Thoughts on Curse of the Golden Flower
September 25th 2008 23:50
Now, I'll admit, I'm a sucker for Chinese culture as viewed through their own epic pictures and they're what turned me on to watch most movies with the subtitles on. But, for me, I pay less and less attention to the subtitles and more attention to the body language and emotion of the actors. Perhaps it is the acting style of Chinese actors, or the particular roles require it, but you see a level of acting that is very good, yet rarely seen in western motion pictures.
They evoke feeling in the viewer on such a deeper level, which can make their works so much more than the equivalent work in the west, save for having an unusual quality ensemble. But, let me get more specific to Curse of the Golden Flower.
Talk about a film full of tragic love, from all directions and in all types, Curse of the Golden Flower is right up there with Macbeth in levels of messed up. There is sexual love, fraternal love, parental love, taboo love, romantic love, and lust, not to mention a ton of anger, betrayal, hatred and violence. Plus, the underlying message of control and manipulation are just, well, harsh.
Even if it did not fit the period that it may have been set in, the sets and costumes were stunning, lavish, and titillating, too. I’d be lying if I said that the movie did not have a baser affect on my lesser virtues, in fact it made me lustful of quite a few Chinese actresses. But, so was the nature of part of the movie.
The martial arts of the film was stunning, with the Wire Fu (wired stunts) adding to the feel of the movie, but it was the end that just hits you hard and straight in the face. Through the whole movie you are getting idea of the nature of the father, of his control issues, but it is not until the very end that you realize that he is as crazy as his wife, either of them. It was as if he planned the whole thing to remove various people from his life, his planned pathes for them, and his wishes. However, you do not see it,fully, until that final scene.
Where is that kind of intelligent, harsh, and gritty writing in American movies? Why is it that only our action movies have action and our dramas have drama? Not all the time, as some slip through, but I think we are as deserving and as intelligent when it comes to having a movie with awesome writing, awesome stunts, and awesome fights, don't you?
They evoke feeling in the viewer on such a deeper level, which can make their works so much more than the equivalent work in the west, save for having an unusual quality ensemble. But, let me get more specific to Curse of the Golden Flower.
Talk about a film full of tragic love, from all directions and in all types, Curse of the Golden Flower is right up there with Macbeth in levels of messed up. There is sexual love, fraternal love, parental love, taboo love, romantic love, and lust, not to mention a ton of anger, betrayal, hatred and violence. Plus, the underlying message of control and manipulation are just, well, harsh.
Even if it did not fit the period that it may have been set in, the sets and costumes were stunning, lavish, and titillating, too. I’d be lying if I said that the movie did not have a baser affect on my lesser virtues, in fact it made me lustful of quite a few Chinese actresses. But, so was the nature of part of the movie.
The martial arts of the film was stunning, with the Wire Fu (wired stunts) adding to the feel of the movie, but it was the end that just hits you hard and straight in the face. Through the whole movie you are getting idea of the nature of the father, of his control issues, but it is not until the very end that you realize that he is as crazy as his wife, either of them. It was as if he planned the whole thing to remove various people from his life, his planned pathes for them, and his wishes. However, you do not see it,fully, until that final scene.
Where is that kind of intelligent, harsh, and gritty writing in American movies? Why is it that only our action movies have action and our dramas have drama? Not all the time, as some slip through, but I think we are as deserving and as intelligent when it comes to having a movie with awesome writing, awesome stunts, and awesome fights, don't you?
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