All that glitters is not gold. Emperor Ping (Yun-Fat Chow) returns to the Forbidden City in time for the festival of fireworks and golden chrysanthemums, but although his empire is the greatest in the world, his court is riven with intrigue. The Empress (Li Gong, pictured) is sleeping with her stepson and conspiring with another to foment rebellion. And all the time, the suspicious Ping is slowly poisoning her with a Persian fungus infused in her tea.
Yimou Zhang repeats the high-flying feats of Hero and House Of Flying Daggers, adding an undercurrent of dark plotting. His previous hits have given him even more credit in his homeland; this is the most expensive Chinese film ever made. With Zhang's signature battle scenes woven within a storyline of ambition and cruelty, here is a wirework epic with Shakespearean weight. Burnished and brilliant film-making.
Curse of the Golden Flower is a Film programme that first aired in 2006 and has been classified a 15 certificate.
