Reviewed by Kate Rodger
Red Cliff is already a record-breaking box office hit in China, and after making the cut at several big film festivals, including the New Zealand International Film Festival, is now getting a wider release here.
This is the most expensive Chinese film ever made and you can see those dollars on screen from the opening credits. This film is epic in both story and delivery, with no shortage of big battles and power struggles. Chinese director John Woo and his investors will be hoping to see some of that money coming back their way from the international box office, and kiwi audiences may well find plenty to entice them here.
Hollywood welcomed Woo into their big-budget fold in the nineties and he returned the favour with hits Face/Off (I have to confess this as one of my many guilty pleasures) and Mission Impossible 2. Following up with box office flops Windtalkers and Paycheck saw Woo disappear off quietly into the night, and he now returns to the big screen with a story from his homeland.
Set in ancient China in the early third century, Red Cliff is based on the historic battle for Red Cliffs, as powerful warlords fight for land and ultimate domination. This is a massive military campaign fought on land and water, changing the course of Chinese history forever, and a story which certainly makes for a cinematic spectacle. Fans of big battle scenes, while a little drawn-out for my tastes, will be well-served here. Allegiances are formed and broken as strategists pit their brains and their military might against their sworn enemies, culminating in a final epic face-off.
The result for me was a mixed one.
Red Cliff left me a little cold and uncaring despite the large body count and the epic nature of this sweeping story, and clocking in at just under two and a half hours was too long. Not enough attention paid to the individual stories within, and with too much going on, I found it a struggle to form my own allegiances to the characters involved.
Last year's Mongol from Russian director Sergei Bodrov had more heart and substance, and was, in my view, a superior film.
Hardcore battle-hardened die-hard fans of big war movies may well feel differently about Red Cliff, but for me, it was an unremarkable 3 star watch.
Red Cliff
:: Director: John Woo
:: Starring: Tony Leung, Takeshi Kaneshiro, Fenghi Zhang
:: Running Time: 149 mins
:: Rating: M - Battle Violence
:: Release Date: October 15, 2009
