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Just perfect...

The best films of this genre always show a path and provide a takeaway for being a better person.

It is neither dumb nor smart enough to be fun, and spends way too much time with its boring human characters.

Although I seem to have had higher expectations than I thought, the movie is super entertaining.

The Emperor (Chow Yun-fat) returns with his second son, the Empress's first son, Prince Jai (Jay Chou) after a northern campaign. The Empress (Gong Li) has been having an affair with her stepson Crown Prince Wan (Liu Ye), the emperor's first son. She's planning to overthrow the Emperor but he's been slowly poisoning her. It's palace full of intrigue as the youngest Prince Yu arrives.The brightly-colored grand sets and costumes set this off. Although it can be a distraction. Some of the action is great. The final battle is a massive color explosion. The melodrama is over the top. Everything is over the top. None of the characters are appealing. It's hard to care about any of them. This is interesting to look at but not that compelling to watch.

Set within the confines of a royal family within the Tang Dynasty (600-900AD), every aspect of the world portrayed in this epic masterpiece is alien and powerful.The acting is flawless and the editing clean. Every scene is exquisite. The attention to detail, intricate costumes and tremendous sets are lavishing for the eyes -- and actually quite refreshing. The score compliments the atmosphere perfectly. The battle scenes are artful, realistic, intelligent, and are not overly drawn out. The story is complicated and is certainly worthy of the attention it requires. Tragic, lonely, tense, powerful.The trailer misrepresents this film as another action flick. Though there is action, this is a complicated and rewarding drama. This misrepresentation may be why the IMDb score is so low (the wrong crowd were drawn in by the trailer).I commend director Zhang Yimou for this exceptional piece. I only wish it were longer. 9/10

Yes, this is a visually beautiful film. The manipulations of the entitled classes is the main plot point. The ending is not at all positive or happy. I know life is not always pleasant, but it is amazing to realize how much of life's unhappiness is artificially caused by those in power. To me the bad guy in this drama is merely an *******. Same as Henry the 8th and all those who abuse power. I was disappointed in this movie, but I can see how others might find it a beautiful, even a great film. I have another kind of movie that I would like to make.

The title refers to the Chrysanthemum flowers filling the Imperial Palace as the Emporer returns from the battlefields with his son, the general, Prince Jai. While on the road for three years, the Empress(sexy Gong Li) has been messing around with her stepson, Crown Prince Wan. He, meanwhile, has another girl, Jiang Chan, the Impetial Doctor's daughter, on the side. Intrigue follows, as the Emporer orders the doc to poison his cheating wife. Many family secrets unfold along the way, and the plots become Borgia like in their scope. Shakespeare's dramas also come to mind, with the twists and turns of the story. The thousands of bright yellow flowers, the palace, and the costumes provide an epic feast for the eyes. Curse of the Golden Flower is at the upper level of historical dramas.