I saw the Chinese film Curse of the Golden Flower directed hang Yimou today. It had received good media reviews after its first screening. But I did not like the film. I am not to say that the film is bad. The film has most of the good ingredients: like good sets, good cinematography, well-choreographed battle scenes and excellent acting. But somewhere along the line, all those provide the film an aura of artificiality. But the film received thunderous applause from the not-so-houseful crowd.
The film is about the life and times of a king and a queen in an old Chinese dynasty. We got to see palace intrigues, conspiracies and a bit of illicit relationships. I don’t know this is a different version of an actual historical incident. But I think the film is not for those like me who prefer realistic movies. Some of the battle scenes are almost like the stunt scenes in a James Bond movie.
The signature film of the festival is making a lot of news off the screen. Yesterday, noted Malayalam director T.V. Chandran demanded withdrawal of the signature film. Today, Madhu Iravankara, an award-winning film critic, and V.K. Joseph, a higher official in the festival organizing committee, have written articles in the festival bulletin in defense of the signature film, which has been consistently booed at all the venues. They criticized the attitude of the audience who boo the signature film.
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