudden rush for Zhang Zimou to come up with somethign that would top the action sequences from Hero and HOFD combined. What happens is a bunch of mush and the CGI with the spears hitting the shields was probably the coolest thign about it. Again it could be that that it just didn't come close to living up to his last 2 movies but this was a dissapointment that I don't even think I will rent when it comes on DVD. I may watch it on TBS. :D

Also I forgot to comment on Gong Li and the other leading lady's assests. NICE!!!

And the belt scene I thought was very funny. In particular the part where the young man has this speech about how his ******* was cheating with Gong Li and he had to, well you know, he did something in the final scene with his father near by They set this scene up with a few great shots of the young man earlier in the movie but then they just go into excess in everything with this final scene and it is just another part that helped to ruin the movie for me.

I don't mind dark and cold movies and I actualy tend to watch more of them. This movie could have been so much better. I have to say that I loved the touch with the flowers but I think that you summed it up best Li Kao that this movie tried to be too epic.

One more thing. I have never seen a Chinese movie where the emporer is basically the main character. Are there other movies like this that go this deeply into actually focusing on the emperor himself? It almost seems forbidden in a Chinese movie to have the emperor focused on as such a main character.

[Li Kao]

One more thing. I have never seen a Chinese movie where the emporer is basically the main character. Are there other movies like this that go this deeply into actually focusing on the emperor himself? It almost seems forbidden in a Chinese movie to have the emperor focused on as such a main character.

Have you seen the 1987 movie The Last Emperor? It was done in 1987 and was directed by noted Italian director Bernardo Bertolucci. It is more of a history piece, but a very fascinating story. It traces the end of the Manchu Dynasty in China. The movie is basically the life story of Pu Yi, who became the Emperor of China in 1908 at the tender age of 3 :eek: following the death of his aunt, the Empress Dowager. His formative years spent in the Forbidden City are given much attention. Eventually, China is becoming a Republic and he is forced to leave the Forbidden City and becomes a "puppet" emperor in another province. He ends up being used/exploited by the Japanese during their invasion, and sadly ends up being branded a traitor and captive by the Communist party for a decade. The irony in the end is that when he looks back on his life, he comes to the realization that he has been a captive his entire life.

This movie had some great cinematography and probably the best footage in a cinematic movie of the Forbidden City. It won a slew of Oscars (including Best Picture) and other film awards. Look for appearances by Cary Tagawa, the always stunning Vivian Wu, and Dennis Dun (Wang from Big Trouble in Little China. One small warning: this movie is almost 3 hours long, and they have a director's cut that clocks in at about 4 hours as well, so if you plan to check it out, make sure you have plenty of popcorn at the ready before you settle in. It's not a particularly engaging kind of movie, but it paints a very interesting story with some fascinating history mixed in and that makes it worth watching in my eyes.

[GeneChing]

Naturally, I have my browser set to our homepage (http://www.kungfumagazine.com) so for the past few weeks, I've been greeting by that bodacious thumbnail pic of Gong Li (http://ezine.kungfumagazine.com/ezine/article.php?article=691), with her womanhood bursting from her costume, precariously perched on a shelf, looking like they were about to get into a fist fight. That was a refreshing change from our typical e-zine thumbnails. Now it's Avatar (http://ezine.kungfumagazine.com/ezine/article.php?article=692), looking all all bug-eyed, like cartoons often do, and dear Gong Li has dropped below the opening screen, so I have to scroll down if I'm to enjoy her remarkable pushed-up cleavage.

Hey, wait just a minute. What's Avatar looking at? :rolleyes:

[@PLUGO]

after seeing this flick with some accupuncturist friends who loved the scenes with the apothecary, I can't help but recall the various bits of chuckling the occured every time one of those bodacious women ran down the halls bouncing. There where enough scenes like that to merrit a drinking game.

[jethro]

Naturally, I have my browser set to our homepage (http://www.kungfumagazine.com) so for the past few weeks, I've been greeting by that bodacious thumbnail pic of Gong Li (http://ezine.kungfumagazine.com/ezine/article.php?article=691), with her womanhood bursting from her costume, precariously perched on a shelf, looking like they were about to get into a fist fight. That was a refreshing change from our typical e-zine thumbnails. Now it's Avatar (http://ezine.kungfumagazine.com/ezine/article.php?article=692), looking all all bug-eyed, like cartoons often do, and dear Gong Li has dropped below the opening screen, so I have to scroll down if I'm to enjoy her remarkable pushed-up cleavage.

Hey, wait just a minute. What's Avatar looking at? :rolleyes:

I don't know what Avatar is looking at but it is clear as day where the arrow on his head is pointing. It's saying "hey little kids, looky here".

[NJM]

I didn't care for House of the Flying Daggers, but I expect good things from this new movie.

[jethro]

It is not near as good as Hero and not even as good as House of Flying Daggers. If you go into it with low expectations you may like it.

[Jimbo]

Of the three, I think House of Flying Daggers is the best one. (That pond fight in Hero swayed me toward HOFD).

[jethro]

A lot of people hate HOFD and I still can't understand it but anyway, the way the story was done in Hero is the main reason I liked it more then HOFD. The movies are pretty equal to me but HOFD gets points for having more grounded action and I then liked how Hero tried to make every scene the greatest thing ever and succeeded. I also have to say that for me the pond scene in Hero was possibly the most beautiful scene ever. Top 10 fav movie of all time for me.