At first, the Empress seeks only to protect herself, but as the new Emperor grows suspicious of all those around him, she realizes that only by helping the Crown Prince kill him can she hope to survive. Together with the Chief Minister (Ma Jingwu) she tries to carry out this plot, but when the Prince is wracked by indecision she devises a new plan and seeks the throne for herself. As the plot move towards its climax, the Emperor calls for a lavish royal banquet, where each will seek the end of their enemies.

The Banquet differs from Hamlet in that it does not focus on the prince, but examines the feelings of each character. According to director Feng Xiaogang: "If Hamlet is about a prince who must make a choice involving life and death, then The Banquet is about how each character must face a choice of life or death... All are motivated by desire, but as soon as they have begun their plans must grow more extreme, and they move step-by-step towards the abyss... They do not intend evil, but turn to it out of self-preservation and ever-growing ambition."

Cast: Zhang Ziyi, Ge You, Daniel Wu, Zhou Xun, Ma Jingwu, Huang Xiaomoing... 
 
Director: Feng Xiaogang ("A World Without Thieves")
Music: Tan Dun ("Couching Tiger, Hidden Dragon", "Hero")
Cinematographer: Zhang Li ("A World Without Thieves")
Art Director: Tim Yip ("Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon")
Screenwriters: Chiu-Tai An-Ping , Sheng Heyu
Dance Choreographer: Wang Yuanyuan ("Raise the Red Lantern")
Executive Producer: Yuen Wo-Ping ("Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon")