Review of Red Cliff (2008) by Michael Y — 21 Oct 2009
Saw this as a part of the Austin Film Festival opening night. John Woo is back in form in this dramatic telling of the Battle of Red Cliff (Chi Bi) which occurred during the Han Dynasty-Three Kingdoms transition period of Chinese history. Good action and martial arts scenes with some of Woo's artistic/thematic elements thrown in. Scenes from John Woo's HK movies, "Hardboiled","The Killer come to mind. This version is a condensed 2 hr 28 minute version of a 4 hour epic shown in China.
I liked the battle/martial arts scenes, although the CG was a bit overdone and noticeable in a few scenes. It definitely is a film worth seeing for (most) Western audiences to get a condensed view of the Three Kingdoms period. However, sinophiles and/or Chinese historians might quibble with the depiction. For them, either the source materials ("Records of the Three Kingdoms", "Romance of the Three Kingdoms") may provide more historically accurate context.
Nevertheless, the film is well directed and it does make me more curious to see the full length version should it become available on DVD.
This review of Red Cliff (2008) was written by Michael Y on 21 Oct 2009.
Red Cliff has generally received positive reviews.
Was this review helpful?
