Review of Red Cliff (2008) by Marcus B — 06 May 2012
Ah, the duality of chinese cinema! On one hand the unrivaled grandiosity and spectacular camera work that simply overwhealms you and takes your breath away. In "Red Cliff", Woo uses seemingly unlimited "natural" resources to create a stunning visual experience that Hollywood CGI technicians can only dream about.
On the flipside of the coin the viewer also gets to experience what I regard as a strange phenomenon that I have seen in so many chinese movies - story arc that feels disjointed and clunky. This feeling is reinforced by acting where realism is replaced by strange mannerisms strongly reminding of what's seen in second rate american soap-operas.
The end result is yet again an odd mix of absolute mastery and rather naive amateurism. However, even with its flaws, "Red Cliff" is one of the grandest historical epics I've had pleasure to experience... ever! For this alone, this movie deserves highest possible praise.
This review of Red Cliff (2008) was written by Marcus B on 06 May 2012.
Red Cliff has generally received positive reviews.
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