In the Tang dynasty of China (circa the 9th century), intrigue runs rampant in the imperial palace, where evey member of the royal family has secrets they are harboring.
I really liked this movie. But then, I am a sucker for period pieces, as I mentioned before. Especially China, which I think is because of my love for the book and video game series Romance of the Three Kingdoms.
Chow Yun-Fat and Gong Li lead the cast. The emperor, empress, the three princes all have personal secrets and secret agendas, not to mention members of the court, who also have their own plans.
The sets are awesome. A good number of fight sequences ranging from one on one up to full army battles. The costuming is beyond belief, with the main actors being dressed in up to six layers, and all of the outfits hand sewn. I guess it took forty people over two months do do.
Ancient Chinese proverb: "Gold and jade on the outside, rot and decay on the inside."