Curse of the Golden Flower

This new Chinese blockbuster film nominated for Oscars has been discussed by almost everyone in Beijing. Critics differ in opinion; for foreigners it is hard to understand all nuances and the full background. Cinemas in Beijing (only multiplexes exist) are very expensive (around 80 yuan or more) and usually companies give employees free tickets, that's how most people get to see this film in the cinema... (In provinces it is much cheaper of course, and DVDs are just 8 yuan.. and, yes, of course this one is already available..) My colleague Lois took me to the cinema and whispered tiny details during the show. So helpful! Below follows background info for the film provided by another colleague, Annie, somewhere from the internet. Enjoy reading and the film!

This movie's rough storyline was based on Cao Yu's Thunderstorm. Cao Yu (1910-1996) is a renowned modern Chinese dramatist who is regarded as "the Shakespeare of China". If modern Chinese drama has come of age in the 1930s, then Cao Yu and his dramatic trilogy of Thunderstorm, Sunrise and The Wilderness are a hallmark of this maturity. Rich in implications and excellent in techniques, these dramatic works are regarded as the classics of modern Chinese drama. Just before graduation in 1933 when Cao Yu was only 23 years old, he finished his virgin play Thunderstorm, to be followed up by Sunrise (1936) and The Wilderness (1937).

Although the original Thunderstorm was set in a declining feudal-capitalistic family in the 30's of Chinese high society, the adaptation of the original storyline to the decadent Late Tang Dynasty setting is a job well-done. Indeed, moving the setting to the Forbidden Palace raises the intensity of tragedy and struggle exponetially, while naturally blending in stunning visuals and painstaking detailing of the historically accurate scenes of royal life.

After impacting audiences world wide with heart-breaking love stories (Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon) and impeccable martial arts and grand courage of historical Heros, Director Zhang Yimou turned dark in Curse of the Golden Flower. The characters are more 3D and complicated, the desire runs deep--no love but lust; no vision for the common good but personal goals; no promise and no hope. The decadent palace, luscious flesh and gorgeous pure gold jewelry contrast the darkness of human reality--everyone is for their desire and the result is a monstrous machine called "the Empire". Every frame is a master piece oil painting. A haunting, heart-twisting master piece.

Below is a brief introduction for the drama Thunderstorm, which the film Curse of the Golden Flower used for reference:
*Thunderstorm, The*/(Leiyu,1934)/---Written by Cao Yu, this full-length modern drama features the complicated relationships among the members and servants of a large well-off family and the family disintegration as a result of the morbidity and corruption in old China. A son of a wealthy family, Zhou Puyuan, has an affair with the family maid, Shipping, and she bears two sons. After he marries a wealthy woman he keeps the eldest son and drives Shipping away with the youngest. Shipping marries a butler, Lu Gui, and they have a daughter , Sifeng. An entangled family history is played out in what turns out to be a tragic ending. The play was first premiered in the 1930s in Chongqing, but was later presented in Beijing in 1954 by the Beijing People's Art Theater and then staged in Shanghai in 1959 by the Shanghai People's Art Theater. It is in the repertoire of both Theaters. The play has been also adapted into a film with the same name twice, and performed as a ballet by the Shanghai Ballet Troupe in 1983. Playwright: Cao Yu; directors: Xia Chun (Beijing) and Wu Renzhi (Shanghai).