CURSE OF THE GOLDEN FLOWER

I love watching movies. This may sound secular and to some extent, a bit worldly, but I believe that through watching films, you are exposed to a myriad of fictional but realistic characters that deal with life. Thus, you are compelled to exercise discernment and if possible, relate to the given characters with sober judgment. Films, in a way, are windows to the minds of our present generation. Indeed, you can distinguish a nation from a country by the quality of movies it produces for the yearly film festivals.

Sadly, most films today are just a waste of time. I still watch them though for the entertainment and curiosity, the latter being my primary reason. I'm not so much of a critic and I hate giving negative comments but I seriously think that movies have a become a bit imbalanced nowadays. A bit too much of humor can be harmful, especially if there is no discretion. A few years ago, I would love to go and watch a humorous film for the fun and laughter. But now, after seeing the "dirty, sticky humor" of modern day films, I'd rather not. In fact, I'd be much afraid to watch such films and choose to flee so as not to increase the garbage in my already polluted mind.

So with the little free time I have, I've been searching for some good old movies (2006-2007) that I might have missed. Finally, I found one of the romance-epic types that is not only powerful, astounding and magnificently done but deeply perplexing as well.

A MUST-SEE FILM!

"Curse of the Golden Flower" reminds me of "Hero" and "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon", two of my favorites among the traditional romantic epic types and if I may add, the BEST ones out there so far. I rarely blog about movies even though I love viewing them. The primary reason is because though I'd love to see all the movies out there, I seldom deem a film as "worthy". You can practically count the movies I have wrestled with. Even those famous romantic films that gets the entire crowd wiggling fail to enter my list of favorites. This is not because of my high, mighty or arrogant judgment but simply because the love and the overall romantic air present is simply unprofound. In harsh and bold words, such films are superficial and immature.

Now back to "Curse of the Golden Flower", I would give it a rating of 10/10 for the storyline (which is why it has entered my favorite list on the first place). The story and melding of characters have always been the delight of my wary eyes. I'm not going to spoil the film but the script and observable themes are simply amazing. Heroism, deception, honor, ambition, pride, skill, nobility, illicit affair, the demands of the law and many more themes were brilliantly drawn throughout the film. It wasn't a typical battle of good and evil but an honest contest of characters with well drawn charisma and realistic states.

Each of the three brothers symbolize three very different men with totally different insecurities, aims and affections. The youngest one is the most innocent and impulsive of all three, thus, the most easy to corrupt. The middle son obviously has committed an unknown trespass and was banished to the frontiers of the war, away from home for three long years. He among the three has advanced to the farthest, growing in maturity, skill and honor. The eldest, though the favorite son and crowned prince, has a weak heart that is easily flailed by infatuation, emotion and dread. When cornered, his honor melts and his but little wisdom loses its ground. The empress, seductively beautiful with an ever increasing sense of wisdom has been a slave to her insecurities. A typical woman of tradition and beauty, I must say, the queen has the same problems of a woman who seeks to be fulfilled emotionally and physically. Lastly, the king, the father and the warrior, all three in one, powerful, wise, outwardly virtuous and dead cunning but has failed to truly conquer human depravity and all its corruption. All of such characters plus a few twists, a bed of dark secrets and cunning maneuvers are all part of its well crafted plot. Not to mention its deeply woven soundtrack which creates a temporal melody of tradition and sorrowful bondage.

The central theme, for me, is devotion and heroism as demonstrated by the middle son, followed by the sad theme of deceit and cruelty, and lastly, how love, when not given in its due terms or fulfilling the requirement of both spouses, results to further pain within the family, insanity among its members and ultimately, tragedy in all essence.

Ah.. indeed.. it was worth the watch...