I found THE LAST SUPPER to be an absolutely horrible movie, completely dull, lifeless and artificial throughout. The backdrop is of the usual warlord-era shenanigans and the film does boast nice costumes and the like, but it's all so lifeless and unengaging. It's a film with little to no incident, just endless waffly dialogue in a single location. Daniel Wu appears but is left standing around square-jawed on the sidelines while Ye Liu has little to do as well. After watching I couldn't tell you what on earth it was about, because it turns out to be about very little, a case of style over substance if ever I saw one. A Zhang Yimou imitator, then, but one utterly devoid of merit.

To make commercial movies with the idea of making literary and artistic films is to elaborate the black screen of history, but the entry point is not accurate enough. The whole film has a slow rhythm and no fluctuation. The story line, especially the old Liu Bang, seems particularly confused.

First of, since 'The City of Life and Death' and 'Kekexili' I have become a fan of mainland China director Lu Chuan. I did not know about this film but somehow, through indirect references, I found out about it and decided to purchase a DVD to see it.

And a good thing I have a DVD, for I needed to watch it more than once to truly grasp the gist of the film. The story line is based on a piece of history in the period of around 200 BC, toward the end of the Qing Dynasty. It is a story of allies turned mortal enemies, trust, mistrust, and the deadly outcome when a woman, here a queen, got involved in the King's decisions.

There are no epic battles and brutal action here, although there are a couple of scenes of torture and execution. The plot and pace are both slow. So I can see why many people will not like it. But if you have the patience, this is a visually impressive film that told a complex story. DVD is the best medium as you can pause, backtrack or watch it for a 2nd or 3rd time to fully understand the plot.