China, Later Tang Dynasty, 10th Century and the Imperial palace is no place for the faint hearted, there is no member of the family who does not harbour at least one dark secret, most in constant fear that their deceit and betrayal will become apparent to the Emperor, a man as Machiavellian as any around him, who has recently returned, apparently to celebrate the Chong Yang Festival. Curse of the Golden Flower is another in the line of historical epics following in the footsteps of ‘Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon'. Ravishing to behold and with a number of stunningly choreographed battle scenes, like ‘House Of Flying Daggers' the story has the tone of a Shakespearian tragedy.