I've started discovering Asian cinematography only a few years a go, and as the time passes, it gets more and more interesting. And so, there I was watching "The Banquet", a rather strange mix of drama, horror and history. With the first glimpses of splattering blood, I got the impression this wouldn't be much more than a modern and overvalued martial arts thing, but somehow, it evolved and overcame the shallow nature of CGI and fake blood which are more or less predominant in "The Banquet".
First thing to notice is naturally the technical aspect of the film. The frame is very good, professional to be more precise, and it is quite obvious we're talking about a costly project, which is done in a proper way. But the thing which made me stay and follow until the end was a touch of history, combined with a dramatic twist. The story resembles Shakespeare's "Hamlet" quite some, and frankly I'm not sure whether this is a rip off or a genuine Chinese tale. Whatever the answer is, it looks convincing, although probably historically inaccurate. Power has ever been associated with jealousy, envy and betrayal.
Still, the most touching part of "The Banquet" was neither the visual or the narrative aspect, but a most intriguing display of Chinese theater. Now, I honestly don't know whether this is a true depreciation, but the white masked performance left a deepest impression on me, particularly in it's last scene where Qing Nu performs in front of the emperor.
Did I like it? I guess that is that could be said, though I'm not sure whether this referres to the whole movie, or just some bits. One thing is for sure - I will investigate further the white mask theatrical performance.
First thing to notice is naturally the technical aspect of the film. The frame is very good, professional to be more precise, and it is quite obvious we're talking about a costly project, which is done in a proper way. But the thing which made me stay and follow until the end was a touch of history, combined with a dramatic twist. The story resembles Shakespeare's "Hamlet" quite some, and frankly I'm not sure whether this is a rip off or a genuine Chinese tale. Whatever the answer is, it looks convincing, although probably historically inaccurate. Power has ever been associated with jealousy, envy and betrayal.
Still, the most touching part of "The Banquet" was neither the visual or the narrative aspect, but a most intriguing display of Chinese theater. Now, I honestly don't know whether this is a true depreciation, but the white masked performance left a deepest impression on me, particularly in it's last scene where Qing Nu performs in front of the emperor.
Did I like it? I guess that is that could be said, though I'm not sure whether this referres to the whole movie, or just some bits. One thing is for sure - I will investigate further the white mask theatrical performance.