| Category: | Movies |
| Genre: | Foreign |
Vermillion is the color of blood. The color of passion which took many lives. The dragon is a fierce fighter and protector, burning all its enemies; only to be reborn, like a phoenix.
This is an epic about court intrigue in the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period, which follows in part the Shakesperean "Hamlet" setup of a murderous uncle usurper Li (You Ge) and his duplicitous empress (Zhang Ziyi), with an angry yet distant, brooding prince Wu Luan(Daniel Wu).
The details and setting are different enough so that the new story carries its own weight and is interesting, however. The acting is strong, the martial arts scenes memorable, and the sets are fantastic! In the usual Chinese way of film making, COLOR is a big factor. In Hamlet, the theme color is black...death. Here, reds and blacks and whites. The Prince (and rightful heir) wears white -- purity of soul. Maiden Qing (Zhou Xun) also donned white -- purity of heart. Empress Wan, in red -- power, wealth, passion... and anger. The Emperor Li and his subordinates are in black, symbolizing what is evil and wrong.
This is not a fully realistic historical drama, by the way. Director Feng Xiaogang has crafted a modern art piece, highly stylized and not to mention perfectly choreographed in some parts, and often gory, especially the martial arts scenes, so if you can't stomach people flying and leaping from water and snow while disemboweling each other, skip it. Arterial spray galore (even in places where it shouldn't be there -- CSI mode). The highly artistic feel of the film is kept somewhat in check by the gritty, used, and sometimes decaying feel of the palace, and more so by the tight, sparse dialog, the drama and the tension of the story. Even the Mandarin was simplified (easy enough for me to somewhat understand even with minimal help from subtitles). Although following in the footsteps of highly stylized films like some of Zhang Yimou's, the focus returns very firmly to the story in this one, thankfully. Similarly, the stunning beauty of parts of the film is balanced by the unmitigated ambition of the characters and their other dark flaws.
These left the story with no single, simplified protagonist to cheer for – the very opposite of Hollywood formula. The supporting role played by Zhou Xun might be an exception, but she's the very image of innocence and purity to a fatal flaw, and you pity her more than rooting for her. The raw ambition, incestuous lust, jealous hate, betrayal and/or impotence darken nearly every character. While refreshingly different in this sense, it almost left me reaching for my goblet of hemlock. The Chinese title "Ye Yan" should have been translated as The Night Banquet rather than "The Banquet", as the climax occurs at a midnight banquet unwisely set by the emperor at an inauspicious time, and it would have better reflected the darkness of the film.
One factor in this film where is near perfection is the SOUND. Crispness and clarity are the only words to describe it. I have to give a two thumbs up for this film -- regardless of the other "professional" reviews out there.
Yet one question remains unanswered by the end of the film:
Who Killed Empress Wan?
