To See, or Not To See?

Recently I watched "The Banquet" (夜宴 - Ye Yan), the new movie starring Zhang Ziyi. It's a period-drama and a loose adaptation of Hamlet, featuring many of the supporting characters and prominent events. What is interesting about The Banquet is that there are elements from martial arts films and classic Greek theater incorporated into the movie to tell the tale. There's quite a bit of bloodshed and the use of poems and dances. It's like Hamlet with an Eastern twist!

One of the best parts of the movie is the film score, composed by Oscar- winning composer Tan Dun. The score is definitely right up there among his best works (Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (2000) Hero (2002)). Tan scores the film with his usual engaging beats and rhythms. He uses strings quite a bit along with flutes and ethnic percussions. The result is an interesting fusion of Eastern and Western sound which will definitely appeal to the modern score listener. And if you understand Mandarin, the lyrics on a number of the pieces could possibly have a depressing effect on you. And if you don't, you would still be moved by the melody and music grand arrangements (at least I was)!

Overall I enjoyed the movie. The martial arts scenes were memorable, the costumes/choreography/scenery were great, (I'm always amazed at the amount of detail placed in the set and costumes) and there were some very strong performances from the two leads. Plus, it's just nice to see Chinese productions getting into American markets! I'm giving it two thumbs up!