The Banquet (2006) is a Chinese wuxia drama film directed by Feng Xiaogang. It is a loose adaptation of William Shakespeare's tragedy Hamlet
And Henrik Ibsen's play Ghosts, set in the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period in 10th century China. The film stars Zhang Ziyi, Ge You, Daniel Wu, and Zhou Xun.
The story revolves around the Emperor, Empress Wan, and their courtiers in a chaotic empire. The Emperor's nephew, Wu Luan, discovers that his uncle murdered his father and stages a masked mime play to expose the truth. The Emperor, fearing the consequences, decides to trade Wu Luan as a hostage to the Khitan kingdom. However, the plan goes awry, and the Empress attempts to poison the Emperor, but her scheme is foiled. The Emperor eventually commits suicide, and the Empress becomes the new Empress Regnant.
The film had its international premiere at the Venice Film Festival, where it received an award. It also screened at other festivals and was chosen as Hong Kong's entry for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film. The Banquet has gained a cult following for its intricate plot, stunning visuals, and impressive performances. The cast includes Zhang Ziyi, Ge You, Daniel Wu, and Zhou Xun, and the film won awards for Best Supporting Actress at the Hong Kong Film Awards and Best Art Direction and Best Makeup and Costume Design at the 43rd Golden Horse Awards.