Red Cliff (2008)

Note: This review is for the US version of the movie. 

This movie is set in the time of the 3 kingdoms in China.  The prime minister of the largest of the kingdoms, Cao Cao, convinces the emperor to declare war on the other 2.  This is a pretty safe bet since the army of Cao Cao far outnumbers the combined forces of the other 2 combined.  So when the two smaller kingdoms join forces they still don’t seem to have a chance.  But thru the use of superior tactics and a little bit of luck can they accomplish the unthinkable?

I’ve watched a lot of different movies for review here at Gutmunchers.  But it isn’t very often that I actually get to see something as incredible and epic as Red Cliff.  The story is an amazing combination of realism (the outbreak of disease) and fantasy (the generals stylized combat sequences).  The political machinations and ambitions of Cao Cao come off as very realistic and his downfall at the end is very satisfying.  For those that aren’t interested in the political side of things the movie boasts some great battle scenes and martial arts.  I also thought that Red Cliff did a marvelous job of keeping the characters straight and the story easy to follow.  There are many characters in this movie, and it would be easy to lose track of who was who.  But the US cut of the movie, which was originally much longer and split into a pair of films, manages to keep the story intact and easy to follow.  I think this is a testament to director John Woo’s time in America and his understanding of a western audience. 

From a technical standpoint it just doesn’t get any better than Red Cliff.  The camera work is wonderful, including during the hectic battle scenes where the action is caught about as well as I’ve seen any movie do it. The costumes and sets are full of color and at times the movie looks like a work of art.  This really is one of the most beautiful (for lack of a better word) movies that I’ve seen in a very long time.  I’ve already mentioned that the battle sequences are shot well and I’d have to say that they are also choreographed perfectly.  The battles aren’t hyper realistic, and many of the character do these over the top and impossible actions on the battlefield.  This might bother some, but I rather liked it. 

This has been a surprisingly difficult review for me to write.  I really enjoyed this movie, but have struggled for the right words to describe it.  But seriously I can’t recommend this one enough.  It is available from the fine folks over at Magnet Releasing.  If you have a Blu-Ray player and the right TV setup for it I recommend picking it up in that format.  The review copy that was sent to me was a Blu-Ray and the movie is stunning. 

4 out of 4

reviewed by John Shatzer

© Copyright 2010 John Shatzer