Zhang Yimou's last two movies that made an impression on the United States box office -- "Hero" and "House of Flying Daggers" -- introducing a cinematic style that can be defined in part by over-the-top drama, vibrant colors and in-your-face action.
His latest film, "Curse of the Golden Flower," doesn't waver from those signature styles, but adds a strong cast and a touch of sexiness.
Set in China during the 10th century, "Curse of the Golden Flower" begins as Yimou's other films, with an imperial army on the move. However, the army's not the only force mobilizing. At the imperial palace an army of worshipers and palace staff begin preparations to welcome the soldiers and Emperor Ping (Chow Yun-Fat) home.
Not all is right in the palace, an air of foreboding. Although it should be a happy homecoming for the Emperor, there's something rotten going on in the imperial palace.
Empress Phoenix (Gong Li) has been served a liquid medicine every day, every two hours for the last 10 years. For the last month, she's noticed a significant negative change in her health. She has sneaking suspicions that her husband has changed the ingredients. She hires a spy to find out the answer.
Besides failing health, the Empress has also been having an affair with her stepson, and the Emperor's first son, the Crown Prince Wan (Liu Ye), but he is about to abandon her. He's fallen in love with the Imperial Doctor's daughter and plans to run away with her.
The middle son, Prince Jai (Jay Chou), has been invited back from the frontier by his father, but his true allegiance is to his mother whom he will to anything for. The youngest son, Prince Yu (Qin Junjie), is an observer of the world around him and is usually ignored by the rest of the family.
Both the Empress and the Emperor have their own plans, vicious and deadly in their own way towards the other. It's a family separated by secrets and lies and it's only a short time before they are ripped apart for good. There are armies waiting to do their bidding and who remains alive will depend on the strength of the planning.
"Curse of the Golden Flower" goes into the torrid affairs of this imperial family in great detail. Everyone has a secret, everyone's jealous; everyone is plotting against someone else. It's an intriguing plot that's much like the wickedest soap opera, but is smart and well-executed. Really, those averse to subtitles can just watch the movie and be mesmerized by the action and beauty of the cinematography.
Yimou's world is immense and his cinematography is gorgeous, just like his other films. The imperial palace is ablaze with color -- gold being the primary color and cotton candy pinks and blues dispersed throughout -- and alive with activity while the world outside the palace walls is grey, dark and mysterious.
The palace halls are where most of the action takes place. It's a maze that all the characters traverse to get to and away from one another, while their rooms are where the secrets dwell. The Empress sits in her room frantically embroidering golden flowers on silk, the Emperor has a shrine to his late wife in his and the Crown Prince carries on his love affair with the doctor's daughter.
While the world the characters live in is great, Yimou also executes his wars on a large scale. The black guard (there are two other armies, gold and silver) wins at being the most terrifying. These are not the people you'd like to meet in an alley, although they'd probably be able to sneak up and do away with you before you could ever know. They silently make their way across the land, throwing swords like boomerangs and flying through the sky like birds of prey.
But the movie goes to the Emperor and Empress. Chow and Gong are two of the most powerful actors on screen. Chow's Emperor is quiet in his ways, knowing what's going on and being able to take care of it with a few calm words. The one time he loses control, his anger and cruelty are shocking and vile. And as the Empress, Gong is beautiful and deadly; a femme fatale for action films.
As China's official entry to the Academy Awards, "Curse of the Golden Flower" should be a strong contender in the foreign films category.
Originally from Des Plaines, Ill., Heather moved to Milwaukee to earn a B.A. in journalism from Marquette University. With a tongue-twisting last name like Leszczewicz, it's best to go into a career where people don't need to say your name often.
However, she's still sticking to some of her Illinoisan ways (she won't reform when it comes to things like pop, water fountain or ATM), though she's grown to enjoy her time in the Brew City.
Although her journalism career is still budding, Heather has had the chance for some once-in-a-lifetime interviews with celebrities like actor Vince Vaughn and actress Charlize Theron, director Cameron Crowe and singers Ben Kweller and Isaac Hanson of '90s brother boy band Hanson.
Heather's a self-proclaimed workaholic but loves her entertainment. She's a real television and movie fanatic, book nerd, music junkie, coffee addict and pop culture aficionado.
