Individual Scene Analysis

Scene actually begins at 2:52 and ends at 5:13, but it would be a good idea to watch the part before, because i use alot of context from that scene to support the actual scene.



Individual Scene Analysis
Will Dewald
Per. 1 6/13/09
Ms. Wecker
Curse of the Golden flower
A position in power is often associated with wealth, happiness, and freedom. However, appearances can be deceiving in most cases. Power comes with restriction in some cases, very rarely are powerful people able to do whatever they want, or are even able to enjoy life. Restrictions and appearances are two ideas that are emphasized in the film Curse of the Golden Flower. The writer/director Yimou Zhang conveys these two main ideas through the motif of Gold, the Empresses sickness, the various servants, the symbol of hair, denial of pleasure, and through the bamboo curtains.
Shown through this scene is the idea of restriction, which acts as a way of evolving the characters and as foreshadowing. Hair is the main symbol depicting this. Throughout the scene, there are several shots concerning hair, or having hair being the main subject. Every person preparing their hair does in upward or in tightly knit buns. The Empress’s hair is the main subject in the scene before this scene as two separate girls prepare it and her son looks after it. Emphasized is shot 4 as the camera goes around her hair, as it is the focus. Her hair elaborately decorated and tightly done makes it look restricted and her uncomfortable. The Empress, denied of pleasure is another main contributor to the idea of restriction. During shots 27-32, the empress wants to have sexual relations with her stepson. Her son pushes her away from him, and they both become upset. This shows how everybody seems to be contributing to the empress’s restriction, as her love is being restricted. While the Empress is walking down the hallway in shots 1-8, the waiting servants pull up various bamboo shades. The bamboo shades, consistently emphasized, shows in shot 16 while the empress talks to the prince. The curtains are surrounding the characters from all sides, excluding the door. Shot 16 is a shot from behind the bamboo shades, which make it look almost as if it is a cage surrounding the prince and the empress. This effect contributes to the idea of both restriction and appearance since it makes it seem like they are trapped people observed through a cage.
Appearance is an important to the royalty in this film. It is used to display how wealthy and powerful the people are within the Forbidden City. The stereotype association of gold with power controls the people of china, so that they will remain subdued, both inside and outside the Forbidden City. Gold is the most important contributor to this appearance. Gold is the main part of the clothing, makeup, pillars and especially hair. The two princes both have their hair tied up in golden ribbon, while the empress’s hair is elaborate and overdone with solid gold accessories. The sheer number of the servants is an emphasized point within the scene and pre-scene. Seen as lower people, the servants in the scene before hand are all shot from a high angle. They work only to please the royalty, and contribute to the appearance that the royalty is powerful. Servants, in this sense, serve because of the Empress’s and the Emperor’s power, and at the same time they contribute to the power, making it real. The fact that the Empress is stricken with a mysterious sickness also lends to this falseness in appearance and power. The disease serves as a way of displaying lack of control, since the symptoms include uncontrollable spasm like action in the hands, and profuse sweating. The lack of control is shown in shot 5, when she stops in the middle of the hallway and grips her dress. Shot 5 is an extremely low angle shot, which elevates the empress as a power figure (makes her look taller) yet she is unable to control herself. This symbolizes how those in power do not have actual control or power. The sweat that follows the spasms symbolizes the rotting of her appearance, since it ruins her make-up and makes her seem weak. This represents the destruction of her appearance and power, and serves as a foreshadowing as to what may happen later in the plot.
The Film Curse of the Golden flower written by Yimou Zhang conveys the falseness of appearance and restrictions of power through the motif of Gold, the Empresses sickness, the various servants, the symbol of hair, denial of pleasure, and through the bamboo curtains. In doing this, he conveys how falseness of power has been present throughout history, as well as today. He makes the point that power is nothing but a illusion put up by the people, and that this “fake power” binds the power figures making them as miserable as the rest of the world.

Scene Analysis Proposal

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0elpHep5a1Q
Im sorry, i could not find the one done in chinese. the voice overs arent really that good, but enjoy. the scene i want to do is the one that begins at 2:52 and runs to 5:13

Movie: Curse of the golden flower
Scene: second scene after the credits
Scene running time: 2:20

Description: the Empress is walking with an almost spitfull or angry intention down a vast hallway, which seems to be made up of a variaty of materials and in various bright, intense colors. as she walks, servants and her youngest son follow her, and servant women bow to her as she walks. she is dressed in an elaborate chinese golden dress, her hair built high and piled with a large assortment of jewelry, all gold. her servants are dressed in gold colored dresses. as she walks servants are pulling up bambo blinds. she then looks as if she is sick, and the camera pans around to her face, and then a sudden low angle shot of her gripping her dress. her son asks her what is wrong, and a servant comes to wipe her sweat and the empress smacks her hand away. she then looks at her son, and walks again. it then cuts to one scene of the empresses oldest son, servants attending to him with an orienting camera angle. the empress then walks down the hall and enters the room and she dismisses everyone but the eldest son. music begins to play, which sounds sort of like women moaning as the empress moves toward the son. she moves close to him, and he looks uncomfertable. she asks if he is going to go to a city somwhere(we dont know where or why yet) and asks if he is afraid. he says that she is his mother and continues to look uncomfertable. she smirks, and loudly whispers, "you know that were not related, we've been intamate for three years". he says that he is first his fathers son. she looks emotional and tryes to almost suduce him by closing in on him. he looks uncomfertable and trys to move away. as he does this, her long gold nails cut into his cloths, pushing her hand downward. she wants to know why he pushes her away, and says that things can be changed. he says that nothing can be changed. she looks upset and turns away, then asks what if she trys to. he wants her to tell him what she is plotting, and she tells him to go greet the emporor first, smirks, walks toward the door(he is watching her). she presses the door to make a ringing sound, and servants open the door, and she exits, leaving the prince concerned. this all takes place in a very colorfull palace, with lots of golden objects.