Synopsis
Adopted from the classic novel “Romance Of Three Kingdoms” , Red Cliff bring to the screen one of the most famous battles in the history of China.
The Battle Of Red Cliff is a intriguing tale of wits, bravery, greed, betrayal and heroism captured within the 2 1/2 hour epic by acclaimed director John Woo. With US$80million budget spent for this mega production, Red Cliff is the most expensive Asian film ever made.
Set in 208 AD China during the Han Dynasty Era, China was a nation divided by warlords in many states despite the presence of the Emperor Han Xiandi. Using the Emperor as a puppet for manpower and resources, the Prime Minister Cao Cao declare war on
the remaining kingdoms in a bid to unify China and ultimately take over as Emperor.
The two biggest threat to this goal were the rulers of Xu and Wu. Xu was ruled by Liu Bei who was the Emperor’s Uncle whereas Wu was controlled by Sun Quan, successor of the Sun Family legacy.
With the threat of Cao Cao army threatening invade their Kingdoms, Liu Bei and Sun Quan were forced into an alliance. The newly unified force of Wu and Xu Kingdoms would face the mighty army of Cao Cao at Red Cliff.
The Battle Of Red Cliff as it is known, is one of the most famous battles in Chinese history where two thousand ships were burnt in one night.
Review
The Film is divided into two parts, a wise decision given the magnitude of this war epic and the financial expenses. The first Red Cliff tells the events before the Battle Of Red Cliff, specifically the events leading to the alliance of Liu Bei and Sun Quan.
With a star studded cast of top names including Tony Leung, Takeshi Kaneshiro, Zhao Wei, box office success was guaranteed. Even with quite a few changes made in casting (Chow Yun Fat and Ken Watanabe were slated to be involved at one point) , the final cast
delivered strongly for the most part.
Surprising the audience is newcomer Lin Chi Ling in her first role in a movie.
Playing the role of Xiao Qiao with the grace and temperament of a classic lady, Chi Ling adds to the depth of the story and come off as competent enough in her role.
However, it is the more experienced Chang Cheng who is the weakest link in the movie. Playing the role of Sun Quan, the ruler of Wu came off as unconvincing in parts and struggles to shine in his role.
The main protagonist film Zhou Yu (Tony Leung) and the antagonist Cao Cao (Zhang Feng Yi) filled the screen up with their experience and charismatic performance, easily pulling their weight in their respective roles as hero and villain.
Tony Leung especially delivers another fantastic performance, taking Yu into likable, empathic yet brave and smart general. Zhang Feng Yi shines with every second on screen, a sly smile, a cunning glare in the eyes and the occasional
sharp outburst, you just can’t predict what’s Cao Cao thinking.
This movie is a must watch for fans of war and strategy films, if Hollywood has “The Lord of The Rings” , then Asian can boost “The Battle Of Red Cliff” as the grand war epic film.
Some fans of the Three Kingdom series will no doubt be disappointed, Guan Yu and Zhang Fei are relegated to supporting roles with the main spotlight on Zhou Yu and Zhu Ge Liang. While Guan Yu and Zhang Fei shine in the couple of major war scenes, too little screen time is given on the brotherhood aspect of the trio of Guan Yu, Liu Bei and
Zhang Fei.
However it must be said that one of the main highlight of the film is the devious mind games and sneaky tactics employed by both parties to gain an advantage over each other.
The war scenes are very much worth watching for the smooth sequences of events and fantasy elements of overwhelming power and strength by the heroes in defeating the oppositions. As usual, John Woo include the elements of unity, courage and
brotherhood while showcasing the importance of tactics during the battles.
Conclusion
Even at 2 1/2 hour, Red Cliff didn’t feel draggy as the pacing and dialogues of the movie is well thought out and there’s always something being planned or done in anticipation of the big showdown. Upon conclusion of the first movie, you would feel the urge to catch the final showdown in Red Cliff Part 2 as the two armies set camps along the riverbanks of Red Cliff.
In the end, did John Woo and Red Cliff live up to the hype? Given that The Romance Of The Three Kingdom is established as a literature classic and of course adaption of historic events of China, nothing less than epic and grand would do this film justice.
The answer is yes, Red Cliff deliver in for the most part every aspect and will be a delightful eye opening experience to people who have never read the novel. For those who are already fans, they might be nitpicking some of the artistic liberty taken with inventing new storyline and characters plots but certainly will be impressed with this great film.
Score:
[Rating:4/5] ( Must Watch)
