Review of Red Cliff (2008) by Alex K — 08 Oct 2009

There are epics and then there's Red Cliff. This is perhaps the finest epic film to come out in the last five years. The scope is massive, the battles are exciting, and there's a bunch of other good stuff sprinkled in.

But what truly sets this film apart is John Woo. Woo's technical expertise turns Red Cliff into what may be the best action movie this year. The battle scenes contain so many great moments of epic sword fighting that I cannot recall.

If you will, imagine Hard Boiled, but with swords. And there you have it. And, like Hard Boiled, this film is a quintessential Woo film. It's got babies being protected whilst killing people, a climactic mexican standoff (but with swords), and doves.

One dove is used particularly well, creating a POV shot that is maybe the most epic shot ever conceived by man. In short, this movie is brilliant. A truly impressive feat of filmmaking. Go see it.