Curse Of The Golden Flower: Colour, Symbolism and Emotion

Curse Of The Golden Flower (2006) Zhang Yimou

Yet again, Zhang Yimou has delivered another visually satisfying martial arts drama. Curse Of The Golden Flower is set in the late Tang Dynasty in A.D. 928 China and evolves around the themes of betrayal and dysfunction - a rotting marriage of a cruel emperor and his wife, and a battle for power.

At the beginning of the film, the audience is drowned in awe by the intense attention to detail and rich colour, the majority of the film is based in the palace of mostly gold and red. Zhang Yimou, known for his artistic play on colour, uses the primary colours of red and yellow throughout the film to portray the sheer power of the characters.  From the beginning to the end, the path to destruction is paved with gold. It seems the director has found the application of color a way of replacing emotional expression. The gold creates a radiant, lustrous atmosphere.

In Chinese Culture, red symbolises good fortune, joy and happiness, whilst gold/yellow symbolises neutrality and good luck - yellow was also the colour of Imperial China and is held as the symbolic colour of the five legendary emperors. Ironically, this film brings the opposite of good fortune, joy and happiness - etched within the walls of gold, is much pain and suffering. The appearance of everything in this film is beautiful, but the people are tainted, their morals and personalities morphed with evil.

The first character we are introduced to is the Empress.

The makeup and hair styling is perfection, the gold that she wears, even on her lips suggests the sheer amount of power she in capable of. The straight eyebrows give her an youthful appearance, but also mask some emotion, at this point the audience are still guessing if they are witnessing a villain. The eyes and lip makeup uses more of a copper shade to compliment the overall gold.

The Emperor uses poison disguised as medicine to cause the Empress to eventually go insane and when his wife refuses to take her 'medicine', he orders his son to be the one who feeds her it, in the final scene of the film, he refuses by ending his own life. Again, here is a play on colour, the medicine is served in a green tinted glass cup, which makes the liquid appear a dark green colour. Anything dark green as a liquid does not appear appetising and the dark green liquid in western culture is commonly associated with poison or rotting meats.

Here, we see that the maid is putting a chrysanthemum in the Empress's hair. In China, chrysanthemums symbolise long life and duration and are associated with the ninth lunar month. The chrysanthemum symbol pops up throughout the film, used with greater irony every time. The film takes the chrysanthemum symbol to new levels with the breath taking sea of chrysanthemums surrounding the palace. At first you see nothing but beautiful flowers but at a closer look, this golden flower is a symbol of rebellion, the main archetype in the film - hence the film's title Curse Of The Golden Flower. Therefore, when the Empress wears a chrysanthemum on in her hair, she reveals her determination to resist her husbands rule.

Each day, in front of your father, I have to feign ignorance. Every two hours, I swallow this poison without protest. Nobody knows what is happening. I shall die exactly as your father intends. A half-wit. But I refuse to submit without a fight. On the night of the Festival, I shall put an end to all this.

- Empress Phoenix 

We don't need introducing to the emperor, in his golden armour, we see the power that he holds. The golden amour appears to be indestructible and we can appreciate the fantastic attention to detail on the suit, from dragons to phoenixes. In a 2007 interview with Zhang Yimou, he explains that gold is the colour of the Emperor, therefore gold is adapted to all costume designs.

It took me a while to notice that the Emperors eyes were a grey colour - the actor playing the Emperor (Chow Yun Fat) has naturally dark brown eyes. Grey contacts may have been applied to either show his deterioration with age and his losing of power or to signal the coldness in his character. In the screenshot below, his grey eyes and lazy expression really convey an apathetic attitude.

Below we can see that the chrysanthemum symbol has once again been used, this time embroidered onto the soldiers scarfs as they run into battle, only to be tainted red. Zhang Yimou often places a major and obvious symbol throughout the film. In Raise the Red Lantern, the major symbol was the red lantern, and in Hero, the major symbol was the word for sword. In Curse of the Golden Flower, the major symbol is the chrysanthemum. Zhang utilizes this as a constant symbol for the theme of the intricacy of betrayal and its consequences. It is present throughout the movie on props, and is blatantly stated in the title (similar to Raise the Red Lantern).

The end of the film is left open - there is no resolution, it is just the end. We just know that the chrysanthemum festival has been ruined. In the banquet scene, the Emperor explains:

The terrace is round, the table is square. What do they represent? That represents the Heaven is round, and the Earth is square. The law of the heavens… dictates the rule of earthly life. Under the circle, within the square, everyone has his proper placement. This is called natural law. Emperor, Courtier, Father, Son…loyalty, filial piety, ritual and righteousness… All relationships obey natural law. - The Emperor 

In the last scene of the film, we see the Empress fling the medicine into the air, and as it lands on to the centre of the table, it burns the material and turns it black - revealing the poison. This is symbolic, it destroys the Emperors idea of the law of heavens and natural law. Throwing away the medicine shows her defiance, and she even though she is crushed in every way, she doesn't submit to his rules.

Curse Of The Golden Flower - Ending Scene

Bibliography

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/12/21/movies/21flow.html?_r=0
http://shakespeare-gesellschaft.de/publikationen/seminar/ausgabe2008/sunny-tien.html

What does it take to become a star. Farewell My Concubine.

Available from: filmfestival.wm.edu

Last Accessed 16/08/2014

Farewell My Concubine is a 1993 Chinese drama film directed by Chen Kaige. The story evolves and explores the effect of China's political disorder during the mid 20th century on the lives of the individuals, families and societies. Farewell My Concubine spans 53 years, presenting the lives of two men during the Japanese invasion of China in the 1930s and the victory of the Communists in 1949. Running through the film is the Peking Opera, also known as Farewell My Concubine, the events of the film are parallel to the play. 

  "Farewell My Concubine" is two films at once: An epic spanning a half century of modern Chinese history, and a melodrama about life backstage at the famed Peking Opera. The idea of viewing modern China through the eyes of two of the opera's stars would not, at first, seem logical: How could the birth pangs of a developing nation have much in common with the death pangs of an ancient and ritualistic art form? And yet the film flows with such urgency that all its connections seem logical. And it is filmed with such visual splendor that possible objections are swept aside." - Film Critic Roger Ebert, 1993

Farewell My Concubine remains, to this date, the only Chinese-language film to win the Cannes Palme d'Or.

What does it take to become a star?

The hearts of the audience are captured when Dieyi weeps and asks, 'What does it take to become a star'. The two boys are overwhelmed by the stage performance: they see success and dreams, but also the reality of hard work and determination. 

The setting of the scene creates a sense of heaviness, as the background is almost cloudy, it creates an almost dream-like atmosphere which refers to the feelings of the boys at this moment. The soft focus of the background illuminates the actors, forcing the audience to focus on the extravagant costume and makeup.

You can see from the screenshot above that the makeup is striking, the makeup of the 'king' in the play. The black around the eyes and detail on the forehead gives the character an unfaltering emotion of anger, wrath and discontent. 

As already discussed, the colours in the film change in order to portray a certain mood or emotion. In this scene Juxian jumps off a balcony after being harassed by a group of disorderly men. The colour red in this scene is significant. Bright red is like a visual caffeine...make you aggressive, anxious, or compulsive* and in this scene, the red plays on the annoyance of the men and the dangerous act of jumping off the balcony. 

I'm just an actor playing the king, you really are the yuji.

In the heartbreaking scene where Xiaolou announces his engagement to Juxian, we can see the pain inflicted upon Dieyi - which is magnified when Xiaolou doesn't even seem to see or care. Dieyi is further humiliated when he is described as a true Yuji, which hugely demasculinizes him. In Chinese opera, women were orginally forbidden to act, therefore, yuji is a term used to describe female impersonation. Dieyi, however, fails to acknowledge the boundary between himself and the role he plays, he makes every attempt to lose himself in the world of Opera, fixated on the image of Yuji. A female mask conceals Dieyi's male identity. When costume becomes self and self becomes costume, the distinction between player and role disappears; outer appearance symbolises inner desire.**

His painted face is beautiful, we can see the femininity that has been created, feline eyes, red lips and a jewelled headpiece, the black contrasts with the white base, building on the illusion of a mask.

Master said, only you can make yourself a great actor.

When the troupe is disbanded after Master Guan's sudden death, Xiaolou and Dieyi find a student who is unwilling to quit and no-where else to go. This is a scene of grief, traditionally, the Chinese used the colour white to symbolise death and red to symbolise good fortune, joy and happiness - hence why traditional weddings were in red. The white in this scene, seems to mourn the break up of the troupe rather than the death of Master Guan. 

Everyone's here for the opera..

This is the scene of the tragic riot at the opera. We can see that Dieyi is gowned in a beautiful yellow cape, the Chinese see the colour yellow as most beautiful and prestigious, however, in this scene Dieyi is not given respect. As the soldiers mount the stage to attack him, Xiaolou tries to settle the disturbance as Dieyi takes cover behind curtains. Though these actions we can see that Xiaolou and Dieyi are opposites, one strong and courageous and the other weak and fearful - which are also represented by their different costumes and roles. 

In this particular scene, the actors really stand out amongst the utilitarian clothing of the soldiers creating a definite contrast. 

Even the communists need opera

As discussed, the colour red is used as a symbol of joy and happiness, here, in this scene Xiaolou and Dieyi are promised to flourish by the opera manager even through the uprising of the Communists. 

I am by nature a boy...not a girl

In the final scene of the film, it is revealed that Dieyi is a homosexual, however, it is completely normal for a heterosexual to play his role. Homosexuality is a very sensitive issue in China, it's forbidden, for Chen Dieyi, you can imagine how painful it is to survive. As a result, Dieyi chooses to end his life on stage with Xiaolou's sword. This scene is very dimly lit, perhaps foreshadowing the tragic end to Dieyi, the colours however, remain vibrant and beautiful, a reminder to the audience that, although the story is pain-ridden, Chinese Opera is beautiful and will continue to be no matter the ending. 

My thoughts..

This film has opened my eyes on the art of Chinese Opera, not only the responsibilities that come with it but the history and events that have challenged and changed it. The makeup is truly art and shows how it can transform or represent an individual.



References/Bibliography

Books:

*Patti Bellantoni, If It's Purple Someones Gonna Die, pg. 3

**Shuquin Cui, Women Through The Lens: Gender And Nation In a Century Of Chinese Cinema, pg 157

Websites:

http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/farewell-my-concubine-1993
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Farewell_My_Concubine_(film)
http://bombmagazine.org/article/1698/chen-kaige
http://wjxu.wordpress.com/film-review-farewell-my-concubine/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Color_in_Chinese_culture

Impact Of Colour, Zhang Yimou.

House Of Flying Daggers, 2004, Zhang Yimou

House Of Flying Daggers is a 2004 wuxia film directed by Zhang Yimou. 'Wuxia' meaning 'martial hero'. 

Zhang Yimou is known to take unique approaches to the heroic swordplay genre and for his manipulation of martial arts to artistic lengths. The director has been very much applauded for his manipulation and play on colour to great impact on the viewer. From green bamboo forests, white snowstorms to a sea of golden leaves, they depict ideas such as truth and deception. 

House Of Flying Daggers is a story of love, determination and betrayal. These themes and ideas are represented and emphasised with the use of colour. 

As the film eases into the opening credits, a use of colour has already been made. The use of the colour red foreshadows themes of love and pain, which in the end, what the three main characters are reduced to - for pain is caused by love and out of love. 

In the opening scene, we see the main female protagonist Mei gowned in a beautiful blue dress. The colour blue is often related to coldness or a soft blanket of sadness. Whilst the other show girls in the background are gowned in a more vibrant turquoise shade, turquoise representing a more sensual feeling, the blue that Mei wears is a blue of sadness. Her pale porcelain skin emphasises the coldness of her character. Unlike the other show girls, Mei uses her beauty and dance skills with a game plan, to lure members of the government and take revenge for her father who has passed. Having known this, the use of blue creates a sense of longing. 

On the contrary, the governments people have a true blue uniform, which may symbolise icy harshness. 

 

This is also the only scene where we see lead protagonist Mei wears bold makeup. The eyes are kept clean, with emphasis on the lips. Traditionally, the stamp on the forehead, symbolises beauty and worth. Her skin is also very pale, and in Ancient China, even now, in modern China and other parts of Asia, pale skin is seen as beautiful. White creates a sense of innocence and purity, however, the bold red implies danger whilst creating a sense of sensuality. 

In the flower field scene, a wash of pale yellow is used. A pastel yellow has calming properties unlike the aggressive neon yellows we see in warning signs. It is obvious that the two characters Jin and Mei are warming up to each other, the soft yellow creates a romantic atmosphere, although in this scene Mei is wearing masculine clothes, the lighting and colour brings back her femininity. The pale yellow, reflects on her face, giving her a glowing healthy appearance, far different to her icy porcelain skin in the first scene. 

The screenshot below shows Mei holding flowers from Jin. It is interesting how the pale yellow flowers have a mix of bright yellow. A bold yellow has many interpretations, although this yellow is often associated to happiness, it can also be seen as a parallel - a warning. As a result, Jin is perceived as one who has potential to gift Mei happiness, but the one who may cause her ultimate downfall. 

One of the boldest use of colour is the bamboo forest fight scene. The vibrant green that fills the screen causes a mixed array of emotions. The audience is led to believe the rebel group (the group Mei originates from) are good people. However, since Jin is from the government, they bear him no mercy, the story is no longer about the uprise of the corrupt government but a Romeo and Juliet-esque relationship. 
'Green is really a dichotomous colour. It's the colour of fresh vegetable and spoiled meat'*. This is exactly how we feel about the rebel group, although, they appear to be good, for the majority, they lead to the downfall of the main protagonists. 

Although blue and green are next to each other on the colour wheel, blue is blue and green is green. We can see above from the styling of the characters, Jin and Mei were never meant to be. 

In the final scene of the film, we witness the battle between the characters. As the viewer sees how the forest of yellow, purple, green and red trees suddenly gets covered by white snow, it unfolds the culminating events to come. The pure white snow symbolises the end and a new beginning. The deep red blood that taints the white shows that it is the end for Leo, Jin and Mei. However, it also symbolises a fresh page.