Thanks to the repeats of Foxtel I am about to line up for my third viewing of The Curse of the Golden Flower. How can I not? This time Foxtel has preceded the viewing with The Making of... Apparently, the crowd scenes which look like a cast of millions to me are only a cast of thousands. But the costumes, the colour, the lights, the sets, the action! This is the most expensive Chinese movie ever - and I think they get more bang for their buck in Beijing than in Los Angeles. The promo has just said that if you love House of Flying Daggers, you will love this. How tantalising! But I loved House of Flying Daggers. I came out of the theatre after that movie thinking that I didn't really need to see another movie ever again - because it had everything.
The director of both movies is Zhang Yimou. I have not seen all of Zhang's work - but who can forget that beautiful and poignant movie, Raise the Red Lantern with the magnificent and beautiful Gong Li who stars again in Golden Flower. And who can forget his production of Turandot at the Forbidden City? And as if all this wonderment was not enough, Zhang has been selected to produce the Opening and Closing Ceremonies at the 2008 Olympics in Beijing.
