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Curse of the Golden Flower

Play trailer Poster for Curse of the Golden Flower R 2006 1h 54m History Drama Romance Play Trailer Watchlist
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65% Tomatometer 124 Reviews 65% Popcornmeter 50,000+ Ratings
In 928 A.D. a power struggle emerges in the palace of China's emperor (Chow Yun-Fat). A cruel man, he is secretly having his wife (Gong Li) poisoned with a substance that will eventually drive her insane. Meanwhile the empress is having an affair with Prince Wan (Ye Liu), her husband's son from a previous marriage. But the prince secretly wishes to run away with Chan (Li Man), the daughter of the imperial doctor.
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Curse of the Golden Flower

Curse of the Golden Flower

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Critics Consensus

Melodrama, swordplay, and CG armies -- fans of martial arts epic will get what they bargain for, though the baroque art direction can be both mesmerizing and exhaustively excessive.

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Critics Reviews

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Namrata Joshi Outlook 01/25/2019
3/4
Yi Mou does show his undeniable expertise in the spectacularly mounted warfare sequences that can rival anything you saw in the Lord of the Ring movies. The wonderfully choreographed martial arts sequences are heartstopping... Go to Full Review
Christopher Orr The Atlantic 02/06/2018
Despite its flaws, Curse of the Golden Flower is a diverting enough film, just somewhat flat compared to Zhang's previous epics--a little too willing, perhaps, to let story and action cede the field to costume and set design. Go to Full Review
Brian Tallerico UGO 03/24/2007
The film may not hold up to Hero or Flying Daggers, but it contains enough of those film's stunning visual tricks to make it well worth checking out this holiday season. Go to Full Review
Mattie Lucas The Dispatch (Lexington, NC) 06/06/2019
2/4
There's great film hidden somewhere beneath the gold plating and silk brocade. But as it stands, the film we see, while gorgeous to look at, is merely mediocre. Go to Full Review
Michael Dequina TheMovieReport.com 01/21/2012
4/4
Zhang Yimou serves up a sumptuous sensory feast with spectacular set pieces and--crucially--the story, characters, and connection to back it up. Go to Full Review
Fernando F. Croce CinePassion 08/28/2009
Zhang's beauty is one of furious defiance Go to Full Review
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Audience Reviews

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Alissa C Nov 6 One of my favorite movies. The acting by some of the best and it was so intentional. Loved it. I watched it more times than I can count. See more Gary P 09/18/2024 Over the top acting. Over the top action. Looks like the Olympics opening See more Alec B 02/21/2024 Gorgeous to look at and I think the operatic plot works as it has the right balance of camp and legitimate emotional payoff. See more R 9 06/23/2023 Now that's awesome! Where to start with 'Curse of the Golden Flower'? Firstly, I need to show some appreciation for the score - incredible! From the very first scene I knew I was in for a treat in that department, it sets the tone perfectly throughout. This also features outstanding performances from Gong Li (!), Chow Yun-fat, Chen Jin and Jay Chou, among some others. I was particularly impressed by Gong, she truly is terrific from beginning to end - as what is a memorable character. I know I say this a lot with actors, but I'm gonna need to try and check out more of her filmography! Chow is the only actor in this that I'm familiar with, but this clearly tops what I've seen (not enough, granted) of him thus far - still a fan of him as Sao Feng in 'Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End', though. The rest of those onscreen, despite the commanding presence of the aforementioned, still manage to standout in my memory as well, from earlier noted Chen and Chou to Li Man to Liu Ye. The costumes, the sets... I personally do not think this film really put a foot wrong in terms of how it's made. How about those battle sequences too? Visually stunning, but also audibly so. The ending didn't go the way I was expecting, which is very much a positive thing. Admittedly, this film hit an unwritten cheat code for me. As in: Give me strong performances and a great score and I am hook, line, and sinker. This Zhang Yimou flick gave me that in abundance. Overall, in my opinion: top notch! See more isla s 09/03/2022 This film features lots of impressive martial arts style, well choreographed fighting, large scale battles and its certainly lavishly stylish. Thematically its about jealousy, infidelity and anger. Its a bit hard to follow the plot in its entirety but its an entertaining watch regardless. See more 07/22/2022 Gorgeous to look at and I think the operatic plot works as it has the right balance of camp and legitimate emotional payoff. See more Read all reviews
Curse of the Golden Flower

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Movie Info

Synopsis In 928 A.D. a power struggle emerges in the palace of China's emperor (Chow Yun-Fat). A cruel man, he is secretly having his wife (Gong Li) poisoned with a substance that will eventually drive her insane. Meanwhile the empress is having an affair with Prince Wan (Ye Liu), her husband's son from a previous marriage. But the prince secretly wishes to run away with Chan (Li Man), the daughter of the imperial doctor.
Director
Yimou Zhang
Producer
William Kong, Weiping Zhang
Screenwriter
Yimou Zhang, Wu Nan, Bian Zhihong
Distributor
Sony Pictures Classics
Production Co
Edko Films, Film Partner International, Beijing New Picture Film Co.
Rating
R (Violence)
Genre
History, Drama, Romance
Original Language
Chinese
Release Date (Theaters)
Dec 21, 2006, Limited
Release Date (Streaming)
Apr 16, 2012
Box Office (Gross USA)
$6.6M
Runtime
1h 54m
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