Film: Red Cliff
Release date: 5th October 2009
Certificate: 15
Running time: 142 mins
Director: John Woo
Starring: Chang Chen, Tony Leung Chiu Wai, Zhang Fengyi, Takeshi Kaneshiro, Zhao Wei
Genre: Action/Adventure/Drama/History/War
Studio: Entertainment In Video
Format: DVD
Country: China
The father of heroic bloodshed returns to his roots with a majestic re-telling of the Battle of the Red Cliffs and the birth of the three kingdoms. Revered for his work in the action genre, Woo journeyed west where his talent was diluted by the Hollywood studio system. In 2009, he returned with this, a lavish experience that brings that distinct Woo signature to the period epic.
During the Han dynasty of imperial China, ambitious Prime Minister Cao Cao is given power by the weak willed emperor Xian. Cao Cao seeks to dominate the southern regions by defeating the armies of Lui Bei and Sun Quan.
Cao Cao’s forces are overwhelming, displayed through several bloody skirmishes, yet many brave and skilled warriors still fight for the south.
Liu Bei’s chief advisor Zhuge Liang feels the only way to get a foothold in the war is to recruit the services of Sun Quan and the Wu Empire. Zhuge quickly bonds with Sun’s most trusted official, Zhou Yu, and together they persuade Sun Quan to enter the war against Cao Cao.
Meanwhile, Cao Cao’s forces approach the Wu stronghold of Red Cliff from all directions. As the vast armada approaches from sea and land, the southern alliance prepare to defend themselves against Cao Cao’s assault…
Red Cliff came as a refreshing change for a western audience gorged on Wuxia adaptations. Thanks to Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, the crossover appeal of period Chinese cinema increased tenfold, audiences flocked to see gravity defying assassins, colour coded armies and CGI arrows. Yet, as undoubtedly wonderful as those films are, they adhere to an almost fairytale like formula, complete with the fanciful dream logic that formula allows.
In John Woo’s triumphant return to Chinese cinema, there is no flouting of Newton’s law, no stylish and aesthetically pleasing swordfights, just nationwide warfare painted with epic brushstrokes.
It’s clear from the outset that we are not in familiar Woo territory. A sweeping score accompanies us through the clouds and across the lush vistas of a perfectly re-created 3rd century China. The set design, costume and photography is painstakingly meticulous - spectacle is the film’s chief characteristic.
Perhaps the most surprising thing about Red Cliff when comparing it to the director’s other work is the strength of the story and characters. Adapted from ancient literature concerning the tribulations of the three kingdoms, the script is surprisingly diplomatic with some of the historic figures. Cao Cao isn’t the moustache twirling, merciless villain that he could have been, Fengyi Zhang instead offering a ruthless yet ignoble portrait of the dictator. Elsewhere, Takeshi Kaneshiro is a joy to watch as the brilliant strategist Liang, and Tony Leung once again displays stoic confidence as Zhou Yu.
Strangely for a John Woo film, Red Cliff has some impressively strong female performances, a considerable departure from the wafer thin plot devices that usually populate the director’s work. In a film replete with almost superhuman men, it’s refreshing to see some ‘girl power’.
The highlights of Red Cliff, though, are its many spectacular battle scenes. The bloody opening battle is just the tip of the iceberg - later there is the tortoise formation, in which the southern forces lure Cao Cao’s army into a deadly maze of shields and spears. This is just one of many inventive gambits cooked up by Liang, another being the almost comedic acquisition of arrows from Cao Cao’s legion of archers to replenish his own supply.
It is during these epic action scenes that Woo can cut loose and unleash those beloved filmmaking tics. The heroes of the south stalk through the battlefield, cutting a swath through the opposing forces in glorious slow motion. While his career has been stagnating in Hollywood, it has been easy to forget how much of an accomplished technician of carnage Woo actually is.
A triumph for all concerned. Strong performances lead what must surely be John Woo’s finest work. Epic battle scenes punctuate a wonderfully told story of political turmoil intrigue. Woo presents a lovingly recreated depiction of 3rd century China, with extra doves. KT
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