Directed by John Woo
Written by Terence Chang, John Woo, Khan Chan, Kuo Cheng, Sheng Heyu
Starring Tony Leung, Takeshi Kaneshiro, Chang Chen, Zhao Wei, Hu Jun
Rated R for war violence
Rating - 1 bullet hole
The great John Woo is back with a vengeance. After a stint in the US making mostly bad movies, the best action director alive returned to film-making in China with the war epic Red Cliff. In Asia, the film was released in 2008 as two parts totaling over 4 hours. With a budget of about 80 million, it was the most expensive Asian film. Part 1 grossed 124 million, making it the most profitable movie in mainland China, toppling the record previously held by Titanic. Yes, even there Titanic shattered records. Now, a 2 1/2 hour cut of Red Cliff is making its rounds in the US.
The movie is based on an actual battle, The Battle of Red Cliffs, which occurred in the winter of 208/9 and was a key battle in determining the course of the Han Dynasty. The ruthless Prime Minister Cao Cao (Zhang Fengyi) manipulates Emperor Xian (Wang Ning) and takes the imperial army on a mission to destroy the southern warlord rebels Sun Quan (Chang Chen) and Liu Bei (You Yong). Liu Bei is the first target. Cao Cao decimates the southern province of Jingzhou including many civilians. Liu Bei’s family is murdered, the sole survivor being his infant son. Liu Bei’s chief advisor Zhuge Liang (Takeshi Kaneshiro) heads to Eastern Wu to form an alliance with Sun Quan. He is aided by Grand Viceroy Zhou Yu (Chinese megastar Tony Leung) and Yu’s sister Sun Shangxiang (Zhao Wei). Meanwhile, Cao Cao forms a great naval alliance with two naval commanders Jingzhou and sets out for Red Cliff, the southern bank of the Yangtze, preparing to attack from land and sea.
While many versions of the battle exist, the most detailed account comes from Zhou Yu’s biography. I am no history professor but my understanding is that the film takes liberties with what is considered to be the truth about specifics of the battle. That’s nothing new for film to take artistic liberty with fact. Most historical epics do that. Whatever the truth, one of the most fascinating aspects of the film is the great attention to strategic detail. Cao Cao and Zhou Yu carefully lay out their plans. They know each other well and spend a great deal of time outguessing each other…which routes the other will take, what tactics and formations they will use, how they will use the weather to their advantage, etc. I was reminded of the battle of wits between Lieutenant Colonel Hal Moore and Lieutenant Colonel Nguyen Huu An in We Were Soldiers.
What is also astonishing about the film is the attention to detail. While there are some scenes in which obvious CGI is used, there are also scenes featuring astonishing numbers of extras and animals that recall the glory days of the war epic in which Kirk Douglas or Peter O’Toole adorned the battlefield. Woo says that on most days, he had 1,500 Chinese soldiers to work with. These soldiers dedicated six months of their lives training in ancient battle tactics and learning how to march with armor and spears. Hundreds of horses were trained as well. Filming took 18 months.
Speaking of horses, my film viewing comrade and I were astonished at the scenes with horses. Many times, horses faceplant in the dirt as they are targeted by arrows or swords. Since Red Cliff was released in the UK, The BBFC (British Board of Film Classification) released a statement saying “With one exception, which has been cut from the film, the BBFC is satisfied with the company’s reassurances that no horses were injured and that various provisions were made to ensure their safety during the making of the film.” John Woo insists that no animals were injured during filming. I’ve read much about Woo and have the utmost respect for him. I believe him, but these scenes are truly amazing.
My biggest complaint with the film is that it is unnecessarily cheesy at times. The dialogue is a bit corny, and there is some added melodrama between Zhou Yu, his wife, and Cao Cao. Had these plotlines been cemented with better writing and a more somber tone, this could have been a perfect film. The film Hero (by director Yimou Zhang) is a great example of a Chinese epic that does not suffer from these maladies. I was also a little disappointed by some of the special effects in Red Cliff. When 90% of your effects are well done…it’s very distracting when that other 10% is on screen.
If nothing else, Red Cliff is a must see for its jaw-dropping battle scenes. John Woo has taken the same skill he showed with choreographing bullet ballets between a couple of guys and transferring it to a large field with hundreds of men wielding ancient weapons. There is some serious bloodshed here. It’s nice to have him back.
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