Red Cliff - Part One: The Review

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.

The Dark Knight

The Dark Knight
A Review by Ernest M. Whiteman III

The Pledge:
"You know, war paint. To scare people."

"I believe that what ever doesn’t kill you, simply makes you... stranger."

"Him, again."

"Ta-Da! It’s gone!"

"I know what you’re afraid of"

"Everybody knows, you’re Gotham’s White Knight."

"I hear they have another name for me at MCU."

"Die a hero or live long enough to see yourself become the villain."

"Starting tonight, people WILL die!"

"I knew the mob wouldn’t go down without a fight, but this is different."

"You know that day you told me about, when Gotham no longer needed Batman? It’s coming."

"He locked up half the criminals in Gotham and he did it without a mask."

"You can be the symbol of hope I can never be."

The Turn:
"We got you, you son of a bitch."

"Doesn’t it depress you, Commissioner, to know how alone you really are?"

"Stop trying to talk like you’re one of them, ‘cause you’re not."

"You’ve changed things, forever."

"Kill you? What would I do without you? You, complete me."

"They’ll drop you. At the first sign of trouble."

"You have nothing to threaten me with. Nothing to do with all your strength!"

" ...so you're gonna have to play my little game if you want to save one of them."

"Tonight you’re going to break your one rule!"

"I just want my phone call."

"I do have an answer for you and it’s ‘Yes’."

"No! Not me!"

"He wanted me to put him MCU."

"Remember that name they used to call me while I was at Internal Affairs?"

"Say it.... SAY IT!"

"Hi."

The Prestige:
"This city deserves a better class of criminal. And I’m going to give it to them."

"I let that psychopathic madman blow him half to Hell."

"That man in Burma, did you catch him?" "Yes." "How?" "We burned the forest down."

"Introduce a little chaos..."

"You know the thing about chaos? It’s fair."

"Tonight, you are all going to be part of a ‘social experiment’."

"You just couldn’t let me go could you?"

"I think you and I are destined to do this forever."

"You really didn’t think I’d lose the battle for the soul of Gotham City in a fistfight with you? You have to have an ace in the hole."

"You thought we could be decent men, in an indecent time!"

"Because you are the best of us."

"Then why am I the only one who lost the most?"

"You’re not."

"It’s not about what I want. It’s about what’s fair!"

"Lie, like I had to lie."

"Die a hero or live long enough to see yourself become the villain. I can do that."

"I’m what ever Gotham needs me to be."

"They’ll hunt you." "You"ll hunt me. You’ll condemn me. Set the dogs on me. Because that’s what needs to happen."

"Why is Batman running?" "Because we have to chase him."

"Because he's the hero Gotham deserves, but not the one it needs right now...and so we'll hunt him, because he can take it. Because he's not a hero. He's a silent guardian, a watchful protector...a dark knight."

I have just seen the best picture of 2008. And it is The Dark Knight.
Highest recommendation.