Retro Film Review: Banquet (2006)

China has been striving to establish itself as a global force in the film industry over the past few decades, much like in other sectors of the economy. This trend in early 21st Century reflected with large number of increasingly lavish and ambitious Chinese historical spectacles aimed at overshadowing the previously unrivaled Hollywood blockbusters.

This does not always result in significant success, but even China's misfires in this arena were generally more interesting than the dross offered by a creatively exhausted Hollywood. One example is The Banquet, 2006 film by Feng Xiaogang, which unsuccessfully competed as Hong Kong's candidate for the Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film last year, facing off against the Curse of the Golden Flower, which represented mainland China.

The film's plot unfolds in the 10th century when the powerful Chinese empire under the Tang dynasty fragmented into a series of warring dynasties and states. Young Wu Luan (played by Daniel Wu), the nominal crown prince, faces other challenges. His childhood love, "Little Wan" (played by Zhang Ziyi), a lady-in-waiting, has been taken as a new wife by his father. Heartbroken, Wu Luan leaves the court to pursue acting and dancing. When his father is poisoned and killed by his brother Li (played by Li You), who takes the throne, Wu Luan must confront the fact that Wan is new empress. After evading Li's assassins, Wu Luan returns to the court and becomes engaged to lady-in-waiting Qing Nu (played by Zhou Xun), the daughter of Li's minister Yin Taichang (played by Ma Jingwu), who is plotting to overthrow Li.

Viewers who prefer style over substance will find plenty to appreciate in The Banquet. It is evident that large budget was invested in this film, reflected in one of the largest film sets ever constructed, a detailed and faithful reconstruction of a Tang dynasty palace. Alongside the plenty of scenic details and costumes, and the evocative music by Tan Dun (known to audiences from Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon and Hero), there is also the renowned Yuen Woo-Ping, famous for his martial arts choreography in The Matrix who staged the action sequences in this film.

However, as soon as more attention is paid to the plot and characters, it becomes clear that the at least some components of The Banquet are rotten. First and foremost is the screenplay, which openly aims to be a sort of Chinese version of Hamlet, making it relatively easy for viewers to recognize the characters of the Danish prince, Gertrude, Claudius, Ophelia, Polonius, and Laertes.

On the other hand, while the script sometimes mechanically lifts scenes and characters from Shakespeare's play, in other instances it diverges from the original, often with confusing results. This is perhaps most evident in the film's weak and unconvincing conclusion. Director Feng Xiaogang, on the other hand, sometimes overdoes the effort to make the film "artistic," particularly evident in the opening fight scene, which at times feels like a self-parody of "avant-garde" cinema.

This attempt to merge Shakespeare with Eastern tradition has not succeeded, and disappointment will inevitably lead to comparisons with Kurosawa, who had far more success with such endeavors. Nonetheless, the film can still be recommended to both fans of historical melodramas and enthusiasts of Asian cinema, with Zhang Ziyi, one of the most beautiful women in world cinema, delivering a commendable performance in a thankless role.

RATING: 5/10 (++)

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