Red Cliff

Dir: John Woo
Scrs: John Woo, Chan Khan, Kuo Cheng, Sheng Heyu
Action Unit Director: Corey Yuen
Presenters: China Film Group, Avex Entertainment, Chengtian Entertainment, CMC Entertainment, Showbox, John Woo
Cast: Tony Leung Chiu-wai, Takeshi Kaneshiro, Zhang Fengyi, Chang Chen, Zhao Wei, Hu Jun, Shidou Nakamura, Chiling Lin, You Yong
2008 | Colour | 35mm | Mandarin | Chi & Eng Subtitles | 145min

The Battle of Red Cliffs, a watershed moment in Chinese history following the fall of the Han dynasty, set the stage for the Three Kingdoms period. Adapted from the revered historical novel Romance of the Three Kingdoms, Red Cliff marks acclaimed director John Woo’s return to Chinese-language cinema after years in Hollywood. With a record-breaking production budget of over US$80 million, this China-Japan co-production brings Hollywood-scale spectacle to the silver screen in a grand two-part epic.

The story begins with the warlord Cao Cao (Zhang Fengyi) seeking to crush his rivals Sun Quan (Chang Chen) and Liu Bei (You Yong). To resist Cao’s forces, Liu Bei’s brilliant strategist Zhuge Liang (Takeshi Kaneshiro) embarks on a diplomatic mission to forge an alliance with Sun Quan, who is aided by the charismatic commander Zhou Yu (Tony Leung Chiu-wai). In a dazzling military confrontation, the film re-creates Zhuge Liang’s legendary Eight Trigrams Formation, as described in the literary classic on which the story is based.

With action choreography by Corey Yuen, Red Cliff features exhilarating battle sequences, with each character showcasing a distinctive kinetic style. Beneath the spectacle, John Woo weaves a rich narrative of camaraderie and honour, echoing the depiction of male bonding that made his A Better Tomorrow (1986) a classic.

Red Cliff was winner of Best Art Direction, Best Costume & Makeup Design, Best Original Film Score, Best Sound Design and Best Visual Effects at the 28th Hong Kong Film Awards. The screening will feature a 35mm archival film print, allowing audiences to experience the unique texture of celluloid on the big screen.

Special acknowledgements: Mr Terence Chang, Mr John Woo

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