满城金带黄金甲

Quite a dark movie to me. 慢性毒害, 不择手段, 淫乱私情, 乱伦, 手足相残, 满门杀害 !!! Not sure if lavish is the word to use, maybe too modest. The setup, costumes and detailed court procedures were very lavish. Except for Chow Yun Fatt and Jay Chou's beard/goatee, almost everything is in GOLDEN GOLD or bright red.

Plot is quite typical. Here it goes, Chow Yun Fatt married Gong Li because she was the princess of 梁国. He was a small official then, and was married to another woman who he had a son with.
Due to his need to climb and become emperor, he ordered this woman and her family to be killed.

So now, emperor and had 2 sons with Gong Li. And somehow, Gong Li had an illicit affair with the elder son, which is not her flesh and blood. Knowing this, Chow began slowly poisoning her. The process of getting her to drink the medicine hourly is quite annoying !

The second son, Jay Chou was sent away for training as Chow hopes he can become the new prince. Gong Li with the help of the woman, knew Chow was poisoning her, so she decided to upstage Chow on the night of 重阳. She asked Jay for help, knowing that Chow was poisoning her slowly, he agreed.

The elder prince knew about this through the daughter, 蒋蝉 of the imperial physician who he had an affair with. He was shocked and return to question Gong Li, knewing that if there was an upstage, he being the current Prince, will be the main suspect to be behind this !

This type of movie needs twists. So during 重阳's night, it all came. Chow ordered his "dark" soldiers to kill the imperial physician whole family, the "Low Kun" died, but the daughter who left early to come and look for the elder prince didn't know what was happening. So the mother, which happens to be Chow's first wife, chased her back to the court.

So, barging in, the woman question Chow of so 心狠手辣 to have all of them killed.


Gong Li who has been saving them along the way, took the chance and reveal it all. The elder prince knewing that she was his mother was shocked, asking Chow why he bluffed him !!!

But then, most important !!! The girl he was flinging with was his sister !!! The girl knewing this for the first time, went hysterical, ran out. Mother chased, time for them to die.

But then, came a little detail which we didn't really expect. The youngest son, which somehow was evesdropping daily, here and there, knew about everything. He was naive and blinded by jealously. He piecred his elder brother from the back with a swift stroke, being injured, the elder brother did nothing.

Chow and Gong Li was stunned. Chow was really mad, the "xiao gin na" attacked Chow. Chow took his hair pin and stabbed his hand, the sword dropped on the ground. He gave him a power slap, he felled on the ground. Crawling away, without any weapon, Chow release his belt. If you think being hit by a leather belt was hiong, think again.

Chow belt him with his "golden belt", told you everything is gold. But then he seems to be okay leh, Orrrrr ... he wearing a protective armour below. So bo bian lorr ... he belt him on his face repeatedly till the son died. Hai ... didn't show his face leh.

Then came the final showdown, the golden army led by Jay. Quite a scene, I must say. Chow already knew this, was prepared. Jay was no match for his army. Gong Li's plan failed. Chow offered a lifeline for Jay is he is ready to serve and ensure his mother take the medicine hourly from now onwards, he will be spared.

Of course, unwilling, he took his own life with a swift stroke to his own neck.

Moment of the movie :
Must be the scenes where the ladies of the movie, mainly Gong Li and 蒋蝉 with the awe-inspiring way of how the bosom was presented to the audience.

7/10 for this 张艺谋's flick.