Review of Red Cliff (2008) by A T — 11 May 2010

John Woo tackles the genre of historical war epics and succeeds, he hit it out of the park and bonked me on the head with Red Cliff, or Chi bi.

China circa 208 AD. The Prime Minister of the Han Empire, Cao Cao, launches a veiled coup against the sitting Emperor and executes anyone who stands in his way. He uses his new power to amass an enormous land army, later with an equally large navy. He begins war campaigns against remnants of the Han loyal to the old empire, such as Liu Bei and other top notch warriors who threaten Cao Cao's desire for domination. The Han rebels seek an alliance with the Kingdom of Wu and its ruler, Zhou You, an honorable man who only wants to protect his kingdom and its people. The alliance is facilitated by a brilliant Han military adviser, Zhuge Liang, who at first sight does not exhibit cunning and a great instinct for warfare with his hand fan. Do not let that fool you, as Liang is not only intelligent, his intelligence makes him a dangerous adversary for which ever force stands against him and his army. Cao Cao's campaign culminates in the Battle of Red Cliff. Rebel Han and Wu forces on one side of a river and Cao Cao's massive force encamped on the other. If you thought the Persian army in 300 was intimidating in size, wait until you see this!

Everything is top notch in Red Cliff. Acting, fighting, cinematography (the landscape is practically a character itself), costumes, effects, and even some humor. Mel Gibson successfully conveyed the brutality and horror of war in old times, long before firearms. Red Cliff does the same thing. This has some of the best military tactics ever put on screen, as the rebel Han and Wu perform much like the Greeks did against the Persians in using cunning as well as baiting the ego of their enemy to strike serious blows against such a behemoth of an army. There are two versions of this film - a theatrical cut which clocks in at around two and a half hours. The other is the two part international version, each about the same length as the theatrical edition. If you have the patience and the drive, I highly recommend the international version.