Curse of the Golden Flower

[dangermousie]

Just got back from The Curse of the Golden Flower which I watched with smartylibrarian.

The long write-up is coming tomorrow, because for one, I am very tired, and for another, I am still reeling, so all I will say for now is:

Wow.

I have never seen a movie this brutal, gorgeous and devastating, all at once. It's like Shakespeare tragedies through an opera lens (and the family makes Lion in the Winter family seem like the Bradies). It's beyond intense and beyond harsh and despairing, and utterly beautiful.

Oh, and Jay Chou, as the 'good' middle son, the only one with real integrity? YUM.

Comments

[plazmah.livejournal.com]

OOOOOHHH, I am so excited now! I def want to see this movie in theaters!

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

I hope you get the chance: it's gorgeous enough to really merit the big screen.

[summertea.livejournal.com]

jay chou's acting makes me laugh hysterically.

he tries SO HARD but oh god. *rolls eyes*

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

Heh. I liked him.

[summertea.livejournal.com]

i like him, really i do. i just enjoy making fun of him with equal fervor. :D

[miss-dian.livejournal.com]

I really thought he did a good job :D What was it about his acting that amused you?

[miss-dian.livejournal.com]

The ending. "Mother... your son has failed you. Please forgive me." Uuuuuuuuuuuuuuuggghhhhhhhhhhh. *dies* It was probably one of my fave scenes in the whole movie.

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

I really loved how he kept his honor until the end. Of course, that very fact doomed him in that family. And I loved that he wasn't a weakling (I liked the eldest son a lot, but he was rather weak).

[miss-dian.livejournal.com]

Oooh the eldest son!! I couldn't stand him! Granted, the acting was very good but character-wise I despised him!! He reminded me a lot of Bok-gu's brother in ALTK :(

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

He reminded me a lot of Bok-gu's brother in ALTK :(

Oooooh, Bok-Gu's brother! Eeeek!

I ended up feeling tremendously sorry for him: he was trapped in a horrible situation (and I think what Gong Li's character did to him wasn't so good either, in inititiang a relationship with him when he is younger, and stepson etc etc. My God, those were some abusive parents). That whole thing with the half sister? Eeeeeee.

I really think that Jai was the only one of the three with strength and some clear-sightedness because he spent time away from the horrible family, unlike the other two.

But OMG, that scene where he (Jai) rises from the pile of bodies? Or when he throws down his spear thingy? Oh My God.

[miss-dian.livejournal.com]

Or when he throws down his spear thingy?
Eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee. I wonder why he finally gave up? I mean he was fierce, dude. The Empress kept nodding her head at him - do you think she wanted him to keep fighting, though every one of his men were dead already??

Ditto to Prince Jai. He was my fave character of all :D

And yes, I agree with the Empress. I believe the tragedy is much due to her affair with Crown Prince Wan. But still. I couldnt' help sorry for her aswell 'cause she didn't receive love from the Emperor.

Talk about a tragic family!!!!

The ending - what did you think about the medicine?? I mean, acidic? Has it always been that way? Or just that once?? :/

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

I wonder why he finally gave up?

Because it was hopeless. They weren't going to grant him an honorable death in battle, and he wasn't going to kill them all. He was basically killing them for no purpose. He might as well shortcircuit it all and move on to the next stage of the Emperor's plan faster.

I don't know what the Empress wanted him to do: I think she was just overcome watching her favorite son desperate and trapped like this, for her sake. They really had amazing chemistry together.

Re: medicine. I think it was:

a. symbolic
b. acidic just this once (if she drank something this acidic on a regular basis, she'd be long dead after one first swig). In which case the Emperor's condition of Jai delivering his mother's medicine (OMG! I got chills when he said that) was merely a mental/emotional one. The key would be to get Jai to agree because once he did, even if he didn't have to in the future, Jai would have given away his soul, and would have had nothing, which is where Emperor likes him.

But OMG, the scene where the Emperor calmly continues eating, in the ruins of his family? He was an unbelievable monster. I was scared even though he was on screen.

[miss-dian.livejournal.com]

OMG. The Emperor. I HATED him so much in the movie. He was like, the central of evilness (heh, let me know if this is biased but I truly felt that about his character).

And I love your analysis of the medicine/Prince Jai. It really would have killed Jai to serve medicine to his mother while hence killing her in the process, while he actually tried so hard on "saving" her.

I feel that both the Emperor & Empress was very much to blame for the deaths of the 3 children. The Emperor for being evil, and the Empress for the affair.

And the 3rd son? Gosh he was slimy. I wasn't expecting his rebellion.