Woo shows mastery of epic genre in 'Red Cliff II'
The Associated PressPublished: January 15, 2009
HONG KONG: John Woo's ambitions were clear when he announced the $80 million two-part Chinese historical epic "Red Cliff."
The Associated PressPublished: January 15, 2009
HONG KONG: John Woo's ambitions were clear when he announced the $80 million two-part Chinese historical epic "Red Cliff."
The "Mission: Impossible II" director wanted to make a Chinese-language blockbuster that rivaled the Hollywood productions he worked on.
In "Red Cliff II," it's clear that the Hong Kong native succeeded, putting the "epic" in "historical epic" in the second installment of his two-part series based on the famous ancient Chinese battle of the same name.
The film is about a fight between the imperial army and two allied warring states, which won because of their superior military strategy despite being outnumbered.
While "Red Cliff" thrived in storytelling, introducing and weaving together a colorful cast of characters, its sequel, which focused on the final showdown, showed off Woo's mastery of some of the largest and most complex scenes in modern Chinese cinema.
The Chinese market has been rife with historical epics in recent years, wowing audiences with sheer scale and the manpower involved in their fighting scenes. But Woo one-ups his rivals with a gigantic battle fought on several fronts — both land and sea — and keen attention to detail.
full article at: http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2009/01/15/arts/AS-MOV-Film-Review-Red-Cliff-II.php
In "Red Cliff II," it's clear that the Hong Kong native succeeded, putting the "epic" in "historical epic" in the second installment of his two-part series based on the famous ancient Chinese battle of the same name.
The film is about a fight between the imperial army and two allied warring states, which won because of their superior military strategy despite being outnumbered.
While "Red Cliff" thrived in storytelling, introducing and weaving together a colorful cast of characters, its sequel, which focused on the final showdown, showed off Woo's mastery of some of the largest and most complex scenes in modern Chinese cinema.
The Chinese market has been rife with historical epics in recent years, wowing audiences with sheer scale and the manpower involved in their fighting scenes. But Woo one-ups his rivals with a gigantic battle fought on several fronts — both land and sea — and keen attention to detail.
full article at: http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2009/01/15/arts/AS-MOV-Film-Review-Red-Cliff-II.php
'Red Cliff 2' Arrives to Delight Its Fans
By Lee Hyo-won, Staff Reporter
Finally. The second and conclusive part to the epic John Woo movie ``Red Cliff'' has arrived, just in time for the Seollal (Lunar New Year) holiday. Fans who waited half a year for the ultimate battle sequence will not be disappointed.
If Hollywood action draws inspirations from the Trojan War, then Asian cinema's biggest project -- an 80 billion won investment by South Korea, Japan, Taiwan and China -- can turn to the famous Red Cliff battle, which took place almost two millennia ago and highlights the Chinese historical tome ``Romance of the Three Kingdoms.''
``Red Cliff 2'' is epic in all senses of the word: the hottest stars bring classic history to life, and a grand spectacle of fire and water redefines the art of warfare. It's quite long too. But the minutes fly by as the movie offers more of the ingenious war mechanics and martial arts action that embellished the first of the franchise.
Moreover, this blockbuster-to-be relies on more than just jaw dropping visuals as it is ultimately a suspenseful war of wits. It is, furthermore, a poetic love song to the East Asian philosophy of life, that man must live in harmony with Mother Nature and her wondrous workings with earth, water, fire and wind.
The 40-minute combat scene, with flames blazing upon water, inspires awe and caution, reaffirming childhood lessons not to play with fire. It's dangerous even on the movie set, as the fiery project took the life of a stuntman.
The sequel picks up where the first film left off, on the eve of a maritime battle that will determine the fate of three kingdoms. It dives right into the story rather than spending time trying to attract and educate newcomers to the franchise.
full story at: http://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/news/art/2009/01/141_37899.html by hyowlee@koreatimes.co.kr
Red Cliff (film)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Red Cliff (Chinese: 赤壁; pinyin: Chìbì), known in Singapore as The Battle of Red Cliff, is a Chinese epic film based on the Battle of Red Cliffs and events during the end of the Han Dynasty and immediately prior to the period of the Three Kingdoms in ancient China. The film is expected to be released in two versions. Within Asia, Red Cliff is to be released in two parts totaling over four hours in length. The first part was released in July 2008 and the second in January 2009. Outside of Asia, a single 2½ hour film will be released in 2009.
The film is directed by John Woo and stars Tony Leung Chiu-Wai, Takeshi Kaneshiro, Zhang Fengyi, Chang Chen, Hu Jun, Lin Chi-ling and Zhao Wei. With an estimated budget of US$80 million, Red Cliff is the most expensive Asian-financed film to date.
This film is one of the two 2008 Three Kingdoms-related films, the other being Daniel Lee's Three Kingdoms: Resurrection of the Dragon which was released in 2008.
source http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red_Cliff_(film)
By Lee Hyo-won, Staff Reporter
Finally. The second and conclusive part to the epic John Woo movie ``Red Cliff'' has arrived, just in time for the Seollal (Lunar New Year) holiday. Fans who waited half a year for the ultimate battle sequence will not be disappointed.
If Hollywood action draws inspirations from the Trojan War, then Asian cinema's biggest project -- an 80 billion won investment by South Korea, Japan, Taiwan and China -- can turn to the famous Red Cliff battle, which took place almost two millennia ago and highlights the Chinese historical tome ``Romance of the Three Kingdoms.''
``Red Cliff 2'' is epic in all senses of the word: the hottest stars bring classic history to life, and a grand spectacle of fire and water redefines the art of warfare. It's quite long too. But the minutes fly by as the movie offers more of the ingenious war mechanics and martial arts action that embellished the first of the franchise.
Moreover, this blockbuster-to-be relies on more than just jaw dropping visuals as it is ultimately a suspenseful war of wits. It is, furthermore, a poetic love song to the East Asian philosophy of life, that man must live in harmony with Mother Nature and her wondrous workings with earth, water, fire and wind.
The 40-minute combat scene, with flames blazing upon water, inspires awe and caution, reaffirming childhood lessons not to play with fire. It's dangerous even on the movie set, as the fiery project took the life of a stuntman.
The sequel picks up where the first film left off, on the eve of a maritime battle that will determine the fate of three kingdoms. It dives right into the story rather than spending time trying to attract and educate newcomers to the franchise.
full story at: http://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/news/art/2009/01/141_37899.html by hyowlee@koreatimes.co.kr
Red Cliff (film)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Red Cliff (Chinese: 赤壁; pinyin: Chìbì), known in Singapore as The Battle of Red Cliff, is a Chinese epic film based on the Battle of Red Cliffs and events during the end of the Han Dynasty and immediately prior to the period of the Three Kingdoms in ancient China. The film is expected to be released in two versions. Within Asia, Red Cliff is to be released in two parts totaling over four hours in length. The first part was released in July 2008 and the second in January 2009. Outside of Asia, a single 2½ hour film will be released in 2009.The film is directed by John Woo and stars Tony Leung Chiu-Wai, Takeshi Kaneshiro, Zhang Fengyi, Chang Chen, Hu Jun, Lin Chi-ling and Zhao Wei. With an estimated budget of US$80 million, Red Cliff is the most expensive Asian-financed film to date.
This film is one of the two 2008 Three Kingdoms-related films, the other being Daniel Lee's Three Kingdoms: Resurrection of the Dragon which was released in 2008.
source http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red_Cliff_(film)
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