Susan Granger’s review of “Red Cliff” (Magnolia Pictures)
Spectacular is the most appropriate word to describe this epic historical adventure from Hong Kong writer/director John Woo. This is the first Asian film he’s made since his Hollywood detour in the 1990s, when he directed “Mission Impossible II,” “A Better Tomorrow,” “Hard Boiled” and “The Killer.”
In second century China near the end of the Han Dynasty, the Empire has been divided into districts ruled by warlords. Ruthless in his intimidation of everyone, including the young Emperor, the brutal, ambitious leader of the Imperial Army, General Cao Cao (Zhang Fengyi), is determined to reclaim the independent territories. So he heads south by land and sea with 850,000 soldiers to confront the peace-loving “insurgents” led by benevolent Liu Bei (You Young) and his younger rival Sun Quan (Chang Chen). In addition, villainous Cao Cao desires the beautiful bride (Taiwanese model Chiling Lan) of Sun’s commander, viceroy Zhou Yu (Tony Leung). While there are many skirmishes and clever spying by Sun Quan’s intrepid sister, Sun Shangxiang (Zhao Wei, also known as Vicky Zhao), the massive naval clash is staged on the Yangtze River at Red Cliff, a site as memorable in China as Gettysburg is in America.
The marathon battle scenes are thrilling and meticulously detailed. The astute military strategy is fascinating. Foot soldiers foil cavalry charges by first blinding the riders with mirror-polished shields, then reassembling in a tortoise formation, creating a maze from which there is no escape. Vastly outnumbered by Cao Cao’s forces and undersupplied with weapons, in one enthralling scene, Zhou Yu devises a unique way to acquire the 100,000 arrows he needs directly from the Han warriors. Even a graceful string duet between wily, music-loving tactical advisors and a tea ceremony serve ulterior purposes.
Edited down from the two-part, five-hour Asian version, this Americanized and English-annotated adaptation runs two-and-a-half action-filled hours. On the Granger Movie Gauge of 1 to 10, “Red Cliff” is a visually impeccable, impressive 8. If only the characters had been more emotionally engaging, it could have emerged as triumphant as Bernardo Bertolucci’s “The Last Emperor” (1987).
