标题: The Banquet" on show in Beijing with mixture of praise, criticism [打印本页] 作者: 李冰 时间: 2006-12-16 21:15 标题: The Banquet" on show in Beijing with mixture of praise, criticism
Recently,, Chinese film director Feng Xiaogang's much anticipated Beijing premiere of his martial arts epic "The Banquet" starring Zhang Ziyi was held on Saturday, receiving both kudos and criticism.
Known in Chinese name "Yeyan", the film is a loose adaptation of "Hamlet" set in ancient China's Five Dynasties and Ten States period (907-979).
The complicated plot unfolds with Emperor Li assuming the throne after ruthlessly killing the reigning monarch who was his own brother. The Empress who was married to murdered monarch is forced to marry Li but actually loves her stepson Prince Wan'er, who is assumed to be Li's next target. The Empress gets revenge by poisoning Emperor Li at a banquet but her lust for power and the prince finally leads to her destruction.
The audience and critics praised the high production values of the film along with the emotional performances of Zhang Ziyi and Ge You.
Critics complain, however, that the dialogue is stilted and awkward as the actors mouth modern phrases that don't fit the movie's ancient time frame. The audience was heard to laugh at a few of the lines even though they were not meant to be funny.
