Rating: R
Genre:
Drama
Theatrical Release: 12/22/2006(USA
Release Date: 03/27/2007
SubTitles: English/French/Por/Espanol
Dubbed: English
Run Time: 114 Minutes
Flags: Violence
Distributor/Studio: Sony Pictures
A dying love between two powerful people leads to deceit, infidelity, and conspiracy in this epic-scale
historical drama from director
Zhang Yimou. During the latter days of the Tang dynasty,
the Emperor (
Chow Yun-Fat) returns home from the war with his son
Prince Jai (
Jay Chou) in tow. However, the monarch gets a chilly reception from
the Empress (
Gong Li); though she's eager to see her son, her marriage has become deeply acrimonious, and she's taken a lover,
Crown Prince Wan (
Liu Ye), her stepson from
the Emperor's first marriage.
The Emperor, meanwhile, has his own plan for dealing with his failing marriage -- he's ordered the
Imperial Doctor (
Ni Dahong) to find an exotic drug that will drive
the Empress insane and administer it to her without her knowledge. However, the doctor's ethical dilemma is intensified by the fact his daughter
Chan (
Li Man) has fallen in love with
Crown Prince Wan and the two wish to elope. As
the Emperor and
Empress allow their estrangement to sink into violence and retribution, their youngest son,
Prince Yu (
Qin Junjie), struggles to keep the peace in the household.
Curse of the Golden Flower (aka
Man Cheng Jim Dai Huang Jin Jia) received its North American premiere at the
2006 American Film Institute Los Angeles Film Festival.
~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide