Contents
Characters. 3
Emperor Ping. 3
Empress Phoenix. 3
Prince Jai 4
Crown Prince Wan. 4
Jiang Yiru/Imperial Physician. 5
Prince Yu. 5
Jiang Chan. 6
Jiang Shi 6
Summary. 7
Post-colonial Analysis. 11
Cultural Influence of Colonialism.. 11
Gender. 12
Race. 14
Class. 15
Family. 15
Imperialism Taking Over Colonialism.. 16
The Symbol of the Golden Flower. 16
References. 17
Characters
Emperor Ping – the controlling and deceptive Emperor who aims to preserve order within the royal family no matter what it takes. Upon knowing the illicit affair between the Crown Prince Wan and Empress Phoenix, he instructed the Imperial Physician to poison the Empress slowly. He is responsible for the same manipulation of his former wife just to acquire the throne. Though he did not try to poison his former wife, he sent her and her entire family to prison, then attempted to kill her. Later in the story, he asked his assassins to kill her and her family. The Emperor values the reputation of the royal family and would do anything to keep the status quo: him in power and his subjects always at his bidding. The Emperor acts as the colonizer in the story: the one who oversees everything, whose power is beyond anyone’s capacity to escape, and whose mind dictates the fate of everyone.
Empress Phoenix – the Empress Consort who had a three-year illicit affair with the Emperor’s son with his first wife, Crown Prince Wan. Her character represents the colonized as she lived her life based on the patriarchal rules from her arranged union to her miserable married life with the Emperor. Because of the societal system she grew up in, she can’t even assert when to drink or not to drink her medicine. She was given all the wealth yet deprived of choices. She can’t even head a rebellion when she wanted to change her fate. She needed Prince Jai to execute her plans for she can’t fully break the norms of the society. She needs to stay composed, beautiful, and submissive. Thus, she gains freedom only when she chose to confront the oppression, as shown when she finally gathered enough courage to forcefully slap the plate that holds the cup of medicine from the servant’s hand. Her struggle for freedom was manifested in her attempt to acquire the power that could have been hers from the beginning, but she was denied. This pursuit of freedom and power made the story unfold.
Prince Jai – the second prince and the firstborn of the Empress who has seen her suffering behind the extravagance and wealth of the Imperial life. Because of his love for his mother, he led a hopeless rebellion, just so he won’t stand still in the middle of his mother’s suffering. His loyalty and dedication to his mother have been consistent from beginning to end. Prince Jai represents the colonized who chooses to confront the colonizer. His courage to break the status quo by giving up his life pushed her mother out of her boundaries and eventually made her choose her freedom. He is a driving force that can lead a nation towards liberation – the mark of a true leader and hero.
Crown Prince Wan – the first prince and the heir of the throne. He is fearful and believes that he is incapable of ruling the empire. This kind of mentality is common among the colonized who has worshipped the colonizer and all that it represents. The colonial mentality that Crown Prince Wan possessed made him believe that he lacks the talent and the leadership to become the next Emperor. This mentality is not incidental. In an oppressed society, the colonizer deliberately makes his subjects feel inferior to assert his power. This intentional weakening of the colonized ensures that the power stays with the colonizer and that no one would challenge the status quo. Growing up under the power of the Emperor, without a mother to help him build his identity, Crown Prince Wan lived the lie that his colonizer made him embrace. Unlike Prince Jai who has a mother to help him build the leader that he has become, Crown Prince Wan was left to become a mere subject of his father, the colonizer. The affairs of Crown Prince Wan with women, both with the Empress and with Jiang Chan, exhibit his capacity for control and influence. Even his encounter with his mother clearly shows that he is a skilled fighter and not the weakling that he believes himself to be. The colonized believes the lies that the colonizer sells until it costs him his life. The Crown Prince Wan died after learning the truth, breaking the pedestal where he placed his colonizer.
Jiang Yiru/Imperial Physician – the Emperor’s mere accomplice in slowly poisoning the Empress. However, the character evolved from the usual side character to one that allowed the main characters to meet their conflict. He saved the Emperor’s first wife from getting killed and eventually married her without knowing her past. He stayed in the Imperial Palace which allowed the intimacy between Jiang Chan, his daughter, and the Crown Prince. He saved Chan and his wife from the assassins of the Emperor and became the instrument for the story to reach its climax. Just as the other subjects of the Emperor, Jiang Yiru served the colonizer throughout his life yet his loyalty was met by betrayal. Until the end, Jiang remains unaware of the colonizer’s plot, and how his lifetime service was devalued. Jiang Yiru was colonized and he didn’t live long enough to know the truth.
Prince Yu – the third prince, second son of the Empress. He is the silent observer of everything that happens within the Imperial Palace. His character represents the colonized who has sought the approval of the colonizer yet failed. Unlike Crown Prince Wan, Prince Yu believes himself yet underestimated the power of the colonizer. A colonized could mistakenly perceive himself equal with the colonizer, due to his fervent desire to be so, and fail to see the reality he needs to face in his struggle for freedom. Thus, Prince Yu died helplessly in the hands of the colonizer.
Jiang Chan – the daughter of the Imperial Physician, who adds the poison to the medicine of the Empress. Unaware of her blood relation with the Crown Prince Wan, she engaged in an intimate relationship with him. The relationship of the two was revealed to their mother at the later part of the story, and the revelation of the Empress that they are siblings brought them to their demise. Chan represents the colonized in both the aspect of gender and social status. Without royalty, a woman is deprived not only of choices but also of existence. She was a mere number in the middle of an entire crowd of Imperial servants. She was not even called by name, and often referred to as the Imperial Doctor's daughter. The Emperor may be the colonizer that has kept her in the service of the Imperial Palace, but the colonizer that has held her until her last breath was the Crown Prince Wan. She worshipped the Crown Prince and has planned her life with him. She believed the promise of his affection, which only brought her mishaps. The power of the Crown Prince over her emotions made her a blind follower and an object of pleasure of the Crown Prince. She risked her life to follow the prince just as subjects would follow a colonizer. In the end, finding the truth led her towards her death.
Jiang Shi – the former wife of the Emperor who was imprisoned together with her entire family so that her husband could be Emperor. Her grudge towards the Emperor led to the discovery of the poison placed into the Empress’s medicine and the revelation of the secrets within the royal family. Shi was once colonized and she had to struggle to survive. The life she led just to escape the clutches of her colonizer brought her a life of non-existence. Her life in hiding separated her from her reality, her family, her son, and her identity. She had to die before finding liberation. The others did, too, literally. However, her short-lived liberation was interrupted upon confronting her reality. She had to save her children and so she went back to face her colonizer. This only shows that the colonized cannot escape the truth to gain freedom. She should confront the colonizer and face the truth. She did, but it was too late. Her children were already victims of the lies that she built around her made-up liberation. Thus, she accepted her fate with open arms and faced death as her remaining means for freedom.
Summary
The story was set during the Tang Dynasty, on 928 AD China. The film began with preparations to welcome the Emperor from a three-year war. Though it was unexpected, the Imperial Power commands everyone to be on their feet late in the evening for his homecoming. Such power was again portrayed as the messengers announce that what the entire Imperial Palace awaits decides not to come in the middle of the night, instead, he chooses to rest in the official inn where the second prince, Prince Jai awaits his instruction.
The Emperor and the second prince meet at the official inn. Their sparring session in which the Emperor won asserts his power over the throne. He reminds the prince not to take by force anything that he did not give. That was already a foreshadowing that the Emperor knows the plot of rebellion even before Prince Jai decides to lead it.
The sudden homecoming was masked as the intent to celebrate the holiday with the royal family, though it was really due to the threat of rebellion. The Emperor knows the plot as much as he knows the illicit affair between his Empress Consort and his son from his first wife, Crown Prince Wan. Despite his seemingly omniscient view of everything that had happened during the war, the Emperor chooses not to confront anyone, preserve the order, and plan deceitful means to eliminate his enemies without lifting a finger. Such is the plan to poison the Empress so she would lose her sanity. With Jiang Yiru, the Imperial Physician, the Emperor carries out his plan of disposing of the threat to his power, the head of the rebellion, his consort.
The Empress prepares thousands of embroidered golden chrysanthemums for the Chong Yang Festival. Her health and this obsession worry Prince Jai, to which the Crown Prince Wan agrees, while Prince Yu, the third prince, seems to be oblivious. During the festival, golden flowers will fill the Imperial Palace, and this event remembers the death of the Emperor’s former wife.
The royal family reunites on the Chrysanthemum Terrace and the Emperor reminds everyone of their role under the natural law and the order that the royal family should uphold. The Crown Prince Wan feels trapped because of his affair with the Empress, so he requests to leave the Imperial Palace to a supposed immersion in the field, eventually to unite with his secret love, Jiang Chan, the Imperial Physician’s daughter. Prince Yu was also introduced in the story as the intelligent and the least favorite who struggles to gain the favor of any of his parents.
The conflict begins when the Empress did not finish her cup of medicine and the princes had to plead her to drink it except for Prince Jai. This part presents Prince Jai and his loyalty to his mother even before he gets caught in the middle of the struggle for power. Left without a choice, the Empress finished her cup of medicine.
The Emperor meets the Imperial Physician and reveals their on-going plot to poison the Empress. However, the Empress sends a woman-in-black to investigate the new ingredient added to her medicine. The woman returns to the Empress with the confirmation of her worst fears. In deep thought, she continues embroidering golden chrysanthemums.
The Empress summons Prince Jai and tells him of the Emperor’s plan to gradually poison her. She asks him to participate in her plot of rebellion. Prince Jai hesitates at first, but when the poison was served to the Empress in his presence, and his mother drank it submissively, he decides to fight for his mother’s life.
Crown Prince Wan captured the woman-in-black and she was recognized by the Emperor right away. He told Wan and the others to forget that the encounter happened. Later, it was revealed that the woman is the Imperial Physician's wife and the former wife of the Emperor. The Emperor promoted the Imperial Physician as governor and sent his entire family outside the Imperial Palace. It was supposed to be to honor the loyalty of the physician, and for the secret to being kept. However, the Emperor had another solution in mind, so he asked his assassins to kill Jiang’s family.
At the night of the Chrysanthemum Festival, Wan visited Chan in their new place outside the Imperial Palace and realizes that the embroidered golden chrysanthemums are for the rebels. The affair of the two was revealed to their mother and she tells Chan to stay away from the prince. The prince rushed towards the palace to warn his father, and Chan followed him after her mother's disapproval of her relationship with the Crown Prince. It was then that the assassins came, killed their men, and the Imperial Physician. Shi struggled to keep her daughter alive, until help from the Empress came.
The Crown Prince Wan confronts the Empress and tries to stop her from her plans. He is fearful that the people would think it was him who plotted the rebellion because he is the Crown Prince. Upon realizing that it was part of the plan and that she wouldn't let him get in the way, the Crown Prince stabs himself to escape his doom. Unfortunately, he lives and had to attend the Chrysanthemum Festival despite his injury.
The royal family was dressed for the festival and everything was ready when Shi and Chan came. The Emperor, upon realizing what will happen next, dismisses all the servants. The Empress reveals the secret of the royal family: Jiang Shi is the mother of Chan and Wan, and the former wife of the Emperor. This revelation led to the death of Chan and Shi. Then, Prince Yu killed Prince Wan and tried to force his father to abdicate the throne to him. His resentment towards his parents made him hate the entire family and seek only the throne. He knows everything from the illicit affair of his mother and his brother down to the plot of rebellion. Thinking that he can use the rebellion to his advantage, he killed the Crown Prince. The assassins of the Emperor killed the small number of soldiers of Prince Yu. Because of grief and anger for the death of his favorite son, the Emperor killed Prince Yu with his bare hands.
Prince Jai leads the ten thousand golden warriors wearing the embroidered chrysanthemums from the Empress. They marched towards the Imperial Palace and killed all assassins that tried to stop them. Their force advanced into the Imperial Square yet they were conquered by the sheer number of the Imperial Guards who were earlier instructed by Prince Jai to leave their post. The silver army stomped the rebellion as how they did with the golden flowers that adorned the Imperial Square. The remaining rebels were executed in front of the Empress, and the Emperor summons her and Prince Jai to the Chrysanthemum Terrace. The Emperor told Prince Jai that he will be spared from execution if he will serve his mother her medicine from then on. Prince Jai apologized to his mother, then takes his own life. His death pushed the Empress to her limits, and she forcefully slaps the plate holding the cup of acid that intends to kill her on the spot.
The story was set during the Tang Dynasty, on 928 AD China. The film began with preparations to welcome the Emperor from a three-year war. Though it was unexpected, the Imperial Power commands everyone to be on their feet late in the evening for his homecoming. Such power was again portrayed as the messengers announce that what the entire Imperial Palace awaits decides not to come in the middle of the night, instead, he chooses to rest in the official inn where the second prince, Prince Jai awaits his instruction.
The Emperor and the second prince meet at the official inn. Their sparring session in which the Emperor won asserts his power over the throne. He reminds the prince not to take by force anything that he did not give. That was already a foreshadowing that the Emperor knows the plot of rebellion even before Prince Jai decides to lead it.
The sudden homecoming was masked as the intent to celebrate the holiday with the royal family, though it was really due to the threat of rebellion. The Emperor knows the plot as much as he knows the illicit affair between his Empress Consort and his son from his first wife, Crown Prince Wan. Despite his seemingly omniscient view of everything that had happened during the war, the Emperor chooses not to confront anyone, preserve the order, and plan deceitful means to eliminate his enemies without lifting a finger. Such is the plan to poison the Empress so she would lose her sanity. With Jiang Yiru, the Imperial Physician, the Emperor carries out his plan of disposing of the threat to his power, the head of the rebellion, his consort.
The Empress prepares thousands of embroidered golden chrysanthemums for the Chong Yang Festival. Her health and this obsession worry Prince Jai, to which the Crown Prince Wan agrees, while Prince Yu, the third prince, seems to be oblivious. During the festival, golden flowers will fill the Imperial Palace, and this event remembers the death of the Emperor’s former wife.
The royal family reunites on the Chrysanthemum Terrace and the Emperor reminds everyone of their role under the natural law and the order that the royal family should uphold. The Crown Prince Wan feels trapped because of his affair with the Empress, so he requests to leave the Imperial Palace to a supposed immersion in the field, eventually to unite with his secret love, Jiang Chan, the Imperial Physician’s daughter. Prince Yu was also introduced in the story as the intelligent and the least favorite who struggles to gain the favor of any of his parents.
The conflict begins when the Empress did not finish her cup of medicine and the princes had to plead her to drink it except for Prince Jai. This part presents Prince Jai and his loyalty to his mother even before he gets caught in the middle of the struggle for power. Left without a choice, the Empress finished her cup of medicine.
The Emperor meets the Imperial Physician and reveals their on-going plot to poison the Empress. However, the Empress sends a woman-in-black to investigate the new ingredient added to her medicine. The woman returns to the Empress with the confirmation of her worst fears. In deep thought, she continues embroidering golden chrysanthemums.
The Empress summons Prince Jai and tells him of the Emperor’s plan to gradually poison her. She asks him to participate in her plot of rebellion. Prince Jai hesitates at first, but when the poison was served to the Empress in his presence, and his mother drank it submissively, he decides to fight for his mother’s life.
Crown Prince Wan captured the woman-in-black and she was recognized by the Emperor right away. He told Wan and the others to forget that the encounter happened. Later, it was revealed that the woman is the Imperial Physician's wife and the former wife of the Emperor. The Emperor promoted the Imperial Physician as governor and sent his entire family outside the Imperial Palace. It was supposed to be to honor the loyalty of the physician, and for the secret to being kept. However, the Emperor had another solution in mind, so he asked his assassins to kill Jiang’s family.
At the night of the Chrysanthemum Festival, Wan visited Chan in their new place outside the Imperial Palace and realizes that the embroidered golden chrysanthemums are for the rebels. The affair of the two was revealed to their mother and she tells Chan to stay away from the prince. The prince rushed towards the palace to warn his father, and Chan followed him after her mother's disapproval of her relationship with the Crown Prince. It was then that the assassins came, killed their men, and the Imperial Physician. Shi struggled to keep her daughter alive, until help from the Empress came.
The Crown Prince Wan confronts the Empress and tries to stop her from her plans. He is fearful that the people would think it was him who plotted the rebellion because he is the Crown Prince. Upon realizing that it was part of the plan and that she wouldn't let him get in the way, the Crown Prince stabs himself to escape his doom. Unfortunately, he lives and had to attend the Chrysanthemum Festival despite his injury.
The royal family was dressed for the festival and everything was ready when Shi and Chan came. The Emperor, upon realizing what will happen next, dismisses all the servants. The Empress reveals the secret of the royal family: Jiang Shi is the mother of Chan and Wan, and the former wife of the Emperor. This revelation led to the death of Chan and Shi. Then, Prince Yu killed Prince Wan and tried to force his father to abdicate the throne to him. His resentment towards his parents made him hate the entire family and seek only the throne. He knows everything from the illicit affair of his mother and his brother down to the plot of rebellion. Thinking that he can use the rebellion to his advantage, he killed the Crown Prince. The assassins of the Emperor killed the small number of soldiers of Prince Yu. Because of grief and anger for the death of his favorite son, the Emperor killed Prince Yu with his bare hands.
Prince Jai leads the ten thousand golden warriors wearing the embroidered chrysanthemums from the Empress. They marched towards the Imperial Palace and killed all assassins that tried to stop them. Their force advanced into the Imperial Square yet they were conquered by the sheer number of the Imperial Guards who were earlier instructed by Prince Jai to leave their post. The silver army stomped the rebellion as how they did with the golden flowers that adorned the Imperial Square. The remaining rebels were executed in front of the Empress, and the Emperor summons her and Prince Jai to the Chrysanthemum Terrace. The Emperor told Prince Jai that he will be spared from execution if he will serve his mother her medicine from then on. Prince Jai apologized to his mother, then takes his own life. His death pushed the Empress to her limits, and she forcefully slaps the plate holding the cup of acid that intends to kill her on the spot.
Post-colonial Analysis
Cultural Influence of Colonialism
Colonialism influences a people's entire culture which includes beliefs, habits, rituals, and even self-image. The way society perceives authority and power is affected by its colonial experience. Thus, the movie Curse of the Golden Flower showed the greed of and struggle for power among the conquered, and how the conqueror wields his dominance above everyone else. Such exhibition of the power of the colonizer had been evident with the unrelenting force of the Imperial Army as they crushed the ten thousand golden warriors that attempted to take over the throne, illustrating the futility of the attempt to take the crown by force, and attesting to the power of the colonizer over his subjects.
The same power is behind the immediate transformation of the Imperial Palace from a bloodied ground with corpses into a festive place decorated with fresh golden flowers, just as how it was before the rebels attacked. The image of the thousands of people at the colonizer’s disposal portrays the vast influence and control of the conqueror among his subjects. As if the world forgets the horrible deaths when the colonized tried to get off the shackles of oppression, the festival began with a celebration, filled moving lights and festive music. The people under his command are on their feet at his every whim, even during the execution of rebels. To kill in just one call concretizes the influence of the colonizer, not only on the society but also on its people.
Another scene that the Emperor, the colonizer, showed his power over his subjects is when he summoned the Empress and Prince Jai to the terrace. The colonized, the Empress, was brought her poison once again and she is expected to submit to the power of the Emperor. Also, the Emperor tried to torment both the Empress and Prince Jai when he asked the son to serve his mother's poison from then on in exchange for his life. It was the colonizer's way to take control once again because he can't take their life. The suicide of the second prince is the last means to liberate his mother from the colonizer, depriving the Emperor of the control he desperately wants to retrieve. The colonizer lost his power when he lost his only heir. The death of Prince Jai made the Empress’s deceptive attempt to freedom turn into a hysterical and upfront attempt to liberation when the she slaps the plate that holds the poison.
Colonialism influences a people's entire culture which includes beliefs, habits, rituals, and even self-image. The way society perceives authority and power is affected by its colonial experience. Thus, the movie Curse of the Golden Flower showed the greed of and struggle for power among the conquered, and how the conqueror wields his dominance above everyone else. Such exhibition of the power of the colonizer had been evident with the unrelenting force of the Imperial Army as they crushed the ten thousand golden warriors that attempted to take over the throne, illustrating the futility of the attempt to take the crown by force, and attesting to the power of the colonizer over his subjects.
The same power is behind the immediate transformation of the Imperial Palace from a bloodied ground with corpses into a festive place decorated with fresh golden flowers, just as how it was before the rebels attacked. The image of the thousands of people at the colonizer’s disposal portrays the vast influence and control of the conqueror among his subjects. As if the world forgets the horrible deaths when the colonized tried to get off the shackles of oppression, the festival began with a celebration, filled moving lights and festive music. The people under his command are on their feet at his every whim, even during the execution of rebels. To kill in just one call concretizes the influence of the colonizer, not only on the society but also on its people.
Another scene that the Emperor, the colonizer, showed his power over his subjects is when he summoned the Empress and Prince Jai to the terrace. The colonized, the Empress, was brought her poison once again and she is expected to submit to the power of the Emperor. Also, the Emperor tried to torment both the Empress and Prince Jai when he asked the son to serve his mother's poison from then on in exchange for his life. It was the colonizer's way to take control once again because he can't take their life. The suicide of the second prince is the last means to liberate his mother from the colonizer, depriving the Emperor of the control he desperately wants to retrieve. The colonizer lost his power when he lost his only heir. The death of Prince Jai made the Empress’s deceptive attempt to freedom turn into a hysterical and upfront attempt to liberation when the she slaps the plate that holds the poison.
Gender
If we see the movie as a war between the sexes, we will easily understand how the man, the colonizer, remains to be the oversight or the omniscient power over everything. Such is proven by the Emperor's immediate return from war because of the plot to take over the throne. He knows the illicit affair of his wife with his son. He even planned to dispose of his former wife to get married and become Emperor.
Women are the colonized for how they were depicted in the movie. The marriage of the Empress made her a property that goes with the crown, and a mere symbol of a failed rebellion. The defeat of the golden army portrays the limited power of the woman to influence and take over an Empire in a colonial setting. The same with the colonized regardless of gender, the feat of escaping the clutches of colonialism is almost impossible for women.
Another illustration of women as the colonized is their role as objects of lust, infidelity, sexuality, and affection – all of which benefit the colonizer, the man. The interest of the woman will never go before the interest of the Empire, as shown in the roles of Jiang Chan, Jiang Shi, and the Empress. Their men see them as subjects, properties, and objects of pleasure, but when the throne is threatened, they can be disposed of easily.
The colonized portrayal of women is also shown by the clothes they wear. Both servants and nobility are dressed as how men find them pleasing to the eyes: with colorful makeup, adorned with jewelry, glittered and glamorous, while their bosoms swell up, with layered clothing yet revealing men's lustful interest. Such an image was left behind by the only woman who liberated herself, Jiang Shi. The Emperor’s former wife relinquished her identity and left all the glamour in exchange for freedom and a peaceful family life. Though she was still dependent on the existence of her husband, she uses it as an advantage to stay hidden from the sight of the Emperor, the colonizer. She has been an object, not of lust, but of affection.
Women are depicted as mere servants of the palace, while men take positions based on their capacity, talent, and influence. This alone shows that women are the voiceless majority that is conquered by force and lack of existence. They are the women who ring the bell before daybreak, yet do not speak. They aim to wake only the other servants. Compare this to the men with gongs and speak of the hour. Women were not heard in all circumstances, while those who speak to assume power and existence are persecuted, such as Shi, the Empress, and Chan.
The identity of women is merely based on their men's identity. They are the 'other,' and they are expected not to exist. They are supposed to submit themselves to the colonizer, the Emperor, or the man who owns them by name and existence. Such is the case of the Empress as a silent receiver of the poison she is aware of, yet she can't decline because her knowledge of it demands retaliation. She would not risk such conflict because colonial mentality tells that the conquered could not win in upfront confrontation as in combat, rather, in a deceptive and carefully planned liberation and usurpation of power.
If we see the movie as a war between the sexes, we will easily understand how the man, the colonizer, remains to be the oversight or the omniscient power over everything. Such is proven by the Emperor's immediate return from war because of the plot to take over the throne. He knows the illicit affair of his wife with his son. He even planned to dispose of his former wife to get married and become Emperor.
Women are the colonized for how they were depicted in the movie. The marriage of the Empress made her a property that goes with the crown, and a mere symbol of a failed rebellion. The defeat of the golden army portrays the limited power of the woman to influence and take over an Empire in a colonial setting. The same with the colonized regardless of gender, the feat of escaping the clutches of colonialism is almost impossible for women.
Another illustration of women as the colonized is their role as objects of lust, infidelity, sexuality, and affection – all of which benefit the colonizer, the man. The interest of the woman will never go before the interest of the Empire, as shown in the roles of Jiang Chan, Jiang Shi, and the Empress. Their men see them as subjects, properties, and objects of pleasure, but when the throne is threatened, they can be disposed of easily.
The colonized portrayal of women is also shown by the clothes they wear. Both servants and nobility are dressed as how men find them pleasing to the eyes: with colorful makeup, adorned with jewelry, glittered and glamorous, while their bosoms swell up, with layered clothing yet revealing men's lustful interest. Such an image was left behind by the only woman who liberated herself, Jiang Shi. The Emperor’s former wife relinquished her identity and left all the glamour in exchange for freedom and a peaceful family life. Though she was still dependent on the existence of her husband, she uses it as an advantage to stay hidden from the sight of the Emperor, the colonizer. She has been an object, not of lust, but of affection.
Women are depicted as mere servants of the palace, while men take positions based on their capacity, talent, and influence. This alone shows that women are the voiceless majority that is conquered by force and lack of existence. They are the women who ring the bell before daybreak, yet do not speak. They aim to wake only the other servants. Compare this to the men with gongs and speak of the hour. Women were not heard in all circumstances, while those who speak to assume power and existence are persecuted, such as Shi, the Empress, and Chan.
The identity of women is merely based on their men's identity. They are the 'other,' and they are expected not to exist. They are supposed to submit themselves to the colonizer, the Emperor, or the man who owns them by name and existence. Such is the case of the Empress as a silent receiver of the poison she is aware of, yet she can't decline because her knowledge of it demands retaliation. She would not risk such conflict because colonial mentality tells that the conquered could not win in upfront confrontation as in combat, rather, in a deceptive and carefully planned liberation and usurpation of power.
Race
The culture of collectivism is shown in the struggle for power. The power of the ten thousand against the Imperial Army was the picture of that conflict. The Chinese race has embraced such culture since they have a long history of genocide that eliminates the conquered belief upon the transition of a new dynasty. The concept of the conqueror and the conquered and the concept of intolerance of the existence of both made the Chinese culture a clear representation of the colonial power that slowly transitioned towards Imperialism. Colonialism influenced them to believe that to be powerful, the colonizer should weaken the colonized. Such is shown by the poison that the Empress takes, and the poor self-image that the Crown Prince believes. These are just some of the many ways a colonizer disables a threat to power. This intends to make others heed his orders, just like how the Emperor asserted his power towards the Empress and made her drink her medicine.
Class
Class is a clearly outlined distinction in Colonialism, as it sets the boundaries of the colonizer and the colonized. The higher class or the royalty is distinguished from the lower class or the commoners and servants. With the use of status symbols like jewelry, ornaments, and gilded robes, the colonizer presents himself as the insurmountable force that the colonized should not dare challenge. Also, the issue of class was highlighted by the prohibition of the affair of Wan and Chan, not only because they are siblings, but also because they are of different social classes. Class is also affected by Colonialism as marriage is used to elevate from one class to another. This is done by the Emperor to acquire the power he desires.
Family
In Colonialism, the man is the colonizer. Thus, the patriarch is a powerful image within a family structure. The members of the family are mere subjects to that power. This colonial manifestation is portrayed as the royal family reunites on the Chrysanthemum Terrace and everyone where seated on their rightful place, expected to play their designated role.
Also, Colonialism affects the identity of the family. It lies on the identity of the patriarch, which is shown in the identity of the Jiang family. Unless the child is the heir, the member of the family remains non-existent, unimportant, such as the case of Prince Jai and Prince Yu. The woman, as in other cultures, are invisible and mere means of continued family lineage.
The culture of collectivism is shown in the struggle for power. The power of the ten thousand against the Imperial Army was the picture of that conflict. The Chinese race has embraced such culture since they have a long history of genocide that eliminates the conquered belief upon the transition of a new dynasty. The concept of the conqueror and the conquered and the concept of intolerance of the existence of both made the Chinese culture a clear representation of the colonial power that slowly transitioned towards Imperialism. Colonialism influenced them to believe that to be powerful, the colonizer should weaken the colonized. Such is shown by the poison that the Empress takes, and the poor self-image that the Crown Prince believes. These are just some of the many ways a colonizer disables a threat to power. This intends to make others heed his orders, just like how the Emperor asserted his power towards the Empress and made her drink her medicine.
Class
Class is a clearly outlined distinction in Colonialism, as it sets the boundaries of the colonizer and the colonized. The higher class or the royalty is distinguished from the lower class or the commoners and servants. With the use of status symbols like jewelry, ornaments, and gilded robes, the colonizer presents himself as the insurmountable force that the colonized should not dare challenge. Also, the issue of class was highlighted by the prohibition of the affair of Wan and Chan, not only because they are siblings, but also because they are of different social classes. Class is also affected by Colonialism as marriage is used to elevate from one class to another. This is done by the Emperor to acquire the power he desires.
Family
In Colonialism, the man is the colonizer. Thus, the patriarch is a powerful image within a family structure. The members of the family are mere subjects to that power. This colonial manifestation is portrayed as the royal family reunites on the Chrysanthemum Terrace and everyone where seated on their rightful place, expected to play their designated role.
Also, Colonialism affects the identity of the family. It lies on the identity of the patriarch, which is shown in the identity of the Jiang family. Unless the child is the heir, the member of the family remains non-existent, unimportant, such as the case of Prince Jai and Prince Yu. The woman, as in other cultures, are invisible and mere means of continued family lineage.
Imperialism Taking Over Colonialism
The culture that a colonized territory adopts becomes the foundation of the same atrocities within a race, transitioning from Colonialism to Imperialism. Despite the absence of the other race to colonize the people, the Imperial Power assumes the role of the colonizer, seeing himself of equal to the conqueror, and administering the same abuses that the colonizer inflicted upon the people. This is the case of Emperor Ping who became the colonizer of his own people. New forms of Imperialism replace Colonization as the Chinese people builds their empire and adopts the image of the colonizers. The post-colonial image of power remains the same, as the colonized sees himself as equally powerful as the colonizer. They strive to develop and overpower the existing superpowers of the world. Not only did China produce the counterparts of everything that the powerful states produce, but they also impose their power towards those that they deem inferior. This is portrayed in the personality of the Empress. She believes that she can take over the throne and become the colonizer. This imitation of the power of the Emperor was exhibited by the Empress when she is not in his presence. She assumed the role of the oversight upon knowing the Crowned Prince’s affair with Chan, and Jiang Shi’s identity and family. She exhibited control over her son’s emotions to take up rebellion, and her assumption of power as to how she treats her servants.
The culture that a colonized territory adopts becomes the foundation of the same atrocities within a race, transitioning from Colonialism to Imperialism. Despite the absence of the other race to colonize the people, the Imperial Power assumes the role of the colonizer, seeing himself of equal to the conqueror, and administering the same abuses that the colonizer inflicted upon the people. This is the case of Emperor Ping who became the colonizer of his own people. New forms of Imperialism replace Colonization as the Chinese people builds their empire and adopts the image of the colonizers. The post-colonial image of power remains the same, as the colonized sees himself as equally powerful as the colonizer. They strive to develop and overpower the existing superpowers of the world. Not only did China produce the counterparts of everything that the powerful states produce, but they also impose their power towards those that they deem inferior. This is portrayed in the personality of the Empress. She believes that she can take over the throne and become the colonizer. This imitation of the power of the Emperor was exhibited by the Empress when she is not in his presence. She assumed the role of the oversight upon knowing the Crowned Prince’s affair with Chan, and Jiang Shi’s identity and family. She exhibited control over her son’s emotions to take up rebellion, and her assumption of power as to how she treats her servants.
The Symbol of the Golden Flower
The golden flower stands for the Empress, the mere decorative beauty of the Imperial Palace. She is covered with gold just like the chrysanthemums, prepared to captivate the eyes of the people. However, her beauty did not settle being decorative, rather, she wanted to be influential. Thus, she launched a rebellion bearing her symbol. With the loyalty of her men who fought under her banner, the power of the chrysanthemum, though fleeting, made a mark in the palace that the colonizer dominated for so long. Even if her beauty was stomped and covered with the blood of the men who remained loyal to her power, she won the fight for liberation when the colonizer lost his last heir, ending his dynasty.
References
Yimou, Z. (Director). (2007). Curse of the Golden Flower [Motion Picture].
The golden flower stands for the Empress, the mere decorative beauty of the Imperial Palace. She is covered with gold just like the chrysanthemums, prepared to captivate the eyes of the people. However, her beauty did not settle being decorative, rather, she wanted to be influential. Thus, she launched a rebellion bearing her symbol. With the loyalty of her men who fought under her banner, the power of the chrysanthemum, though fleeting, made a mark in the palace that the colonizer dominated for so long. Even if her beauty was stomped and covered with the blood of the men who remained loyal to her power, she won the fight for liberation when the colonizer lost his last heir, ending his dynasty.
References
Yimou, Z. (Director). (2007). Curse of the Golden Flower [Motion Picture].
