curse of the golden flower Photo

Curse of the Golden Flower

Starring: Chow Yun Fat, Gong Li

Directed by: Zhang Yimou

RS: 3.5of 4 Stars

There's a Chinese proverb that sums up director Yimou Zhang's visual masterpiece: gold and jade on the outside, rot and decay within. That's life in China's Forbiden city for the royal family; a place where the emperor (Chow Yun Fat) and his empress, Phoenix (Gong Li) intrigue against one another, in a bloody family feud. There's terrible secrets, scheming princes and some of the epic battles. The set is so damn spectacular and the supersaturated colors so vibrant that you'll wish these characters could have stopped all the bloodshed and just smelled the roses.