Curse of the Golden Flower

A 2006 Chinese film directed by Zhang Yimou (of Hero and House of Flying Daggers fame) Curse of the Golden Flower follows the imperial family in the Forbidden City and the various wheels within wheels they have going against each other.

The film is notable for its exquisite use of color, Mind Screw inducing visuals and epic battles. Curse managed to pick up an Academy Award nomination (for costuming). It's also one of the few Chinese films to use a visual metaphor for the Tiananmen Square uprising and get away with it.


 * Anti-Hero: The Empress.
 * Authority Equals Asskicking: Everyone with a position of authority is more badass than the individual soldiers. They seem to be badass in perfect relation to their level of authority, with the Emperor being the toughest guy in China.
 * Break the Cutie: Chan's last ten or so minutes on screen result in her literally running screaming into the night.
 * Broken Bird:
 * The imperial doctor's wife.
 * The Empress as well, as she does her best to appear cold and calculating, but she is terribly afraid and alone inside.
 * Brother-Sister Incest:, though they don't know it. Whoops.
 * Color Coded for Your Convenience: The Empress has red-clad guardsman as well as a golden army of rebels. The Emperor has black-clad ninja-esque guards as well as a silver army.
 * Conspicuous CG: Prince Jai and the Emperor's armies specifically.
 * Curb Stomp Battle: The golden army does pretty good, killing all the ninjas without much trouble. ...
 * Deadly Decadent Court: Deadly enough to kill off
 * Does This Remind You of Anything?: After, the bodies are cleared away and the smashed flower pots are replaced with fresh ones, making it appear that nothing happened.
 * Driven to Suicide: Twice,.
 * Don't Make Me Take My Belt Off:.
 * Downer Ending: You could see from the beginning that this story wouldn't have a happy ending. Major death and misery is foreshadowed from the start.
 * Fan Service: Chinese historical epics rarely have this much constant, gratuitous cleavage.
 * Extreme Melee Revenge: After  his father . His creepy little laugh doesn't help.
 * Gambit Pileup: The climax of the movie.
 * Hot Mom: The Empress. Then again, she is played by Gong Li...
 * Impossibly Cool Clothes: To match the impossibly cool decor of the Imperial Palace. The climax also involves soldiers armored in silver and gold.
 * Improbable Weapon User: The Imperial Doctor uses his large golden spatula to defend his family from Imperial Ninjas.
 * He doesn't do very well with it.
 * Instant Awesome, Just Add Ninja: Although the film is set in China, the Emperor's black-clad guardsmen are obviously inspired by cinema ninja.
 * Jerkass: The Emperor is perhaps one of the biggest jerkasses ever.
 * Laughing Mad: The Emperor after his third son's
 * Law of Chromatic Superiority: The Empress's red-armored guards are one of the two groups of soldiers that can take on the Emperor's ninjas, the other being Jai and the captains of his golden army that we see later in the movie.
 * Maid Corps: The Imperial Palace is staffed by literally regiments of beautifully gowned young women.
 * Mama Bear: The First Empress..
 * Missing Mom: Wan's mother died when he was very young, and he doesn't remember her.
 * Not Blood Related: but the Squick is still very much present in their relationship.
 * Offing the Offspring:.
 * Oh Crap: A couple of times...
 * Perfect Poison:
 * Poison Is Corrosive: The Empress flinging the  after the climax of the movie, the splash somehow instantly corodes the table's engraved wooden chrysanthemum.
 * Pyrrhic Victory:
 * Rain of Arrows: Part of the Curb Stomp Battle
 * Redshirt Army:.
 * The Reveal: Several in a row.
 * Royally Screwed-Up:
 * Sanity Slippage
 * Scenery Porn: In all of its technicolor, rainbow, golden, Imperial Palace glory.
 * Shoot the Shaggy Dog:.
 * Soap Opera Disease: Subverted by the Empress.
 * Stepford Smiler:.
 * Take a Third Option: Prince Jai.
 * The Unfavorite: Prince Yu..
 * Xanatos Gambit:
 * The Emperor knew everything. Your scheme? He was on to it from the start. Your accomplices? He was the one who let your letters get to them. That time you stubbed your toe? He was watching!
 * Despite this, it's clear that there were a few elements he failed to predict, especially.