Foreign Film, Movie Reviews, Television, Three Stars - Written by trench on Tuesday, September 23, 2008 1:15 - 14 Comments

Legend of the Black Scorpion “The Banquet” (DVD)


banquet-dragon-dynasty-1Inspired by the Shakespearean tragedy Hamlet, Legend of the Black Scorpion (USA) aka The Banquet (International) definitely lived up to reputation as being one of the most aesthetically pleasing films to come out of China/Hong Kong in quite some time.

The cinematography and musical score for this film were its obvious selling points. Everything from the outdoor locations to the indoor sets were exquisitely well crafted, as were the intricate costume designs and makeup artistry. The overall visual experience you get from this film is just outstanding. Composer Tan Dun also puts together quite an impressive score which helped to set the mood for its audience and intensified the beauty of this film tenfold.

This is where this film’s strengths end however. Its failure begins with its weak storyline and character development. The characters never seem to connect to its viewers and their performances felt more rehearsed than realistic. The film also dragged at the most inopportune times. There were several moments which actually started off strong only to end up being followed by some tiresome dialogue which would make the best of us nod off.

From a purely aesthetic level, it is easy to be swept away by this film. It is perfect in almost every way. Yet from an emotional standpoint, this film leaves its audience yearning for more and leaves you with more questions than answers. Legend of the Black Scorpion should only be watched if your a die hard fan Shakespearean type plots. I can’t really recommend this film to anyone else. After the first hour or so, it became quite a chore to finish.

Synopsis:13200_legend_black_scorpion_screen_ziyi_4

In 907 AD, the Tang Dynasty is in tatters; infighting snarls the imperial family. Crown Prince Wu Luan loves Little Wan, but his father takes her as his Empress. Wu Luan goes into exile, studying dance and music. His uncle murders his father, taking throne and Empress; uncle sends assassins to kill Wu Luan. The Crown Prince eludes death and comes to court. The Emperor arranges for Little Wan’s coronation and dispatches Wu Luan to a distant land; he then calls for a midnight banquet on the 100th day of his rule. Poison, treachery, Wu Luan’s return, and the love of the innocent Qing for Wu Luan set up the final entanglements. No Fortinbras or Horatio lay the dead to rest. Written by {jhailey@hotmail.com}

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  1. [...] presents Legend of the Black Scorpion “The Banquet” (DVD) posted at [...]

    Pingback by Observations from Missy’s Window » Movie Monday “I am an old-fashioned, honest-to-goodness, flag-waving patriot.” on September 28, 2008 at 10:03 pm

  2. @shien - Unfortunately there are quite a few Asian films like this.

    Comment by trench on September 26, 2008 at 4:38 pm

  3. I’ve seen a lot of film that has a very beautiful cinematography but with a weak storyline ..

    shiens last blog post..McDonalds wireless hotspots for Nintendo DS

    Comment by shien on September 26, 2008 at 3:57 pm

  4. @ndo - It definitely does have that appeal. hey, PM me on SYR if your ever interested in guest posting a review or two when you have time here. You’re a good writer and very insightful!!!

    Comment by trench on September 25, 2008 at 12:52 am

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