I usually watch American sci-fi action movies and rarely watch Chinese drama as for me, the acting are really wooden, the content usually fill with logical faults, and the only tolerable point is the pretty faces of actors and actresses.
This movie indeed changes my perspective.
Zhou Xun, 3 times best actress, shows Ula Nara underneath strengths - gentle yet strong-willed, resourceful yet noble-minded, and her great love and reliance on the King's love - all that distinct her from other's concubines. Wallace Hou indeed improves from his previous movie - always being warm charming prince, especially in the later part of the movie. That is just the main couple, the casts are really excellent bringing the character to the audiences.
The movie has a lot of scene with thousand of actors for the accession of the King and Queen, the King's death, or Mulan hunting or how the king goes out of his palace... Moreover, many of Qing dynasty's tradition, from ritual to how people greet each other, to food to the clothing is incredibly detailed in the movie, shows China's way and culture richness at the peak of its power then.
About the storyline and character development, I feel that this has been surprisingly well done. All characters have their motive in doing their actions. Fuca Langhua fight for her family, Jin Yuyan loves her Prince and marry the King for him... And Ruyi, she is the most noble, never being cruel to other, always love and hope the best for her king. The King, having power for so long changes him. I mean he is the last boss! Audience watch a harem movie and think that it is a fight between wifes, but it is actually a chessboard created by the King. Everybody has to guess his idea and obey him, which actually makes him always suspect others' motive and expect others' obedience all the time. As he said, he is all alone, but it is his own choice.
This movie indeed changes my perspective.
Zhou Xun, 3 times best actress, shows Ula Nara underneath strengths - gentle yet strong-willed, resourceful yet noble-minded, and her great love and reliance on the King's love - all that distinct her from other's concubines. Wallace Hou indeed improves from his previous movie - always being warm charming prince, especially in the later part of the movie. That is just the main couple, the casts are really excellent bringing the character to the audiences.
The movie has a lot of scene with thousand of actors for the accession of the King and Queen, the King's death, or Mulan hunting or how the king goes out of his palace... Moreover, many of Qing dynasty's tradition, from ritual to how people greet each other, to food to the clothing is incredibly detailed in the movie, shows China's way and culture richness at the peak of its power then.
About the storyline and character development, I feel that this has been surprisingly well done. All characters have their motive in doing their actions. Fuca Langhua fight for her family, Jin Yuyan loves her Prince and marry the King for him... And Ruyi, she is the most noble, never being cruel to other, always love and hope the best for her king. The King, having power for so long changes him. I mean he is the last boss! Audience watch a harem movie and think that it is a fight between wifes, but it is actually a chessboard created by the King. Everybody has to guess his idea and obey him, which actually makes him always suspect others' motive and expect others' obedience all the time. As he said, he is all alone, but it is his own choice.