With a nod to youthful idealism and a noticeable polyester shine (most tellingly in the period Western garb), this lively sequel to The Empress Dowager wears its 1970s heart on its splendid sleeves. Most of the lead actors from the original film reprise their roles. The year is 1898. Emperor Guangxu (Di Long) issues a call to modernize the imperial government, angering palace conservatives led by the Empress Dowager and stoking generational warfare in the Qing court. Even as older members of court resort to imprisoning young lovers and executing courtiers as ways to stamp out reform, a new Western marvel, the camera, finds its way into the Forbidden City. Might it be a portent of things to come? Description by Cheng-sim Lim.
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