John Woo’s massive Chinese period piece is based on the Battle of Red Cliffs along with events leading to the end of the Han Dynasty prior to the period of the Three Kingdoms in ancient China . Whilst Woo has said that his film is based more on historical record, than the historical novel Romance of the Three Kingdoms, much of the history it would seem is based more on legend than fact, going by the impressive feats of most of the lead characters.
No matter how much of a flight of fancy the details are, the historical setting makes for a fascinating backdrop to the tale of conquest and the fight for survival. With two distinctly polar opposites waging war for equally different reasons, John Woo comfortably weaves tales of passion, intrigue and immense battle scenes with ease.
To use the term epic may sound superfluous, but in this case it’s warranted. Woo has managed to do what most Hollywood directors fail to grasp and created an action packed, fast paced movie, with an array of CGI and a cast of thousands, whilst managing to remember that it’s all about the story. As fascinating as the battle scenes are, Red Cliff is nothing with out its subtle plot directions, and most importantly, the solid character demonstrated by some of the key players. Whilst one side sees war as a means to an end, the other laments the loss of life – on both sides – rather than any idealistic notions of victory or defeat.
Almost flawlessly filmed with a minute attention to detail, Red Cliff not only managed to get your adrenaline pumping for most of its two and a half hour run time, but also slaps you silly as you gawk in awe at the clever tactics and abilities of these primitive warriors.
It’s a fascinating, action packed thrill ride. FILMGUIDE rating: Reviewed by: Jonathan Read Release date: March 10th, 2010 Stars: Tony Leung, Chen Chang, Takeshi Kaneshiro, Fengyi Zhang Length (Minutes): 141 Aspect Ratio: 1.78 : 1 Aspect Ratio: 2.35 : 1 Languages: English, Chinese Subtitles: English Supported Audio: Dolby Digital Surround 5.1 Director: Woo, John Studio: Icon Film Distribution
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