. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . The best movie of John Woo. Undeniably, the best of all movies, I had watched in recent past. Heartrending more is the battle of Chibi, than the Greek epic battle of Troy.
It was summer 208 A.D., the final days of the glorious Han dynasty. Power hungry prime minister Cao Cao convinced the Emperor Han, that the only way to unite all of China was to declare war on the kingdoms of Shu and Wu of the south. The great Han army, thus marched out to crush the rebellious (sic.) South. Common enemy drove the kingdom of Shu and East Wu in the same camp. An unimaginable alliance before. Numerous battles of power and strength; brainpower and wit ensued, enventually culminating in the battle at Red Cliff (Chibi in Mandarin). And this battle, became a landmark threshold in Chinese history. Behind the shield of nationality or unity under one flag, coalesces sentiments. The movie blend emotions moving chronicles into one. It is the most expensive Asian-financed film, with US $ 80 million estimated budget.
The movie has two parts Red Cliff and Red Cliff II. Both presents action, acting, entertainment, effects, passion and skill at its best. Each characters reveal themselves for who they are. They portrays individual worthfulness - dignity, love, sacrifice, fraternity & nationalism.
In the lighter side, the movie conveys the mightiness of the pen, rather than the sword. The power of wit over shrewdness. And that, the Chinese melon is already sliced long before the western imperialist power intrude.
Genre: Action/Adventure
Director: John Woo
Writer: John Woo, Chen Han, Sheng Heyu
Cast: Tony Leung Chiu Wai, Takeshi Kaneshiro, Lin Chiling, You Yong, Wei Zhao
