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Chinese title |
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Man Cheng Jin Dai Huang Jin Jia |
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Literal title |
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Fill the City with
Golden Armors |
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English title |
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Curse of
the Golden
Flower |
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Working English title |
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The City of
Golden Armor |
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CURSE OF THE GOLDEN FLOWER Won for
Its Art Direction and Costume Design
(...) |
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February 19, 2007 |
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(Beijing
New Picture Film Co.)
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Last week,
American Art Directors Guild decided to present the annual award for
Excellence in Production Design for a Period Film to Curse of the Golden
Flower's art director Huo Tingxiao, the man who were also involved in
the production of Zhang Yimous's
Hero
and
House of the Flying Dagger.
This week, American Costume Designers Guild picked
Yee Chung-Man's work in Curse of the Golden Flower as last year's best
in a period film. Congratulations to Yee, who has worked in over a dozen
Hong Kong productions, like
Peace Hotel,
Tokyo Raider,
Golden Chicken,
Perhaps Love
and the
Ci Ma
remake (aka.
This Violent Land).
This award may help him a little bit at the coming Oscar.
Art Directors Guild official website
Costume Designers Guild official website
Art directors honor trio - Top prizes go to
'Flower,' 'Labyrinth,' 'Casino', by Laura Repstad, Variety
Costume designers pick 'Flower' - 'Labyrinth,'
'Queen' win guild awards, by Eric Stitt, Variety
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The Oscar Nomination
(MonkeyPeaches Exclusive) |
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January 23, 2007 |
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(Beijing
New Picture Film Co, Li Li Er.) |
Curse of
Golden Flowers
is nominated for Best Costume Design. Congratulations to Yee
Chung-Man (Ci Ma,
Perhaps Love,
Comrades: Almost a Love Story,
A Terracotta Warrior). The
film is not in Best Foreign Language list, as as
Volver.
Ruby Yang and
Thomas Lonnon's The Blood of Yingzhou District is nominated for
"Documentary Short". It follows the story of a little boy named Gao Jun,
from Yingzhou, Anhui Province of eastern China. He is one of 75,000
so-called AIDS Orphans now living in China. His parents died after being
infected with HIV through blood seller. After he was rejected by his
relatives, he was sent to live with two foster parents, who were also
HIV positive. A year after, his HIV symptom appeared and he had to take
medication made for adults because medication for children was hard to
find in China. His foster parents could not afford his medical expense
and he had to move to a another foster family.
The nomination list. |
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Monkeypeaches' The Best of 2006
(MonkeyPeaches Exclusive) |
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December 31, 2006 |
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The year of 2006 is about to be over and the time to
tell you my list of best Chinese language movies released in the year.
Most people of world have never seen most of movies I am about to say.
Also, the ranking does not means one is absolutely better than the
others. Here we go:
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1. Curse of the Golden Flower
An emperor runs his family like a clock. He orders his wide, whom he
never loved, to take one dose of medicine for each hour she is awake,
even though she is not ill. His favorite son, the crown prince, the only
child he had with his deceased ex-wife, seems only interested in having
an affair with his stepmother and a court maid. The middle prince, who
loves his mother more than his father, is the best candidate for
inheriting the empire. The emperor knows that. He would pass the job to
his second son, but not before killing his mother, who is planning
something very big. Zhang Yimou carefully tells us a story of how a
family, already rots from the inside, collapses in just one night. What
more can we ask for if Chow Yun-Fat and Gong Li are on the screen
together and Zhang Yimou turns the best from his brain into a vision
wonder, which could suffocate your mind?
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2. Crazy Stone
A precious stone is discovered in a toilet of a practically bankrupted
craft factory. The factory's security chief, who is very upset about not
becoming a cop, is assigned to guard the stone, which will be auctioned
to save the factory, the only source of income for many people. Three
thieves, who have never made much out of their crimes, see the stone as
their chance of getting rich for real. A greedy real estate developer,
who would like to collect the factory, hires a professional thief to
steal the stone. 30 year old Ning Hao wrote and directed this probably
most entertaining comedy ever comes out of China. This extravaganza is a
real surprise, a movie fan made for other movie fans. Sure people may
find it similar to a Guy Ritchie movie. But it is so enjoyable - so
what? Nobody would think about that one day a movie can expose so many
social problems in today's China in such a hilarious way. Millions of
ordinary Chinese have enjoyed the movie. Even the premier ordered a
private screen to get to know the misery of the bottom of the working
class.
3. Exiled
Four hitmen arrive in Macao to meet the fifth man now quietly lives with
wife. It turns out five of them once worked together in another job
years ago in Hong Kong. Now they get together and each one has a mind of
his own. Director Johnnie To is the man, maybe in only man
(besides John Woo), who is capable of telling interesting stories about
criminals, really really cool criminals and
Exiled
is really safe to be considered as another success story in Johnnie To's
career. This one will probably never reach your local theaters. When you
are searching it either in a DVD store or a web vendor, remember: make
sure you get the Hong Kong version. The mainland Chinese version is
really a shame.
4. Still Life
In a city is gradually flooded after the gigantic Three Georges Dam is
built, a man arrives to look for his ex-"wife" he "purchased" and their
16 year old daughter and a woman arrives to look for his husband who has
not contacted her for two years. The man finally meets his ex-wife and
they decide to get married again and the woman asks for a devoice after
realizing his husband is now living with another woman.
Still Life
surprisingly joined the competition of this year's Venice International
Film Festival when the festival had already begun and several days later
surprisingly captured the Golden Lion. A dam is being built and a town
built over two thousand years ago disappears under water. Millions
of people lose their homes and move to their new homes far away.
Countless people are making a few hundred a month by turning their town
into rubbles and a few others make millions by building a new town at
high ground. Many great ironies could be found in this movie, if you
could stand the slow drama.
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5. Jasmine Women
In the 1930's Mo dreams about becoming a movie star and becomes the
mistress of a studio manager. But an unplanned daughter makes ends her
dream. In the 1950s, Li has a caring husband and an adopted daughter but
Li's mind is slowly losing control. In the 1980s, Hua is pregnant but
her husband decides to leave her for another woman. Cinematographer Hou
Yong made his second directorial work. This is not an epic story about
how China changes in the 20th Century but a small drama about four
generations of women in an ordinary Shanghai family. Zhang Ziyi and Joan
Chen, two great actresses, really make the movie work.
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6. Courthouse on the Horseback
A judge, who almost reaches the age of retirement, a secretary, who is
about to lose her job because of a newly introduced regulation, a young
man, who just graduated from a law school. They travels to remote
mountain villages to solve civil disputes. In the end, the young man
runs away with his bride, the secretary finally retires and the judge
continues the journey alone. Director Liu Jie makes a rare look at the
life of the minority people living in remote mountains of southwestern
China with this quiet and touching little drama shot in documentary
style.
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7. Little Red Flowers
A kindergarten in the 1960s Beijing, a young boy shows up and making
himself fitting in is probably the biggest challenge he has ever faced.
Director Zhang Yuan presented us an innocent story about the world of
the kindergarteners, based on the semi-biographical novel by Beijing
writer Wang Shuo. This is not a movie for kids, but rather something for
the grownup to relive their childhood.
8. After This Our Exile
A gambling addicted father is the real trouble for his family of three.
Mother decides to leave but the son wants to stay with his father, who
has never recovered from his problems and turns his son to thief. After
being silent for 17 years, Hong Kong New Wave director Patrick Tam makes
a triumph return with his truly sad story, which is inspired by a true
story Tam discovered in the 1990s.
9. Confession of Pain
A senior cop's father-in-law is brutally murdered and all evidences
point to two jobless men. But his wife believes in something else and to
get into the bottom of the truth, she hires a private detective, some
once working for the senior cop. Andrew Lau and Alan Mak
tell a story of gradually unfolding the unspeakable sad stories of
two men, which in some sense, surpassed what they achieved with the
Infernal
Affairs
trilogy.
10. Dog Bite Dog
A Cambodian young cold-blooded killer comes to Hong Kong to kill a local
judge's wife and a redneck cop is in charge of solving the case. Two men
clash and their struggle turns into a brutal game raw killing.
Director Soi CHEANG makes sure this
movie extremely violent while keeping the gory scenes as realistic as
possible. This is not a movie everyone would enjoy but is definitely
something some people will talk about years later.
The runner-up:
2 Become 1,
A Battle of Wits,
Dragon Tiger Gate,
Dreams May Come,
Election 2: Harmony Is a Virtue,
Fearless,
Feel It, Say It,
I'll Call You,
Isabella,
Karmic Mahjong,
Luxury Car,
McDull, the Alumni,
One Foot of the Ground,
Perpetual Motion,
Rob-B-Hood,
The Banquet,
The Contract ,
The Forest Ranger,
The Knot ,
The Road,
The Shoe Fairy,
You and Me,
Yuan Ming Yuan.
(Beijing
New Picture Film Co.,
Focus Films, Milkyway Images,
Xstream Pictures,
Poly Hua Yi, China Film Group,
Vision Films,
Ar Port, Inc.) |
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Review: CURSE OF THE
GOLDEN FLOWER
(MonkeyPeaches Exclusive) |
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December 21, 2006 |
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(Beijing
New Picture Film Co.) |
With a cast of the
best Chinese actors, a crew of the best from the trade and 45
million American dollars, director has made sure every frame people
see on the big screen deserves every penny they paid at the
box-office counter. Curse of the Golden Flower, Zhang Yimou’s
the third multi-multi million dollar historical drama, is a lavish
feast of colors, gold especially, and a emotional drama about how a
rotten royal family collapses in just one night.
Bare this in mind, it
is not fair to thumb down the film just because the production
design is overwhelming and it is not fair to disappoint just because
martial-art is not as big as in Zhang’s Hero and House of
Flying Daggers, and it is also not fair to dismiss the drama as
a Shakespearean-like soap just because the reviewer fails to catch
the deeper layer of the story.
The story took place
in an autumn during China’s Tang Dynasty during a period called
“Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms” (907 – 1125); or it doesn’t
matter, because it is based on Lei Yü (Thunderstorm), a play Cao Yü
written in early 1930s and was about a story took place in early
1930s China.
Emperor Ping, played
by the amazing Chow Yun-Fat, is a quiet but menacing ruler, who is
never tolerant anyone or anything of his empire fails to run like a
clock according to the rule he set. His gigantic palace compound is
lavishly decorated with gold and precious stones. He orders everyone
from his family, including himself to wear chokingly lavish golden
robes everyday. But just like what Zhang Yimou said in one of his
interviews, “Gold and jade on the outside, rot and decay on the
inside”, the imperial family is in the final stage of cancer and
each member is either twisted or corrupted.
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(Beijing
New Picture Film Co.) |
The emperor’s wife, Empress Phoenix, played by the gorgeously
gorgeous Gong Li, has been ill for many year, at least that’s what
has been claimed by the emperor, who seems more interested in being
a pharmacist than a ruler. For decades, the emperor is forcing his
wife to drink one dose of medicine each hour, even those he hates
it. There has never been love or anything remotely similar to love
in between them. She was the princess of the King of Liang and
married Ping purely for political purpose. Phoenix is have a secret
affair with Prince Wan (Liu Ye), the Crown Prince and the emperor’s
first born, who has felt sick about his relationship with his
stepmom and turned his attention to a cute court maid Jiang Chan (Li
Man), daughter of the imperial doctor (Ni Dahong). Wan is the
emperor’s favorite son, maybe because his mother was dead when he
was very young. Wan has no interest of the throne and the emperor
knows the one right for the job is actually Prince Jie (played by
super-diva Jay Chou), the mid-son of the imperial family, who loves
his birth mother Phoenix and hates everything the emperor has done.
The emperor has his plan – he would pass the power to his second
son, but before doing so, he would kill his mother first. But of
cause, the Empress has her own plan. This only cover about the first
half hour of the movie, just in case you think the story is
complicated enough. There are more to come – who is the imperial
doctor’s wife (Chen Jin) and why does she work for the empress, why
phoenix keeps making embroidered chrysanthemum despite her
deteriorating health, and what the youngest Prince Cheng (Qin Junjie)
have in mind? You need to see the movie to get the answers.
Chow Yun-Fat is badder
than ever in the film and having been in the business for three
decades, he is on the top of his career, even better than what he
did in Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon. His trip to the
Hollywood is regretfully a failure. Neither Replacement Killer
nor Bulletproof Monk offers him any role more than cheap
reproduction of roles he played in John Woo’s classics. I don’t
really expect anything from Pirates of the Caribbean: At Worlds
End. What he plays is deemed to be something one-dimension
stereotypical.
We have waited more
than a decade to see Gong Li working again with Zhang Yimou. The
waiting is worth every second of her screen time. At the age of 41,
she is dead on portraying a desperate housewife crashed bit by bit
by her sick-minded husband. Her performance in Memoirs of the
Geisha is good but restricted, her part in Miami Vice is
nothing more than a joke, and what about Lady Murasaki in
Hannibal Rising? No I don’t think so.
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(Beijing
New Picture Film Co.) |
Curse of the Golden
Flower is
only the second movie for Jay Chou stars in but and he has proved he
could act other than singing. Liu Ye must be the favorite man for
playing some with a weak mind. He was wasted in The Promise
last year, but his time, he did his part just right. Chen Jin and Ni
Dahong, as skilled actors, and Li Man and Qin Junjie, as new to the
industry, played all made their small parts memorable.
The set, I just have
to say something about the set. The palaces you will see in the
movie, may look so unreal, but are actually part of a near
full-scale replica of Beijing’s The Forbidden City, built in
Hengdian World Studios. The palace interior was built inside Beijing
Film Studios. The imperial post was built in the bottom of a place
called “Heavenly Pit” near Chongqing city. Contrary to what he did
for Hero, designer Huo Tingxiao made the set lavishly
suffocating.
Zhang Yimou has push
game of color into a new level and the cinematography Zhao
Xiaoding’s (House of Flying Daggers, Riding Alone for
Thousands of Miles) made these colors alive. Costumer Yee
Chung-Man (Perhaps Love, Comrades: Almost a Love Story)
perfectly transferred Zhang Yimou’s idea of “golden armor” (as in
the original Chinese title) to the real thing. Ching Siu-Tung
returned as the action director. The fight sequences are no longer
in slow-motion and seem lasting forever. They are short, quick and
effective.
Curse of the Golden
Flower is
like a scaled-up remake of Zhang Yimou’s Raise the Red Lantern.
You should always remind yourself, while watching it – don’t just
simply blown away by the colors, the actions and the overly exposed
women’s chest (women did dressed like that at that time), otherwise
you will miss many layers of the nicely written and carefully told
story.
- MP
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CURSE OF THE
GOLDEN FLOWER's First Weekend Revenue: US$12.3 millions
(MonkeyPeaches Exclusive) |
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December 18, 2006 |
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(Beijing
New Picture Film Co.) |
96
million yuans (US$12.3 millions), that was how much the Chinese paid
in the past weekend to see Zhang Yimou's latest mega-budget
historical epic,
Curse of the Golden Flower,
according to
Beijing New Picture Film Co., which co-produced the film.
This unbelievably high number more than doubles the old record
(US$6.04 millions), set by
Hero, Zhang's first mega
budget historical drama, released four years ago. Zhang Weiping,
president of Beijing New Picture Film Co., said many people went to
see the movie because of good words of mouth. He is predicting
another good performance during the second weekend because many
theaters in China will run overnight screenings at the Christmas
Eve. The movie is already shown on most screens in the country and
number of such screens is on the rise. But it is still hard to tell
weather the revenue from the domestic box-office will cover the
US$45 millions spent on making it. Starting next week, the film will
be released in the rest of Asia and North America.
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Zhang
Yimou's GOLDEN FLOWER Is CURSED TO Break A Money Record
(MonkeyPeaches Exclusive) |
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December 16, 2006 |
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(Beijing
New Picture Film Co.) |
The flower might be cursed, but the movie is not, at least not in China.
According to Beijing New Picture Film Co., which co-produced Zhang
Yimou's latest mega budget historical epic
Curse of the Golden Flower,
the film collected over 15 million yuans (US$1.92 millions) at the
opening night (Thursday) in China, a new record of the country. The
number would be much higher if the release on Thursday were not
"limited." The movie is now shown on most screens in China, from as
early as eight in the morning to as late as twelve in the evening.
However, the first night revenue only recovered a very small percentage
of the US$45 millions spent on making it.
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Opening This
Week: December 9 - 15
(MonkeyPeaches Exclusive) |
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December 15, 2006 |
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Curse of the Golden Flower |
Still Life |
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(Beijing
New Picture Film Co.,
Xstream Pictures.) |
Story of an imperial family rots from within,
a man looks for the woman he once lived with and a woman looks the man
she no longer love...
Click here for detail
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More
CURSE OF THE GOLDEN FLOWER Stuffs
(Sina.com.cn) |
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December 12, 2006 |
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(Beijing
New Picture Film Co.)
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Videos:
Chow Yun-Fat
as the Emperor
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More
CURSE OF THE GOLDEN FLOWER Stuffs
(Sina.com.cn) |
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December 9, 2006 |
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More
CURSE OF THE GOLDEN FLOWER Posters
(...) |
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December 7, 2006 |
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More
CURSE OF THE GOLDEN FLOWER Reviews and Videos
(...) |
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November 18, 2006 |
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(Beijing
New Picture Film Co.)
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Michael Guillén said
The Curse of Golden Flower
was Yimou's most accomplished in the wuxia genre.
Click here
Jules Brenner, from Cinema Signals, disliked it, sort of.
Click here
Behind-the-scene videos:
A
B
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CURSE OF THE GOLDEN FLOWER Reviews
(MonkeyPeaches Exclusive) |
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November 12, 2006 |
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(Beijing
New Picture Film Co.)
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Mighty Ganesha just sent me a review of Zhang Yimou's
epic film Curse of the Golden Flower, after getting very excited for
attending a screening of the film in New York last Friday:
Curse of the Golden Flower is a direct response to
audiences who may've felt disappointed by the relative smallness of
scope of director Zhang Yimou’s 2005 film, Riding Alone for Thousands of
Miles, and even 2004’s House of Flying Daggers, in comparison to 2002’s
internationally-acclaimed epic, Hero. People have been anxiously
awaiting another martial arts blockbuster from Yimou. With Curse of the
Golden Flower, Yimou was given what is reportedly the largest budget for
a Chinese film, and the result is absolutely spectacular.
This is a film that will be held up as a benchmark
of artistic achievement in motion pictures for years to come. Yimou’s
cinematographer, Zhao Xiading, production designer Huo Tingxiao, and
costumer, Yee Chung Man, have much to be proud of. The glowing rainbow
palette of colours that saturate the interiors of the palace and the
carpet of royal yellow flowers filling the entire vast courtyard are
practically blinding. The kingdom represented here is immaculate and
prosperous. The Royal Family is bedecked in layer upon layer of
exquisite beaded silk robes and decked out in gold and ivory jewels from
head to toe. They are cocooned in unmitigated and palpable luxury. But
such beauty and sumptuous riches can't detract from the fact that what
runs through these opulent halls is pure venom. It is a gorgeous
backdrop that houses a nest of brilliant vipers all seemingly poised to
strike at each other, while aiming to present a united and powerful
front to the entire country. Curse of the Golden Flower is an exercise
in deceit, betrayal, manipulation, rebellion, and murder.
The film takes place in the 10th century, during
the Later Tang Dynasty. Prince Jai, the 2nd son of the royal family,
returns home shortly before the annual Chong Yang Festival, which is, in
part, a celebration of family gathering. While the Prince’s return from
military battle is cause for outward joy and a very public tightening of
family bonds, almost nothing is as idyllic as it seems. There is the
mystery of the increasing illness of the Empress and the golden
chrysanthemums she embroiders obsessively. There is the restlessness of
the Crown Prince Wan, who is the son of the Emperor’s deceased first
wife, and his entanglement with Chen, the beautiful daughter of the
trusted Imperial Physician. Prince Jai’s concern for his mother’s
failing health, and his suspicions about the remedies that might be the
cause of her sickness. His complex relationship with his father, the
Emperor, is one of love and rivalry, with the Emperor challenging Prince
Jai’s ambitions. The third and youngest son, Prince Yu, craves only the
admiration of his father. The story of the Emperor himself is one of
ambitious beginnings; he was not born royal, and he readily demonstrates
the iron will it took to win his crown.
To my knowledge, Chow Yun Fat and Gong Li have
never starred in a film together prior to Curse of the Golden Flower.
The combination of the two is a revelation for the acting world. The
only things brighter than the colours in this film are the pure electric
sparks between the Emperor and his Empress. I wished they'd had more
scenes together. I was mesmerized by their chemistry and intensity. Gong
Li - who radiates a regal presence while standing around doing nothing -
has found a role that takes that sublime poise, tears it into shreds and
throws it back together again. Her Empress is equal parts Lady Macbeth,
Phaedra, and Madame Mao, yet somehow you actually feel great sympathy
for this glorious monster. It is a credit to Yimou’s skill in bringing
out amazing and unexpected performance in his actors that you see Chow
Yun Fat as you have never seen him before. His Emperor is all pride,
cunning, and ruthlessness. Yimou takes Chow’s world-famous beatific
smile and gives it a completely new and unexpected meaning.
One of the most powerful scenes in the film occurs
when the Emperor metes out a particularly cruel comeuppance to someone
who has crossed him. The scene is already shocking for its harshness and
violence, but turns absolutely chilling when Chow’s Emperor breaks into
laughter while inflicting the punishment.
The younger actors, Jay Chou (Prince Jai), Liu Ye
(Crown Prince Wan), Qin Junjie (Prince Yu), and Li Man (Chen) are all
remarkable. They are able to instantly and realistically express the
sudden change of emotions and intentions that spiral throughout the
film. Liu Ye, in particular, gives a very touching performance as the
dutiful Crown Prince, portraying devotion to his family and his secret
beloved, as well as the bewilderment, heartbreak and betrayal at the
circle of events that eventually threaten to consume him. He carries the
heart of the film. It is commendable to all involved that none of the
characters come off as one-dimensional.
Curse of the Golden Flower is based on a 1934
Chinese play named “Thunderstorm” written by dramatist Cao Yu. The many
twists and jaw-dropping denouements could easily have come from any of
the Greek tragedies. It initially presents a score of questions and
keeps the viewer guessing - nothing and no one is black or white - but
once the answers are revealed; there is no less sense of surprise. Right
down the phenomenal score by Shigeru Umebayashi (In the Mood for Love,
Hero), the film’s tone is operatic. While I'm sure many will expect and
focus on the film’s breathtaking action sequences, the emotion and drama
of the storyline is no less gripping. Curse of the Golden Flower
fulfills on every level.
The action is directed by Tony Ching Siu-Tung (A
Better Tomorrow 2, Heroic Trio, Shaolin Soccer). It happens suddenly and
at whiplash speed. While it didn't feel the least bit gratuitous, there
is a brutality here that I have never seen in Yimou’s previous films.
Many of the sequences put me in the mind of some of the better moments
of Tsui Hark’s great actioners in their energy and relentlessness. There
is very little of the lyrical, dreamlike movements of the fight scenes
in Hero, the fighting in Curse of the Golden Flower packs a punch.
A word about the sheer volume of background actors
in this film, I have never seen anything like it. It is de rigueur for
directors to turn to their CGI special effects wizards for scenes
requiring vast numbers of extras. In Curse of the Golden Flower, the
number of actors portraying servants inside the royal household alone
was impressive, but for the film’s climax, Yimou reportedly recruited a
background cast of over 1,000 to convey the viciousness of battle, and
the despair of fighting against impossible odds no matter how dear the
cost. The use of flying camera angles perfectly captured the destruction
and the astounding amount of actors employed for this scene.
Curse of the Golden Flower is a huge artistic
milestone for Zhang Yimou, and a tremendous showing by all of the
actors. I was amazed. I hope this remarkable film receives its due, and
is fondly remembered by the members of the Academy come February.
However, Kirk Honeycutt from the Hollywood
Reporter claims it is "a disappointing misfire from a great director."
Click here.
(Thanks to the anonymous contributor.)
Robert Koehler of Variety calls it "Zhang Yimou's strangest and
most troubled film.
Click here
Mike Goodridge of Screen Daily says it is "one of the most
sumptuous and almost absurdly opulent spectacles on screen in recent
memory."
Click here.
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CURSE OF THE GOLDEN FLOWERS Hong Kong Posters
(MonkeyPeaches Exclusive) |
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November 9, 2006 |
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Views on the Set of Zhang Yimou's THE CURSE OF
GOLDEN FLOWER
(MonkeyPeaches
Exclusive) |
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October
11,
2006 |
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(Beijing
New Picture Film Co.)
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Picture on the left shows a partial bird view of a near full-scale
replica of Beijing's The Forbidden City, located at
Hengdian World Studios.
It was redressed from the film.
Picture on the right shows an interior set built at Beijing Film
Studios.
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Both CURSE OF THE GOLDEN FLOWER and
THE BANQUET Got the Oscar
Tickets
(MonkeyPeaches Exclusive) |
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September 27,
2006 |
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(Beijing
New Picture Film Co.) |
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The Chinese press reports that, according to an insider, Zhang Yimou's
third period epic Curse of the Golden Flower has been officially
selected by the authority to compete for the Best Foreign Language award
of next year's Oscar. The anonymous insider claimed that some good words
of mouth from people who saw the film actually helped the film to get
the nomination. A few other titles were also up to the nomination
but were not strong enough to defeat Golden Flower. The
Banquet, Feng Xiaogang's Hamlet inspired historically drama, which
has a story setup very similar to that of Golden Flower, received
mixed/negative reviews both at home and overseas; The Road, Zhang Jiarui's
drama about a bus drive and a ticket-seller's friendship / love story in
the 1960/70's, also failed to draw a strong support; and the production
studio of Curiosity Kills the Cat, a modern day urban
psychological thriller by Zhang Yibao, basically used the bidding for
the nomination as a publicity stunt for the low budget flick, which will
open next month in China.
During the past two decades, more than half dozen movies by Zhang Yimou
were sent to bid for the award. Three of them made to the final round,
Judou,
Raise the Red Lanterns
and
Hero, but Zhang had never
won once. Curse of the Golden Flower will be released this
December in Asia and in North America, by Sony Pictures Classics.
Update: according to Sina.com.cn, Feng Xiaogang's
The Banquet
has been selected to bid for the Best Foreign Language award,
representing Hong Kong.
The Banquet
is actually jointly produced by Beijing-based H. Brothers (Huayi
Brothers) and Hong Kong-based Media Asia. This nomination, if was real,
would upset many native Hong Kongers, who would prefer to nominate a
movie directed and starred by local talents. Many other Hong Kong made
Oscar hopefuls, like Johnnie To's
Election 2
and
Exiled, were also produced by Media Asia, which produces more
box-office hits than any other local studio.
More about
The Banquet
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CURSE OF THE GOLDEN FLOWER
Gets Positive Reviews at Home International Teaser
(MonkeyPeaches
Exclusive) |
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September 21, 2006 |
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(Beijing
New Picture Film Co.) |
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A week-long Oscar qualification run for Zhang Yimou's
third martial-art epic Curse of the Golden Flowers has began
secretly yesterday at a movie theater in Beijing. This is for making it
qualified for competing for the Best Foreign Langue Film category of
next year's Oscar, and Sony Pictures Classics is scheduled to release it
in North America in December, which would make it qualified for other
categories. According to several Chinese newspapers, Beijingers who have
seen the film are almost overwhelmingly praising this US$45 million
historical drama. According to some of them, Curse of the Golden Flowers
shows lavish designs and beautiful cinematography, and above all, a
nicely written story presented by a first class cast at a true epic
level. When Zhang Yimou's Hero came out about four years ago, reviews at
home were shapely divided. The criticizers of the film said it generally
had no story. Then Zhang made House of Flying Daggers, a attempt
of telling an story, which turned out disappointed most Chinese viewers.
Then Chen Kaige's shot his own epic The Promise, which was
basically a junkie mess. Earlier this month, The Banquet, a big budget
historical drama by another influential Chinese director Feng Xiaogang,
best known for directing comedies about ordinary people, was release and
got a mixed review both at home and overseas.
Recently release stills:
A
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Third CURSE OF THE GOLDEN FLOWER
International Teaser
(Sina.com.cn) |
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September 19, 2006 |
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(Beijing
New Picture Film Co.) |
Sina.com.cn just exclusively released the
third trailer for Zhang Yimou's Curse of the Golden Flower, which
is the first one specifically made for Chinese speakers.
Click here.
Trailer transcript:
The oldest Prince: What do you mean by that?
The second oldest prince: Then keeps embroidering
chrysanthemum flowers.
The queen: Chrysanthemum is your father's favorite.
The emperor: What else do you want?
The queen: I'ill tell you everything!
The second oldest prince: Why would my father do this?
The queen: (He) has to!
The emperor: You're crazy!
The oldest prince: You madman!
The minister: What didn't you tell me?
The emperor: Now you're satisfied?
The queen: ???
The emperor: What else you are not satisfied?
The oldest prince: Something horrible will happen to ???!
The queen: Show yourself!
???: You dare!
The emperor: Out!
A lavish palace, where an unspeakable secret is hiding.
Something horrific is about to erupt.
Some of the top Chinese stars work together for the first time.
???: Daughter!
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Second CURSE OF THE GOLDEN FLOWER
International Teaser
(Apple.com
/ Sina.com.cn) |
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September 1, 2006 |
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(Beijing
New Picture Film Co.)
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Sina.com.cn and Apple.com have both posted
anther teaser trailer for Zhang Yimou's Curse of the Golden Flower.
It looks more intense and more exciting than the first one. Also, it
shows a few shots of black suit assassins attacking the post houses,
which are missing from the first teaser.
The second teaser:
HD version by Apple.com (Thanks
to "Marla" of
AdmiringGongLi.com)
Low-res. version by Sina.com.cn
Click here for the first teaser.
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CURSE OF THE GOLDEN FLOWER
International Teaser
(Sony
Pictures Classics) |
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August
30, 2006 |
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(Sony Pictures Classics)
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Sony Pictures Classics has put up a page with an international teaser
trailer for Zhang Yimou's Curse of the Golden Flower, formerly
known as The City of Golden Armor. Loosely based on a play by Cao
Yu, Curse of the Golden Flower tells the story of an imperial
family, which is slowly falling apart from the inside. The page by Sony
Pictures Classics shows Chow Yun-Fat as the emperor (right), Gong Li as
the empress (mid), Jay Chou as the second oldest prince (2nd from the
left) and Qin Junjie as the youngest prince (left). Liu Ye plays the
oldest prince, who sits on the right of the emperor, is cut off from the
picture.
Click here for the teaser. (Thanks to
"Marla" of
AdmiringGongLi.com)
Downloadable version of the teaser.
(Thanks to "Naveen")
Trailer recap:
(Beware of spoilers! Highlight to read.)
"Coming to theaters this Charismas" - this means
theaters in both North America and China. Take a closer look - there is
a chrysanthemum flower behind the words.
Sony Pictures Classics logo - Sony is releasing it
in the entire American continent, except Cuba.
The imperial palace, filled with 250,000 (fake)
chrysanthemum flowers and hundreds of imperial guards. The emperor has
ordered a grand ceremony on
the day of Chong Yang.
This scene was shot at a near exact replica of Beijing's Forbidden City,
located at
Hengdian World Studios.
Empress Gong Li is climbing the stairs with Prince
Liu Ye (2nd from the left), Prince Jay Chou (right) and Prince Qin
Junjie (left).
Emperor Chow Yun-Fat is sitting at the center of
the terrace, slowly opening his eyes. arrogant and mean!
"From Zhang Yimou, director of Hero and House of
Flying Daggers" - most people knows him from this two films.
Inside the palace (built inside the largest
soundstage of Beijing Film Studios), Prince Liu Ye is backing up while
ten golden armor guards are walking toward someone. But who?
Black suit assassins with oversized sickles are
coming and Emperor Chow is not even moving! Right, they are the
emperor's men.
"Chow Yun-Fat, from Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon
and The Killer." - Thanks for not mentioning Bulletproof Monk.
A close-up look of Empress Gong - Still gorgeous!
"Gong Li, from Memoirs of A Geisha and Raise the
Red Lantern and Miami Vice." - Miami Vice? Quick thinking.
The imperial couple, wearing nothing but gold -
lavish costumes.
His Majesty says, "come!" and Prince Chou, in full
armor, pulls his sword.
Golden armor guards are clashing with black suit
assassins.
Outside, thousands of rebelling soldiers are
storming at the palace, while inside, Emperor Chow is fighting Prince
Chou - Chow Yun-Fat with sword! Haven't seen that for a while!
Prince Liu Ye is chasing an assassin.
More fight with emperor and his son.
Empress Gong Li is looking back.
Prince Liu Ye is catching up the assassin.
Outside the palace, black suits are striking the
rebelling soldiers - multiple wireworks.
A close-up of Li Man, a court maid, who is in love
with Prince Liu Ye.
Rebelling soldiers are charging.
Prince Liu Ye is making a punch.
Emperor Chow is raising his head.
Prince Chu is pulling out his sword. Again?
More fight with emperor and his son.
Prince Liu Ye is comforting his girlfriend.
Emperor Chow is now fighting the rebelling pikemen
alone.
The palace is under attack! - very interesting
siege warfare.
Gong Li - mysterious look.
Chow Yun-Fat - a lion is awakening.
Curse of the Golden Flowers
www.curseofthegoldenflowermovie.com
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CURSE OF THE
GOLDEN FLOWER - Another Two Productions Stills
(Sina.com.cn) |
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August 14,
2006 |
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(Beijing
New Picture Film Co.) |
Left: Empress Gong Li with three princes - the oldest (Liu Ye, 2nd from
the left), the second oldest (Jay Chou, right) and the youngest (Qin
Junjie, 1st from the left).
Right: The Empress and the second oldest princes.
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CURSE OF THE GOLDEN FLOWER's Day Set
for North America
(Box Office Mojo) |
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July 25,
2006 |
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(Beijing
New Picture Film Co.) |
Box Office Mojo
reports Curse of Golden Flower will be released on Friday December
22, probably with a limited scale. This should make the film
qualified for next year's Oscar. A simultaneous release in China
(mainland) and Hong Kong, on the same day or the day before, has
been planned.
(Thanks to "Mary".) |
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More CURSE OF
THE GOLDEN FLOWER Production Photos
(Sina.com.cn) |
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July 18,
2006 |
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(Beijing
New Picture Film Co.) |
Beijing New Picture Film Co. has
released more pictures taken on the set of
Curse of the Golden Flower.
The first three pictures show director Zhang Yimou working with Chow Yun-Fat
/ Gong Li; and the last one shows Gong Li, as the queen, with two young
princes (Liu Ye on the right and Qin Junjie). Still in post-production,
this film will be put under a week-long screening in Shenyang city of
the northeast China, to make it qualified for the Best Foreign Language
Film category of next year's Oscar.
Previously, Zhang Yimou has three films
being nominated for the award but he has yet win once.
According to producer Zhang Weiping, Sony Pictures Classics will release
it in North America this December to make it qualified for other
categories of the Oscar. Another period epic,
The Banquet, is also eyeing at
the coming Oscar, especially the award for the Best Foreign Language
Film. Despite many promoting efforts, producers of
The Banquet, Beijing-based H.
Brothers and Hong Kong-based Media Asia, have yet secure a distributor
in North America.
More about
Curse
of the Golden Flower
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THE CURSE OF
GOLDEN FLOWER - The Imperial Family Shot
(Sina.com) |
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July 6, 2006 |
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The first promotional stills of
The Curse of Golden Flower is now available on Sina.com.
Beijing New Picture Film Co. has submitted an application for
representing China to compete for the Best Foreign Language Film of next
year's Oscar. Another historical epic
The Banquet is also aiming at getting the nomination.
Top-left: The imperial family - (left to right): the youngest prince
(Qin Junjie), the second oldest prince (Jay Chou), the empress (Gong
Li), the emperor (Chow Yun-Fat) and the oldest prince (Liu Ye).
Top-right: The emperor.
Bottom-left: The emperor forces his wife to drink a bow of medicine to
show that he is in charge of everything.
Bottom-right: The second oldest prince rises against his father.
Update: Hong Kong's Sing Pao Daily has another shot with Chow Yun-Fat
and Gong Li.
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More shots
from THE CURSE OF GOLDEN FLOWER Location
(Nanfang Metropolis Daily) |
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July 1, 2006 |
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(Nanfang Metropolis Daily) |
Click here for more
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Sony Pictures Classics Acquired Zhang
Yimou's CURSE OF THE GOLDEN FLOWER
(Movie City News) |
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June 26, 2006 |
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(Beijing
New Picture Film Co.) |
Sony
Picture Classics just announced, through a press release, that
it had acquired the North American and Latin American rights to
Zhang Yimou's
Curse of the Golden Flower,
previously known as The City of Golden Armor.
This should not be a surprise, since Sony has been the
distributor for almost all films by Zhang Yimou. Included in the
press release article, there is an oversimplified description of
the plot - "the volatile balance of power between the King
(Chow Yun Fat) and the Queen (Gong Li) and his three sons, which
entails betrayal, deceit and passion, pitting King against Queen
and father against sons." Currently still being shot in China,
the release date for Asia and the continent of America are
undetermined.
Click here for the press release article
(Thanks to "Marla" of AdmiringGongLi.com)
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A Closer Look
at the Assassins of Zhang Yimou's THE CURSE OF GOLDEN FLOWER
(...) |
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June 23, 2006 |
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During the shooting at "The Heavenly Pit" near Chongqing City, six cave
explorers and volunteer rescuers from the local "Outdoor Club" were
hired to double for the imperial assassins.
The cape explores took a few pictures of them at work and distributed
them to Chongqing Morning Post and Sina.com.
Their costumes are consists of four layers of clothing and body armors
made of ox hide, which makes them looked overweighed. Their weapons are
oversized sickles, quick and effective for making kills, supposedly.
They spent two full days to repeatedly lowing themselves from the cliff
for shots only would only last for a few seconds.
More pictures:
A
B
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THE CURSE OF
GOLDEN FLOWER Production Update
(MonkeyPeaches Exclusive) |
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June 17, 2006 |
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A platform
atop of a pole for a group wire scene. |
Several
stuntmen trying out
the wires. |
Crewmembers assembling
an
imperial cart. |
An imperial cart escorted by soldiers. |
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(Chongqing Economic Daily) |
Shooting of Zhang Yimou's The Curse of Golden Flower,
previously known as The City of Golden Armor, has
restarted at Wulong County's "Heavenly Pit" for four days. A
post is built at the bottom of a naturally formed funnel.
According to local newspaper Chongqing Economic Daily,
the plot is that the emperor (Chow Yun-Fat) sends dozens of
assassins to kill his second oldest son (Jay Chou), who has
risen against his father. At the center of the courtyard, there
is a platform built atop of a steel pole and dozens wire connect
the pole with nearby cliffs. In the first shot, about two dozen
assassins slid down to the center of the post while fighting
with someone, assumedly a stunt double for Jay Chou. Painting in
blue, the platform and the pole will be digitally removed during
the post-production. In the second shot, six assassins stood on
the side of a cliff, getting ready for their attack. In another
scene, the empress (Gong Li) arrives at the post along with her
maid (Li Man) and a minister (Ni Dahong).
More pictures:
A
B
C
D
E
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TV Special:
A Coup in THE CURSE OF GOLDEN FLOWER
(Sina.com) |
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June 7, 2006 |
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(Getty Image) |
Another short TV report by China's CCTV is
posted at Sina.com. It shows the shooting of a coup lead
by the second oldest prince, played by singer Jay Chou. A
remote-controlled "flying camera" leased from the States was
used for several aerial shots.
Click here for the clip.
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Latest on
CURSE OF THE GOLDEN FLOWER: The Set of Imperial Post
(MonkeyPeaches
Exclusive) |
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June 4, 2006 |
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(Chongqing Morning Post) |
According to Chongqing Morning Post,
filming of Zhang Yimou's Curse of the Golden Flower,
previously known as The City of Golden Armor, will begin
at the set of an imperial post later this month. The set is
built at the bottom of a naturally formed funnel called
"Heavenly Pit" in Wulong County, near the southwestern Chinese
city of Chongqing. The post is designed in the architectural
style of China's Tang Dynasty. In the center of the courtyard,
there is a steel pole attached with dozens steel cables
connected to the cliffs sounding the post. Purpose of the steel
pole and steel cable is known. The newspaper reports that the
production company has signed an agreement with the local authority
about how to protect the natural environment.
More photos of the set:
A
B
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More Spy Photos from THE CITY OF
GOLDEN ARMOR Set
(Sina.com) |
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May 18,
2006 |
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Chow
Yun-Fat (R) and Ni Dahong (R). |
Gong Li. |
The three
princes: (L to R)
Jay Chou,
Liu Ye and Qin Junjie. |
Director
Zhang Yimou (L) and Lou Ye (R). |
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(Getty Image) |
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Zhang Yimou's THE CITY OF GOLDEN
ARMOR Financed by Standard Chartered Bank
(MonkeyPeaches
Exclusive) |
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May 14, 2006 |
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(Edko Films) |
According to Screen Daily, Bill (William) Kong, one of the
producers of The City of Golden Armor, now marketed under the new
English title Curse of the Golden Flower, just signed a financing
deal with Standard Chartered Bank in Hong Kong, one of the biggest local
banks, listed on both
the Stock Exchange of Hong Kong and the London Stock Exchange.
Size of the deal is not revealed in the Screen Daily story, but
according to an anonymous e-mail sent to several Chinese newspapers, the
line of credit is US$10 millions. According to the Screen Daily story,
the cost of this project has reached US$45 million, a new record for
Chinese film industry.
This is not the first a Zhang Yimou movie receiving financing from a
foreign bank. Kong told Screen Daily that in the past he had helped
acquiring credit for Zhang's Hero and House of Flying Daggers
from US and European banks, such as French-based Natexis Banques
Populaires. Kong said this was "a significant milestone for Hong Kong,
China and the whole of Asia entertainment industry" and "an Asian
filmmaker, local bank financing provides an alternate mean to funding
movies that have historically been financed by private investors only."
In recent years, the Chinese film industry has produced many
multi-million dollar projects and none of them are financed by domestic
banks, which are generally incompetent of handling risk.
(Thanks to "Marla" of AdmiringGongLi.com for
the Screen Daily story.)
Title image: Director Zhang Yimou (L) and producer Zhang
Weiping on the set at Hengdian World Studio.
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More Spy Photos from THE CITY OF
GOLDEN ARMOR Set
(Sina.com) |
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May
11 2006 |
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(CFP) |
Left: (L to R) director Zhang Yimou, Gong Li, a crewmember and Liu Ye.
Right: The courtyard filled with fake flowers.
Click here for more.
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Shooting of THE CITY OF GOLDEN ARMOR
Restarts at Hengdian World Studios
(MonkeyPeaches Exclusive) |
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May
10 2006 |
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Gong Li
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Chrysanthemum flowers |
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(China
News Agency, Chutian Metropolis Daily) |
Production of Zhang Yimou's upcoming historical epic The City of Golden
Armor just restarted this Monday at
Hengdian World Studios.
The full-scale replica of major structures of Beijing's Forbidden City
has been modified to look like a palace from a different time. A giant
courtyard have been filled with about 250000 fake chrysanthemum flowers.
Chow Yun-Fat and Gong Li, who are playing the emperor and the empress,
have shown up yesterday to rehearse the scene of some ceremony. The same
courtyard will also host a battle scene between soldiers of two princes,
played by Liu Ye and Jay Chow.
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THE CITY OF GOLDEN ARMOR Adopts New
English Title?
(MonkeyPeaches Exclusive) |
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May
8 2006 |
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(Sina.com)
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Curse of the Golden Flower may have been adopted as the new
English title for Zhang Yimou's new film, previously known as The
City of Golden Armor. The new title was probably recommended by
Focus Features, which just helped reselling the film to 13 European
territories. Focus Features will being selling the film at the Cannes
market, which will open next week. The producers are hoping the deals
for the rights of other countries, especially the US, can be sealed
soon.
Focus zooms in on Zhang - pic pre-sold at Berlin
mart to 13 Euro territories
by Adam Dawtrey, Variety
(Thanks to "Marla" of AdmiringGongLi.com.)
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Zhang Yimou
Showcases His THE CITY OF GOLDEN ARMOR to the Americans
(MonkeyPeaches
Exclusive) |
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April 30,
2006 |
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Steven Spielberg and Oliver Stone
were invited to the set.
(Beijing New Picture Films) |
Steven Spielberg, Oliver Stone and
representatives of eight US film distributors have been invited
to the set of
The City of Golden Armor
at Beijing Film Studios. Photos and videos of Zhang Yimou
meeting with Spielberg and Stone have been distributed to the
media. According to Shanghai newspaper Jiefang Daily,
Zhang Yimou's partner producer Zhang Weiping said they were
trying to make a sale to the Americans. Since Ang Lee's
Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon,
action movies set in the ancient China have become quite
popular. Zhang Yimou quickly made
Hero
and
House of Flying Daggers,
to bank on such trend. Then came Chen Kaige's
The Promise.
The movie was exhibited at a lavish party last May in Cannes and
the Weinstein brothers picked up the distribution rights after
they watched an
11 minute promo reel. In December, while concluded the movie was
not strong enough to desire a full nationwide release in North
America, which was insisted by Chen Kaige, the brothers returned
their purchase to Chen. The movie was later picked up by Warnor
Independent Picture, which has arranged a limited release of it
in North America. The incident
has suddenly made the sales of
other Chinese period actioners somewhat difficult and Zhang
Yimou has to try a lot harder to sell his new movie to an
American distributor for a good price.
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THE CITY OF GOLDEN ARMOR Set Photos
(Sian.com) |
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April 19,
2006 |
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Chrysanthemum flowers |
Columns of the imperial palaces |
Siege vehicles |
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(Sina.com) |
A replica of Beijing's
Forbidden City, located
at
Hengdian World Studios,
is undergoing a major modification to make it look like a different
imperial residence from a different time.
More photos:
A newly constructed round-shape building:
A
B
Walls added to the set:
A
B
Columns covered with carvings:
A
B
C
About 600000 gold color chrysanthemum flowers will be used during the
filming:
A
"Passage for visitors":
A
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Video: THE CITY OF GOLDEN ARMOR Set
(Sina.com) |
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April 11, 2006 |
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(Sina.com)
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Set of an imperial post has been built at a place called "Heavenly Pit"
near China's southeastern city of Chongqing. Filming of The City of
Golden Armor, Zhang Yimou's third martial-art epic is currently underway
inside Beijing Film Studios.
Click here for the video clip.
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Jay Chou Had His Own THE CITY OF GOLDEN ARMOR
Press Conference
(Sina.com) |
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March 21, 2006 |
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(Sina.com)
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The second press conference was held for Jay Chou this morning at
Beijing Film Studios. Other attendants include director Zhang Yimou,
cinematographer
Zhao Xiaoding, costume designer
Yee Chung-Man and sound recordist
Tao Jing.
Clips:
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B
C
Left:
director Zhang Yimou (L), Jay Chou (M) and Yee Chung-Man.
More snapshots.
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THE CITY OF GOLDEN ARMOR Set Photos
(Sina.com) |
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March 18, 2006 |
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(Sina.com)
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These are taken at
Hengdian World Studios. The photo on
the left shows the a round shape structure being built; and the photo on
the right shows some movable set piece. Shooting at Beijing Film Studios
will end this month.
More about
The City of Golden Armor
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THE CITY OF GOLDEN ARMOR Spy Photos
(Sina.com / China News Agency) |
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March 13, 2006 |
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(Sina.com)
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Shooting of Zhang Yimou's
The City of Golden Armor
continues at the biggest soundstage of Beijing Film Studios. Several
photographers hid inside an nearby apartment building to take pictures
of anyone showing up and occasionally they sneaked into the soundstage
to take quick shots.
More shots:
A
B
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THE CITY OF GOLDEN ARMOR Press Conference
(Sina.com) |
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March 11, 2006 |
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(Sina.com)
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A press conference was held this morning at Beijing Film Academy.
From the
press conference:
Video (click the numbers below the
screen to select.)
Photos
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One More THE CITY OF GOLDEN ARMOR Design Sketches
(Sina.com) |
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March 10, 2006 |
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(Beijing
New Picture Film Co.)
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This is a design sketch for a courtesan, played by Li Man, the young
actress making her big screen d閎ut in the Zhang Yimou's film.
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Video: THE CITY OF GOLDEN ARMOR Set under
Construction
(Chongqing Economic Times / Sina.com) |
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March 8, 2006 |
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(Chongqing Economic Times) |
This short video was taken at
Hengdian World Studios,
where full-scale
replicas of all major buildings of
Beijing's
Forbidden City are faithfully built.
Workers are building additional structures designed specifically for the
movie, including a wall and a round-shape structure. The terrace and the
round-shape structure will be covered with gold color chrysanthemum
flowers for shooting a fight scene.
Click here for the video.
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Two More THE CITY OF GOLDEN ARMOR Design Sketches
(Sina.com) |
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March 7, 2006 |
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(Beijing
New Picture Film Co.)
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Two more character design sketches have been released during the
weekend.
Left: the
younger prince (Qin Junjie)
Right: the
minister (Ni Dahong) |
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More THE CITY OF GOLDEN ARMOR Design Sketches
(Sina.com / The Beijing News) |
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March 5, 2006 |
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(Top-left) The older prince (Liu Ye).
(Top-mid) The older prince's birth mother
(Chen Jin)
(Top-right and lower-left) The general (Jay
Chou).(Beijing
New Picture Film Co.)
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The Beijing News (a newspaper) has posted three more character
design sketches.
Design sketches
Building parts:
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B
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THE CITY OF GOLDEN ARMOR Design Sketches
(Sina.com) |
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February 28, 2006 |
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Zhang Yimou is a master of colors and the color he has chosen for the
film is gold. In fact, virtually everything in the movie is in gold
color - costumes, palaces, vehicles, weapons, armors and even armors for
horses. It is an golden empire about to collapse.
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THE CITY OF GOLDEN ARMOR Opening Ceremony
(MonkeyPeaches Exclusive) |
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February 24, 2006 |
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(L to R): Director Zhang Yimou, Chow Yun-Fat, Gong Li,
Chen Jin, Liu Ye, Qin Junjie, Li Man and Ni Dahong (?). |
Chow Yun-Fat and Gong Li. |
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(CETV) |
A small ceremony was held on the set of The City of Golden Armor,
marking the beginning of the principal production. All major cast
members, excluding Jay Chou, attended the ceremony.
Clip here for a TV report.
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A Star Will Born in THE CITY OF GOLDEN ARMOR
(MonkeyPeaches Exclusive) |
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February 22, 2006 |
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(Beijing
New Picture Film Co.) |
Beijing New Picture Film Co. has revealed the identity of the last major
cast member of Zhang Yimou's
The City of Golden Armor, 17
year old Li Man, and her photo has appeared on Sina.com. She will play
character who falls in love with the older prince. Li is currently a
student at Beijing Drama Academy, the same school both Gong Li and Zhang
Ziyi attended. Zhang Yimou is known for casting young women with little
acting experience and making them household names instantly.
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THE CITY OF GOLDEN ARMOR Shooting Begins Tomorrow
(MonkeyPeaches Exclusive) |
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February 21, 2006 |
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Zhang Yimou |
Chow Yun-Fat |
Gong Li |
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(Block
2 Pictures
/ Shanghai Film Group Corp.,?) |
In a letter sent to the Chinese media today,
Beijing New Picture Film Co. has revealed that shooting of
this film will begin tomorrow at Beijing Film Studios. The
first scene will be made at a palace interior built inside a soundstage.
Both Chow Yun-Fat, playing the emperor, and Gong Li, playing the
empress, will be in the scene. Chow Yun-Fat arrived in Beijing yesterday
with a very nicely trimmed beard.
Click here for a picture of Chow Yun-Fat at
Beijing Capital Airport yesterday (Taken by Oriental Morning
Post). According to
IMDB, this film's English title is
The City of Golden Armor
and its Chinese title remains as
Man Cheng Jin Dai Huang Jin Jia
(To Fill the City with Golden Armors). If I were to pick an English
title for it, I would simply called it "Golden". Any thought?
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GOLDEN ARMORS in Lavish P reproduction
(MonkeyPeaches Exclusive) |
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February 18, 2006 |
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The courtyard in front of the Hall of
Supreme Harmony, Hengdian World Studios. (HengdianWorld.com) |
A Tang Dynasty post built for the movie.
(Chongqing Morning Post) More:
A
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According to several Chinese newspapers, there are about 3000 workers
are now working on the preparation of the movie at
Hengdian World Studios. Some big scenes
will be shot at the sector which contains full-scale replicas of all
major buildings of Beijing's
Forbidden City. Certain level of
modifications on these building are needed because the Forbidden City,
which was the imperial palace compound during the Ming Dynasty and Qing
Dynasty, was built in the 14th Century and the story of the movie
occurred during the Tang Dynasty (7th - 9th Century). The architectural
styles of these two periods are different. Three walls decorated with
large numbers of frescoes are in construction and at the center of the
courtyard in front of the replicated Hall of Supreme Harmony, a large
size and round shape stage is being built. About 3 million gold color
chrysanthemum flowers and about 1.1fake
chrysanthemum
flowers have been ordered to fill the replicated Forbidden City. The
production team has promised to properly dispose these flowers after the
shooting is done. They will be put for other uses, which will cause no
harm to the environment. About 20,000 suits of armors have been
manufactured for the imperial soldiers and horses. The art department
built four combat vehicles, each of which is 6 meters long and 2 meters
wide. Number of such vehicles will be increased to 40 through CG effect.
In this historical epic, Chow Yun-Fat will play the Emperor, Gong Li
will play the Empress, Liu Ye will play the older prince Yuanxiang, Jay
Chow will play the younger prince Yuanchao and an unidentified young
actress will play Jiang E. Shooting will begin next Monday or Tuesday
inside a soundstage at Beijing Film Studios.
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Singer Jay Chou Joins Zhang Yimou's
GOLDEN ARMORS?
(MonkeyPeaches
Exclusive) |
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February 13, 2006 |
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(Media Asia) |
According to Shanghai Youth Daily, Taiwan-born singer Jay Chou
has been cast to play a supporting role in Zhang Yimou's upcoming period
epic Golden Armors (Fill the City with Golden Armors).
Reportedly, he will play the son of the emperor (Chow Yun-Fat) and the
empress (Gong Li). Jay Chou just had his acting d閎ut last year in the
silver screen version of Japanese comic series Initial D.
Related stories:
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Cast |
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CHOW Yun-Fat |
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The
emperor |
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GONG Li |
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The
empress |
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Jay CHOU |
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The second oldest prince |
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LIU Ye |
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The oldest
prince |
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CHEN Jin |
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LI Man |
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QIN Junjie |
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The
younger prince |
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NI Dahong |
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The minister |
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