RED CLIFF (China 2009) ***1/2
Directed by John Woo

A condensed 2½-hour version of the 2-part, 4-hour box-office success and critical acclaimed original, this westernized RED CLIFF is an old-fashioned Chinese battle epic – common in the 70’s but long since missed on screens for some time.

As the film opens, it becomes clear that director John Woo’s RED CLIFF is quite different from the old epics from the often employed CGI effects.  But blending in CGI with old-fashioned spectacle – quite noticeable in most parts – allows RED CLIFF the grandeur that the story set in the Han Dynasty deserves. 

Combining long battle scenes involving war tactics, Woo has not forgotten that strong character development is necessary for an effective tale.  With heroics, sacrifice and cowardice – all the elements of a good battle epic are present in RED CLIIFF.

The film opens with an English voiceover explaining the current state of affairs in China.  The sound of English is odd (the explanation better done in English text) as the rest of the film is voiced in Mandarin with subtitles.  The imperial army is led by the evil Prime Minister, Cao Cao (Zheng Fengyi) who controls the Emperor like a puppet.  Cao Cao wishes to eliminate southern warlords Sun Quan (Chang Cehn) and Liu Bei (You Yong) who he deem are rebels.  The story follows Liu Bei’s chief advisor and brilliant tactician Zhunge Liang (Takeshi Kaneshiro) as he forms an alliance with Sun Quan in order to strengthen their armies against Cao Cao.  Director Woo’s film is filled with battles on land and naval battles at sea complete with military/naval formations seldom elaborated with such great detail.

The climax of battle saga brings together the villain Cao Cao, his fighters and the Southern warlords in a typical John Woo face-off - with swords and ancient weapons replacing guns.  Though the excitement never lets down, this portion stretches credibility.  The fact that the Chinese have constructed these many thousands of naval vessels so early in human history also stretches disbelief.

But the film’s best part deals with the Typhoid outbreak.  For once, a historical film takes its time to portray the harsh realities of war and shortages of food and clean water.

Still RED CLIFF is Woo at his best, replacing his over-stylized violence with more disciplined action scenes.  It is easy to see why the film did so well in Asia.  RED CLIFF is what Chen Kaige’s also expensive epic THE EMPEROR AND THE ASSASSIN lacked – a solid narrative with strong characters complimenting a historical epic.  RED CLIFF should please Woo’s fans as well as new devotees.