A Sumptuous yet Unsatisfying Banquet

The Banquet is this year's epic film release from China. Like Hero, House of Flying Daggers, and The Promise, it is filled with gorgeous visuals, slow motion action sequences, and a stellar cast, headed by Zhang Ziyi as the Empress Wan, and Daniel Wu as Crown Prince Wu Luan, whose father was assassinated by his uncle Li (Ge You) before the movie begins. The story has a Shakespearian feel, and that is because it is strongly influenced by but not an adaptation of Hamlet. The common thread in both is the revenge of the son on the new ruler, but the bloodlines have been made more complicated in The Banquet by making Wan a childhood friend and potential lover to Wu Luan, who was forced to marry his father, and is now the object of Emperor Li's desires. Li has established his rule, but Wan, in trying to reach Wu Luan (in seclusion, pursuing an artistic life as a performer), made his whereabouts known, and Li sends a band of assassins to kill him. They fail. Wu Luan does return to the palace, to see his uncle, but also to see his love, Quing Nu (Zhou Xun), who was to be betrothed to him, but because of the new regime, is being asked by her father to abandon her love, for the family's sake. Wan becomes Li's lover and Empress, bowing down to him in a tense court scene where one of Li's generals makes the fatal mistake of acknowledging Wan as Li's superior in the line of rule. The general is beaten to death in a public display. Wan, who still loves Wu Luan, meets with him privately, but Wu Luan is disgusted by the corruption and lust for power that has overcome her; she is no longer his little Wan, and she acknowledges that she has trouble remembering her real name. During the ceremony where Wan becomes Empress and Li's consort, Wu Luan is asked to do a performance showcasing his swordsmanship. The display becomes something more when one of the guards switches the wooden sword for a real one, and tries to kill Wu Luan. But Wan prevents this from happening, and the assassination attempt is thwarted. Wu Luan is sent to a neighboring country to be an ambassador, but it is a set up to have him killed in the snowy northern region. They are thwarted again, this time by Quing Nu's brother and his men. Li decides to hold a banquet, "inviting" the lords and ladies of the country to attend, or be killed as traitors. Wan has decided to plot against her lord by drugging his cup with poison, but before he drinks from it, a surprise request is made by Quing Nu, who publicly declares her love for Wu Luan in a song and dance. Li is moved by her performance, and gives her the cup to drink. She does, and dies. One of the dancers performing with her removes his mask, and reveals himself to be Wu Luan. Li is stunned by this betrayed by the woman he loves, and kills himself before Wu Luan could storm past the guards to slay him. Wan, triumphant, wants to declare Wu Luan the new Emperor, but he is horrified by the title, and resists. Quing Nu's brother attempts to kill Wan, but Wu Luan stops him by grabbing the sword by the blade, and Wan kills him. The blade is poisoned, and to Wan's horror Wu Luan dies. Wan is left both miserable and elated at being ruler of all China, yet she is killed herself by an unknown assassin.

I was really looking forward to seeing this film, having seen the previews and online press releases. However, having watched it, I see it as another big budget epic that falls short of its expectations. Of all the films I have mentioned earlier, I think Hero is the only one which has grown better upon repeated viewing . One problem is the choice of actors. I think Daniel Wu is miscast, because I don't think he can convey effectively the range of emotions needed in this role -- he's too much a "pretty face," like Tom Cruise. Zhang Ziyi, a very fine actress, seems a bit handicapped with her role, which was required to be a facade for her character's true intents for most of the film. She ends up being a visual object, a feast for the eyes like most everything in the film, and only in the last scene of the movie do you feel she can "breathe." And perhaps that is the object of the film, to be a highly mannered movie where everyone is confined by power politics and rituals of the Imperial court. But it is too restrained. The stunning and rich visuals overwhelm by their opulence. The color schemes and lighting are worked very hard to focus on the essentials, but it still distracts and at times competes with the actors. Most of all, I think the direction is mediocre. The action sequences are too composed, the courtroom drama feels very distant, the juxtaposition of several scenes are awkward - Wan's bedroom scene with Li while cutting back to Wu Luan's scene with his father's empty armor, for instance. The movie is very rigid, suffocating its actors, the scenes and preventing the viewer from being emotionally involved in the film. Asian film buffs will certainly want to see it, but better films have been made -- check out any of King Hu's films from the 60's and 70's, for example. For the casual viewer, this two hour epic will make you tired and restless.