In a Nutshell. Mini reviews of movies old and new. No fuss. No spoilers. And often no sleep.

Monday, 3 October 2011

The Banquet (2006)

aka:  Legend of the Black Scorpion / aka: Ye yan

The Tang Dynasty Royal court is in disarray following the death of the Emperor, and foul play is never far away.
The Banquet is a lavish historical piece that will either astonish or bore depending on your disposition. It takes much of its aesthetic cues from Zhang Yimou’s wuxia trilogy and adds a tragedy element that leaves you in no doubt as to its Shakespearean influences.
A balletic sequence near the beginning proves yet again that Woo-ping's choreography is as inherently graceful as it is dramatic.

4 swords that make noise in empty air out of 5

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