The Banquet

The Banquet is set in a declining Chinese empire, where Crown Prince Wu Luan has withdrawn to the south to study music and dance after his beloved Little Wan married his father, the emperor. When the emperor dies, his brother Li takes the throne and also claims Wan as his wife. Li sends killers after his nephew, but the attempt fails, and Wu Luan returns to the palace bent on revenge. Wan, now empress, is caught between protecting the prince and surviving as Li's consort. A night banquet brings the emperor, the empress, the prince, the minister and the general together, each pursuing a private agenda. The story draws on Shakespeare's Hamlet.

Feng Xiaogang directed the film, the third of the 13 features he has made in chronological order, following A World Without Thieves and preceding Assembly. Sheng Heyu and Chiu Kang-Chien wrote the screenplay, and Woo-Ping Yuen and John Chong produced. Zhang Ziyi plays Empress Wan, Ge You plays Emperor Li, Daniel Wu plays Crown Prince Wu Luan, and Zhou Xun, Ma Jingwu and Huang Xiaoming appear among the 38 credited cast members.

Released in September 2006, the film runs 131 minutes and mixes action, drama, fantasy and history. Made for about 15 million US dollars, it took roughly 23 million US dollars worldwide, a modest return relative to its cost. On TMDB it holds 6.1 out of 10 from 128 votes, indicating a mixed audience response.