Curse of the Golden Flower

Starring Chow Yun Fat and Gong Li, Director Yimou Zhang's (Hero, House of the Flying Daggers) latest Chinese epic centers around the Tang dynasty during the 10th century. The takes place, for the most part, behind the walls of the Forbidden City, and centers around the family and political strife of the time. The Emperor (Fat) and the Empress (Li) are not getting along, to put it mildly. Its pretty complicated, but lets just say it involves incest, treachery, deceit, and treason. The Emporer has three sons, and everyone is wondering who will be the heir to the throne. At the same time, the household is preparing for the Chong Yang Festival, and the palace is filled with golden flowers. Meanwhile, the Empress is ill and is being poisoned by the Emperor. But why? How will she react? What will the sons do when they are confronted with this familial dispute? And there are some totally sweet ninjas in it (I don't know if ninja is the right term, since ninjas are Japanese, but hey).

Curse of the Golden Flower is opulent, elegant, and extravagant; an absolute visual wonder to behold. The ornate complexities of the Imperial Palace are stunning. The grandeur of the armies assembling in the courtyard is breathtaking. Ok, I will stop with all the adjectives, but trust me, it looks amazing. There is less action in Golden Flower than in past Zhang films, like Hero, but the building tension and excitement is palpable. The strong use of color, a Zhang trademark, is present throughout the film (especially gold).

The central theme/question of the film is this: "Where does your loyalty lie, with your family or with your nation?" What is loyalty? In our present day and age, do we value loyalty? Do we even know what it is? Are we loyal to our churches, to our neighborhoods, to our states, to our football teams, to our families? When is loyalty good; when is it too much? Does family trump everything? Even if it means an entire nation has to suffer (in the film, the family "represents" all of China. Thus, their decisions affect much more than just themselves)? What is the responsibility of a leader? They are not allowed to make decisions for just themselves. Many decisions they make affect the whole country. I believe that translates to our "regular" lives too, as parents, husbands, children, friends, etc. As John Donne said "No man is an island." We have to realize that the decisions we make affect others, and we need to understand the responsibilities that come with all the roles we have in our lives. Where does your loyalty lie? What are your responsibilities, and how do they affect others?

Curse of the Golden Flower is a beautiful Chinese meditation on loyalty, family, and responsibility. The lives of a few can drastically alter the lives of many.