Watches
May 04, 2013
An older Lau. It always amazes me how much difference a mere two years made in Hong Kong. In '93 this might've turned out to be a bona fide masterpiece, two years later it feels a bit lifeless and generic. It's not a bad film, mind, it's just that this isn't up there with the best Hong Kong has to offer, even though the material was there.
When Yu Lan arrives at the Emperor's Palace to serve as his concubine, she is young and naive and she has trouble standing up for herself. In time, she learns to handle herself better and the longer she remains there, the more cunning and backhanded she becomes. Lan wants to take over the Emperor's role, but she's not the only one.
Jing Wong's influence is still somewhat visible in this film, it would be a couple more years before Lau would learn to stand on his own two feet. Don't expect too much action, this film is more focused on betrayal and court drama. The performances are decent, the presentation is okay and the evolution of Yu Lan is pretty fun, it's just not a film that stands out in any way.