“Red Cliff” aka “The Battle of Red Cliff,” helmed by renowned director John Woo and a film based on actual events that took place in ancient China during the period of the Three Great Kingdoms is finally wrapping up production after several delays due mostly to severe adverse weather conditions. The other major hit to the film was the early departure of its main star, Chow Yun-fat. He departed from the project just three days before shooting was to begin.
Now Woo has another major hurtle to jump and one that could prove to be more formidable than the dry intense heat of China’s desert region or Fat’s departure, and that is finding a U.S. distributor that will get official Chinese approval.
“Red Cliff” has the highest budget of any previous Chinese film, reaching over $80 million and according to Variety, the film faced some very tough scrutiny from Chinese officials due to its subject matter.
The story centers on early third century China at a time when the province of Wu is invaded by the great warlord called Cao Cao and his vast army of highly trained martial arts militia and foot soldiers numbering in the millions. Ruler Sun Quan asks for the aid of Liu Bei, Cao Cao’s rival warlord. However, even with these two forces joined together, their numbers fall short of coming close to those of Cao Cao’s.
Approaching his master, Zhou Yu, a master of military strategy for the Wu forces, believes that if the front for the battle can be shifted and moved from land to sea, then the naval forces of both Quan and Bei could outmatch and overtake Cao Cao’s less sea-worthy forces. It is this ingenious ploy that makes for one of the most epic battles, not only in Chinese history, but in the history of humankind, and for a film that has become the biggest and most grandiose movies in China’s history.
The film wraps up full production in November of this year and it currently seeking out a U.S. distributor that will meet the Chinese government’s high expectations.
“Red Cliff” is hoping for a release in the West in 2008 sometime before the 2008 Beijing Olympics. It stars Tony Leung Chiu Wai, Takeshi Kaneshiro, Koyuki, Zhang Fengyi, Chiling Lin, Chang Chen (“Green Mansions”), Vicky Zhao and Hu Jun.
Koyuki is becoming a prominent star in Western films and will be seen in the fanger “Blood: The Last Vampire,” also due out sometime in 2008.
I really looked forward to this movie, but was really disappointed. Red Cliff is not a good movie. I found it juvenile. If they bring it stateside, the film could be salvaged if they cut out all of the generals’ gratuitous fight scenes. If this is the best of asian cinema, they can keep it. Old Boy is much better.