2011-11368 Mrs. Eden M. Gripaldo, PhD.
A Brief Analysis of “The Curse of the Golden Flower” (2006)
I. Summary
It is indisputable that the Chinese were once a powerful nation; their civilization was relatively advanced as compared to the other neighbouring nations. Progress can be felt, in all aspects of their society. Because of that it was no doubt that other people desired to own what the Ancient Chinese have, and because of that desire, the rich tradition of the Ancient Chinese slowly reached the point of its demise, its downfall. But fortunately, not all of their tradition had been wiped out. Some of them lingered in the minds and hearts of its people. And as technologies started to emerge, they started to use what they know in various forms. Many of them depicted Ancient China through film, and one of the most successful portrayer of the splendour of Ancient China was notable filmmaker Zhang Yimou. His prowess in making high-quality films was manifested in his 2006 epic-historical drama film “The Curse of the Golden Flower.”
“The Curse of the Golden Flower” was set in Ancient China, specifically the Imperial Court, during the Later Tang Dynasty (10th Century). During the time when the film was set, the whole Chinese Empire was under the control of a Emperor Ping (played by Chow-yun Fat), a ruthless, cunning, and a cold-hearted ruler. He has a wife (played by Gong Li) and three sons, namely Prince Jai, Prince Wan and Prince Yu. The marriage of the Emperor and the Empress was not out of their affection towards each other. Rather, they were married due to political and business reasons, in order to further strengthen their empire.
The film starts a few days before the Chongyang Festival, which celebrates the ninth day of the ninth lunar month. The Emperor, together with one of his sons, Prince Jai, returns to the Imperial Court in order to celebrate the holiday with the