UNSPEAKABLE SECRETS ARE HIDDEN WITHIN THE FORBIDDEN CITY.
When the Emperor (Chow Yun-Fat) returns home after a military campaign to celebrate the Chong Yang Festival, his wife (Gong Li) is secretly staging a rebellion. The most expensive film ever produced in China at the time, it follows in the path of the director’s Hero (2002) and House of Flying Daggers (2004). In other words, expect a historic epic with stunningly colorful cinematography and sets, as well as Shakespearean court intrigues and a few supernaturally elegant fights. The stars are well cast and the story engaging, as the members of the royal family battle for positions.
2006-China-Hong Kong. 114 min. Color. Widescreen. Written and directed by Zhang Yimou. Play: Cao Yu. Cinematography: Zhao Xiaoding. Art Direction: Zhao Bin. Costume Design: Yee Chung Man. Cast: Chow Yun-Fat (Ping), Gong Li (Phoenix), Jay Chou (Jai), Liu Ye, Ni Dahong, Qin Junjie.
Trivia: Original title: Man cheng jin dai huang jin jia. The play was previously filmed in 1957 and 1961 as Lei yu.
