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List Price: $19.95 | | Label: Dragon Dynasty
Salesrank: 21794
Released: February 26, 2008 |
| Our Price: $5.10 |
| Used Price: $4.28 |
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MPAA Rating: Unrated
Media: DVD |
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Editorial Review:
(Action) A cross between Shakespeare’s Hamlet and Tarantino’s Kill Bill, scheming royals and other officials attempt to consolidate power in a empire in chaos. Packed with deadly plots, sweeping camerawork, and elaborate fight choreography.
Description of Legend of the Black Scorpion:
Tackling William Shakespeare's Hamlet, director Xiaogang Feng presents a unique take on the bard's famous play with the action drama Legend of the Black Scorpion, which is beautifully filmed and well acted. Ziyi Zhang stars as Empress Wan, a conniving woman whose beauty is equaled by her taste for power. She lustfully longs for her stepson Wu Lan (Daniel Wu). But when the Emperor dies, it is Wu Lan's younger brother who ascends to the throne, setting off a chain of events that are tragic. Though the story is familiar, the presentation is anything but; just as Hamlet captivated readers with its tale of lust, greed, and betrayal, Legend of the Black Scorpion draws viewers in with a story that is both fascinating and repulsive, but shot so beautifully that the eyes are drawn to the screen. Legendary fight choreographer Woo-ping Yuen (Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, the Matrix trilogy) orchestrates some beautifully fierce aerial battles that while no longer novel are still thrilling to watch. We are used to seeing Zhang in the wide-eyed ingénue roles. As the cold-hearted matriarch, she more than proves her abilities as an actress who is ready to move onto meatier roles that aren't driven by her beauty. --Jae-Ha Kim
Legend of the Black Scorpion Reviews:
legend of the black scorpion 
2009-11-01 - I bought Legend of The Black Scorpion and to my surprise I found out that its the same film of Banquet.Please dont advertise them as different dvd becuase they are the same. I bought Banquet a month ago.now I have two copies of the same film. The posters and title are diffrent but the films the same.Many thanks
A must see event 
2009-10-08 - The movie is a true epic, set in Ancient China during the time of the 10 Kingdoms where areas of the land were restless coming under there own rule ,small kingdoms cropping up often through much blood shed and misery. This tale is an interesting version of a female Hamlet type love story that has its breath taking rises and falls as the story progresses. The costumes,uniforms, and background scenery the colors the padgentry is truly romantic and true to the age as well as the breath taking artistic input, it is simply a must see. The martial arts fighting scenes through-out the film, the flowing rythmic dance moves during the banquet, the tragic empothy you feel in each melody comes together so gracefuly without over shadowing the drive of the tale and feeling true to each scene. The icing to this marvelous mixture is the soul stirring theme song composed by Tan Dun titled "Only For Love", that plays prominently from the last scene through out most of the credits and the stiring vocals in Mandarin is a touch of class as this movie leaves you weeping and awe stricken for the ride you just took. It is incredible. The cast was strong and wholy satisfying in the portayal of the tale. I recommend srongly this movie to all of us who love a great story.Legend of the Black Scorpion
When A Banquet Isn't A Banquet 
2009-09-11 - Based on Shakespeare's "Hamlet," Ye Yan (The Banquet) is a breathtaking Wuxia adaptation; every single shot was a work of cinematic art. Cinematographer Li Zhang's stylish camerawork puts this film right up there with Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, The Curse of the Golden Flower, House of the Flying Daggers and Hero. The Wuxia of yesteryear has indeed come a long way baby. Art designer Timmy Yip gets major kudos as well for his top-notch production work; it's no wonder this film had such a classy look as Yip also worked on Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon as a production and costume designer.
The story isn't incredibly complex, it's your typical "You killed my father, now I'll kill you" scenario but this is also Shakespeare so you know darn well the characters aren't going to be entirely predictable. The characters are distinct with very real motivations of their own; each sets in motion plots that will either lead them to love and power or madness and death. Writers Gangjian Qiu & Heyu Sheng did admirable jobs of adapting Shakespeare's work for Eastern audiences.
If you're wondering whether we get some fighting, swordplay and high-flying wirework, the answer is a resounding, "Heck yeah!" There's no shortage of "WTF?" sequences as we get all sorts of wonderful aerial assaults and battles. I personally found the sequences involving masked artisans to be the best but that's just me.
This was a phenomenal film and I'd recommend it to anybody interested in high-quality Wuxia without a second's hesitation; the actors, dialogue, action and design were excellent. It is a little lengthy but that more than likely won't chase devoted fans of this style of cinema away. If you're not accustomed to films like this and find yourself avoiding anything with subtitles, take heart, this does come dubbed in English though you'd be a filthy heathen to use it. Sorry, I kid. Really though, go rent this from your local video hole or purchase from Amazon and prepare to be dazzled and entertained.
Chinese Film
2009-08-30 - Great movie!!! Visually stunning. Tragic love story. If you love foreign films, don't miss it.
Sometimes aesthetics are enough
2009-05-30 - There's no point in rehashing the premise/actors/other details of this film, as other reviewers are hitting it. I'll simply make my arguments.
I agree that this film, for all its depiction of treachery and pathos, is cold and cerebral. I agree that the action is also depicted on a very cerebral level: it is so stylized that it is robbed of its intensity--certainly robbed of the visceral aspect that would appeal to those who are looking for an action movie. So I certainly advise against it for those looking for a great martial arts film. Check out "Tai Chi Master" or "Fong Sai Yuk" for that!
What is left after the emotional attachments and thrill of combat are removed? A purely aesthetic masterpiece. This is truly an "art" film: sight and sound combine in moving paintings, symbols, and stylized archetypes.
You will not be drawn in by the story and the characters. You will be drawn in by the crystalline imagery and sound that form an alternate universe in which everything is perfect form, hypnotic motion. Beautiful images are frozen in space and time, haunting music and movement and color supersede all other concerns.
We know Hamlet. We know this story. We know these characters. Here story and character are cyphers. In this film the source Hamlet simply functions as a framework to hang a filmed aesthetic, a transformation of the world into stylized form. Is it enough? Is this all that is necessary to make a great film? Yes. If you are sensitive to it, you will be stunned and enthralled. If you are not, you will be bored.
