History Film / CurseOfTheGoldenFlower

* {{Fanservice}}: Chinese historical epics rarely have this much constant, gratuitous cleavage. Chan's tank top does heroic duty.

* InducedHypochondria: Played for drama, and used as a form of domestic abuse. The empress doesn't believe she is ill, but try telling anybody else that.

* {{Fanservice}}: Chinese historical epics rarely have this much constant, gratuitous cleavage.

* BetterToDieThanBeKilled: [[spoiler: Jai cuts his throat rather than be torn apart by horses.]]

* EunuchsAreEvil: Invoked, when a eunuch working for the empress appears before Chan and her mother. His actual role is too small to really count as evil.

* LonelyRichKid: Everyone of the princes is this.

* TheReveal: Several in a row.

* SanitySlippage [[spoiler: The effect of the poison.]]

* SoapOperaDisease: Subverted by the Empress [[spoiler:as she's actually being poisoned]].

* StarCrossedLovers: Wan and Chan, because he's the Crown Prince and she's only a lady in waiting. [[spoiler: And most of all htey are ''siblings''.]]

* DrivenToSuicide: Twice, one botched.

* DrivenToSuicide: [[spoiler: Jai kills himself so he won't have to poison his mother or be executed painfully.]]

* CurbStompBattle: The golden army does pretty good, killing all the ninjas without much trouble.[[spoiler: Then they run into the Imperial Guards, [[OhCrap the doors behind them slam shut]] and the giant shields start moving...

* CurbStompBattle: The golden army does pretty good, killing all the ninjas without much trouble.[[spoiler: Then they run into the Imperial Guards, [[OhCrap the doors behind them slam shut]]]] and the giant shields start moving...

* CurbStompBattle: The golden army does pretty good, killing all the ninjas without much trouble.[[spoiler: Then they run into the Imperial Guards, [[OhCrap and the doors behind them slam shut]]]]...

* HotMom: The Empress, who is the mother to the two younger princes Jai and Yu and [[spoiler: has an affair with her stepson Wan, who is not much older than his younger brothers]]. Wow, she should have married at very young age. Then again, she ''is'' played by Creator/GongLi...

** Which isn't all that surprising considering ninja actually originated in China.

* GorgeousPeriodDress: Hey, it's a movie about the imperail China.

* TheEvilPrince: Subverted with Jai, who tries to take over the throne only to save his mother. Maybe [[spoiler: played straight with Yu, [[ TheUnfavorite but can you blame him?]] ]]

* SensitiveGuyManlyMan: Jai is the manly one to Wan and Yu's sensitive guys.

* HotMom: The Empress, who is the mother to the two younger princes Jai and Yu. Then again, she ''is'' played by Creator/GongLi...

The film is notable for its exquisite use of color, MindScrew inducing visuals and epic battles, as well as ChowYunFat and GongLi starring as the royal couple. It managed to pick up an Academy Award nomination (for costuming). It's also one of the few Chinese films to [[GettingCrapPastTheRadar use a visual metaphor for the Tiananmen Square uprising and get away with it]]. It is often compared with ''Film/LegendOfTheBlackScorpion''.

* HotMom: The Empress, who is the mother to the two younger princes Jai and Yu. Then again, she ''is'' played by Gong Li...

* YoureInsane: Often leveled at the empress.

[[quoteright:350:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/curseofthegoldenflower_1926.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:350:Unspeakable secrets are hidden within the Forbidden City.]]

A 2006 Chinese film directed by ZhangYimou (of ''Film/{{Hero}}'' and ''HouseOfFlyingDaggers'' fame), ''Curse of the Golden Flower'' follows the imperial family in the Forbidden City and the various [[GambitPileup wheels within wheels]] they have going against each other.

In the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period, TheEmperor has been away at war for three years, along with his second son, [[WarriorPrince Prince Jai]]. They return to the Forbidden City as the Chrysanthemum Festival approaches, and soon plots, old secrets, and family dynamics all come out of the woodwork. The emperor is thinking of naming a new successor. The crown prince, Wan, is having an affair with his [[ParentalIncest stepmother]] and the imperial doctor's daughter. The doctor's daughter, Chan, has been adding a new ingredient to the empress's medicine. The empress, believed to be suffering from anemia for years, is suddenly getting much worse. Not to mention she has taken on a mountain of embroidery that she insists must be finished in time for the festival. And no one pays any attention to the youngest prince, Yu.

In the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period, the emperor has been away at war for three years, along with his second son, Prince Jai. They return to the Forbidden City as the Chrysanthemum Festival approaches, and soon plots, old secrets, and family dynamics all come out of the woodwork. The emperor is thinking of naming a new successor. The crown prince, Wan, is having an affair with his stepmother and the imperial doctor's daughter. The doctor's daughter, Chan, has been adding a new ingredient to the empress's medicine. The empress, believed to be suffering from anemia for years, is suddenly getting much worse. Not to mention she has taken on a mountain of embroidery that she insists must be finished in time for the festival. And no one pays any attention to the youngest prince, Yu.

* TheCoatComesOff: When the emperor gets serious.

* InducedHypochondria: Played for drama, and used as a form of domestic abuse. The empress doesn't believe she is ill, but try telling anybody else that.

* OneDialogueTwoConversations: Everywhere, particularly between characters who hate each other. Usually the subtext is some kind of YouKnowIKnow.

* YouKnowIKnow: Not that this stops anybody from going through with their plans.

* IKnowYouKnow: Not that this stops anybody from going through with their plans.

* OneDialogueTwoConversations: Everywhere, particularly between characters who hate each other. Usually the subtext is some kind of IKnowYouKnow.

The film is notable for its exquisite use of color, MindScrew inducing visuals and epic battles. It managed to pick up an Academy Award nomination (for costuming). It's also one of the few Chinese films to [[GettingCrapPastTheRadar use a visual metaphor for the Tiananmen Square uprising and get away with it]]. It is often compared with ''Film/LegendOfTheBlackScorpion''.