Red Cliffs - Part One
The Review
Readers of this website and of Wisdom of the Sages can recall my fervor for Luo Gaunzhong’s "Romance of the Three Kingdoms". What they probably do not know is how my interest in the 1300 year old novel actually stemmed from the first bits of news on this particular film.
Some time back I had heard of this film through one of the various movie news web sites, that John Woo was returning to his "Asian" roots of film making. Regular readers of WOS have followed my reading of the source book of this film, commonly called "Three Kingdoms". Readers have followed my journey through four different sets of translations and versions of the book that they know my passion for the subject.
They also know that I am an unabashed John Woo fan. I love "The Killer", "Hard-Boiled", "A Better Tomorrw", heck I even love his US works "Broken Arrow", "Face/Off", hell even "MI:II". So, when it was announced, years ago that Woo returning to his "Asian roots" to direct an epic based on this monumental novel, AND re-team him with Chow Yun-Fat, the World’s Greatest Actor, I was on board immediately.
Then, I read on-line about the myriad of problems and casting setbacks this film faced. Chow Yu-Fat dropped out of playing Zhou Yu days before filming, only to have the role filled by Tony Lieung who dropped out months before from the role of Zhuge Liang Kongming (My favorite character.). I read as the date of the opening was pushed back and that the search for a US Distributor came to naught. (Come on US!)
Then, in July of 2008, Red Cliffs opened huge in China, becoming the largest opening for a homeland movie in their box office history. In September of 2008 the Asian DVD was release and made for sale worldwide. I eagerly picked up a version from Ebay. I was fucking amazed!
Takeshi Kaneshiro (House of Flying Daggers/Warlords) steps ably into the role of Kongming. Tony Lieung fits the role of Zhou Yu admirably. The battles are spectacular, bloody affairs keeping in the Woo Style. The relationships between the male leads, brotherhood by circumstance, another Woo motif is also there. The strategy of battle and the tale of the three Oath Brothers are what make this a truly magnificent film.
For those who have not read the book nor are familiar with the history are bound to be lost but if you allow yourself to be caught up in thrill of the battles and action and the craft of te acting, you should enjoy Red Cliff. Part Two is to open in January and then a single combined release in the US is to follow. But finding this Asian Import DVD was a great thing and I would not have missed out on this, the best film John Woo has made thus far.
Highly Recommended.
