TIFF Report: The Banquet

When the emperor dies his brother, Li, assumes the throne; and his wife, Empress Wan. Sensing great danger for her stepson, Prince Wu Luan, she dispatches guardians to ensure his safe return to the kingdom, not knowing Li has also dispatched his own troop of assassins to murder the prince and solidify his place on the throne. The Banquet is an epic tale of forbidden love, betrayal and revenge succulently woven together by director Feng Xiaogang, and a who’s who in the field of martial arts epics. Influenced by Shakespeare’s ‘Hamlet’, The Banquet deserves a rightful place among the great martial epics of the recent decade.

When you have assembled the talent like Feng has there is very little that can go wrong. You have to be very careful not to bungle it up though and Feng has held his end of the bargain with his crew have delivered a film that thrills, shocks and scintillates on the screen. Production Designer Tim Yip has made use of the vastness of this tale and created a kingdom that is absolutely stunning. Though precise and gorgeous in detail it is also neutral and organic in tone and color. Grand in scale and small in details every shot is worthy of a second look. This vastness and attention to detail is almost immediately put to the test with one of the opening sequence set at the theatre where Prince Wu Luan has be honing his craft and studying the arts. A dazzling structure fabricated by Bamboo in circular layers with a large ramp leading out or in to the surrounding bamboo forest is just the beginning of Yip’s handicraft. And as the story moves along and Li’s influence spreads throughout the palace the dark tones are laced with gold and splendor. Yip’s proves up to the task.

Composer Tan Dun composes a score that sways and rolls with the emotions on screen. It is a perfect compliment to what is happening on screen and the time and place in which it is happening. He is a master of his craft at work.

Speaking of masters, Master Yuen Wo Ping is again at the top of his game and punctuates dramatic turns in the film with stunning choreography and brutal action. Every sequence has its place and is reflective of the mood and purpose of the sequence. The melee between Empress Wan and Prince Wu Luan is simply poetry in motion. A display of each other’s skills and lacking intent to harm it is more of a dance number than it is a display of martial art prowess. And when Yuen and his team have to get dirty and visceral there is no doubt that he is the right man for the job. The Banquet is a violent movie. Nothing is sugar coated because the action needs to compliment this dark tale of revenge and deception perfectly. If the action sequences were fluff they would only be detrimental to maintaining the mood of the film. Blood flows like rivers in The Banquet and it is only fitting for this dark tale. Excellent, excellent swordplay.

If there are any concerns about using the influence of ‘Hamlet’ to structure the storyline of this movie I don’t believe we will have too much to worry about. Though it serves as an influence Feng takes the narrative and changes the focus from the Prince to the Empress. There are also enough changes to keep the story as fresh as it is familiar. Todd made an excellent point in his review that using the action scenes to punctuate the narrative rather than drive it will be a concern for those looking for an action filled movie. It is not. But I think that familiarity with the Hamlet play will prove to be beneficial. Hamlet has long been part of nearly every high school curriculum since who knows how long. It should also serve as a draw for those who normally wouldn’t look to Asian cinema for Shakespearean influence.

Anchoring the film among actors is Zhang Ziyi. With the focus on film focused more on her character, Empress Wan, she delivers another fantastic performance that teeters between love, sorrow, malice and deceit. Daniel Wu is also fantastic in the role of Prince Wu Luan. Ge You and the rest of the cast offer solid support. There is not a weak performance at all. I will also say that Zhou Xun, in the role of Qing Nu, rivals Zhang Ziyi for sheer beauty.

The Banquet is a stunning movie that is gorgeous to look at, thrills with it’s action sequences and captivates with it’s storyline. Recommended.

The Banquet opened in theatres in HK on September 14.