Anyone who has played a game in the "Dynasty Warriors" series will have a good idea about what happens in "Red Cliff." This film is touted as being the most expensive Asian production to date, with a budget of $80 million. Directed by John Woo, the film features an ensemble cast of high-profile Asian actors. This film also marks Woo's return to Chinese cinema after 15 years in Hollywood — and perhaps a bid to get back to the roots that made him so successful. Unfortunately, the film's big budget means big battles but not much else.
The film begins with Cao Cao, the prime minister of the Han Dynasty, asking the emperor for permission to destroy the Southern warlords Liu Bei and Sun Quan. This is swiftly followed by a battle between Cao Cao and Liu Bei. In the aftermath, a young strategist named Kongming forms an alliance between Liu Bei's army and Sun Quan's, hoping that their combined forces might actually stand a chance against Cao Cao. As Cao Cao's army is still far larger than theirs, Liu Bei and Sun Quan decide that their best bet is to go to a place called Red Cliff and prepare for battle there. On the way to Red Cliff, the coalition must combat in a series of skirmishes — including one particularly entertaining one in which Kongming uses the "tortoise" formation (apparently rather different from the Roman tactic of the same name).
The film depicts the preparations for the final battle from the perspective of both sides. For Cao Cao, this involves amassing a truly enormous amount of ships, arguably the largest number of computer-generated (CG) ships ever seen on screen at one time (yes, even more than "Troy," 2004). Following the vast amount of preparation on either side, the film rewards with a pretty epic extended battle scene as its climax, featuring even more extreme martial arts and elaborate CG set pieces.
Unsurprisingly, this is a film to be watched for the action rather than the dialogue. Fortunately, there is plenty of action. Innumerable scenes follow various heroes decimating hordes of peasants by various means, utilizing trademark John Woo martial arts. With an R rating, the film doesn't shy away from a gratifying amount of gore. There's no cutting away at the last minute to be found here: body parts fly as huge men with gargantuan spears (and eccentric facial hair) cut swathes through Cao Cao's peons.
The original Asian version of the film was made in two separate parts, with a total run time of four hours. The film was condensed into one part for Western audiences that clocks in at 148 minutes. The sections that have suffered most from this substantial cut are the more dialogue-based, character-building scenes. Given the huge number of principal characters in this film, these developments are sorely missed. "Red Cliff" would have benefited from scenes with more talk and less action, showcasing the personas behind the battles instead of simply the props and choreography that make them flashy.
In many ways "Red Cliff" seems to play like a Chinese version of "Troy" (2004) — a film primarily propelled by an all-star cast and elaborate action sequences. If the viewer is seeking a sophisticated, character-driven film that explores the cultural and political nuances surrounding a turbulent point in Chinese history, then this is not the film to park in front of. If, on the other hand, two and a half hours of high budget, visually lavish, over-the-top John Woo martial arts interspersed with the occasional '80s style love scene appeals, then this is the film to see. And for those looking for a mix of the two, perhaps the original four-hour version should be sought.
