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Original Title: 夜宴 Directed by: Feng Xiaogang Written by: Sheng Heyu, Qiu Gangjian Cinematography: Zhang Li, Xie Ze Music by: Tan Dun Country: China, Hong Kong Genres: Drama, Fantasy, Action, History Duration: 131 min Release Dates: 30 Aug. 2006 (China), 3 Sept. (Venice), 15 Sept. (TIFF) Filming Dates: September 2005 – 29 January 2006 Filming Locations: China (Xinjiang, Hangzhou, Jiangsu) Synopsis: In 907 AD, the Tang Dynasty is in tatters; infighting snarls the imperial family. Crown Prince Wu Luan loves Little Wan, but his father takes her as his Empress. Wu Luan goes into exile, studying dance and music. His uncle murders his father, taking throne and Empress; uncle sends assassins to kill Wu Luan. The Crown Prince eludes death and comes to court. The Emperor arranges for Little Wan’s coronation and dispatches Wu Luan to a distant land; he then calls for a midnight banquet on the 100th day of his rule. Poison, treachery, Wu Luan’s return, and the love of the innocent Qing for Wu Luan set up the final entanglements. No Fortinbras or Horatio lay the dead to rest. -IMDb

Zhang Ziyi Empress Wan

Ge You Emperor Li

Daniel Wu Prince Wu Luan

Zhou Xun Qing Nu

Ma Jingwu Yin Taichang

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Trailers

The Banquet Teaser Trailer

2:43 min   |   1365 views

The Banquet – Trailer 1

1:42 min   |   1421 views

The Banquet – Trailer 2

2:41 min   |   1470 views

The Banquet Japan Trailer

1:23 min   |   1420 views

Movie clips

• Feng Xiaogang told reporters while promoting the movie that he loved working with Ziyi. “Before we worked together, I might have thought, ‘Oh, Zhang Ziyi, a big star, it won’t be easy to work with her, but when the work got underway, I asked her to shave her eyebrows. She did it. During filming, she was very thoughtful. When she saw people in cinematography and the art department were working hard, she’d make soup and bring it to them,” Feng recalled. “Our collaboration was especially happy,” he said. Feng said Zhang was sad when she had to leave “The Banquet” to promote the film “Memoirs of a Geisha” in the U.S., and had been eager to get back to the set. –China Daily
• The film is a loose adaption of William Shakespeare’s tragedy Hamlet and Henrik Ibsen’s play Ghosts, featuring themes of revenge and fate.
• A three-minute preview was shown at the Berlin Film Festival. Parts of the film had been also previewed by film buyers during the 2006 Cannes Film Festival in May, where a promotional event for the film was hosted.
• At 180 meters long and 60 meters wide, the set for the Emperor’s Palace is the largest set ever built in China.
• Gong Li was originally supposed to play Zhang Ziyi’s part. Due to scheduling conflicts, the role was passed onto Zhang Ziyi and she gladly accepted because she thought the character was so interesting.
• Both Gong Li and Maggie Cheung were originally considered playing the queen’s role. When Ziyi Zhang took over the part, the script was rewritten to make the character younger.
• The Federation of Motion Film Producers of Hong Kong announced on 28 Sept 2006 that this would be Hong Kong’s entry to the 79th Oscar’s Best Foreign Film category. —IMDb