Chi bi (2008)

Director:

John Woo

Writers:

John Woo (screenplay) &
Khan Chan (screenplay) ...

Release Date:

20 November 2009 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Adventure | Drama | History | War

Tagline:

The future will be decided.

Plot:

Based on the events during the Three Kingdoms period in Ancient China in which specifically told in the title, The Battle of Red Cliffs.

Plot Keywords:

China | Chinese | Chinese History | Ancient China | Alliance

Awards:

11 wins & 6 nominations

Cast

Tony Leung Chiu Wai	...	Zhou Yu
Takeshi Kaneshiro	...	Zhuge Liang
Fengyi Zhang	...	Cao Cao
Chen Chang	...	Sun Quan
Wei Zhao	...	Sun Shangxiang
Jun Hu	...	Zhao Yun
Chiling Lin	...	Xiao Qiao
Shido Nakamura	...	Gan Xing
Yong You	...	Liu Bei
Ba Sen Zha Bu	...	Guan Yu
Yong Hou	...	Lu Su
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Philip Hersh	...	Emperor Han (voice)
Tong Jiang	...	Li Tong
Jia Song	...	Li Ji
Chun Sun
Dawei Tong	...	Sun Shucai
Qingxiang Wang	...	Kong Rong
Jinsheng Zang	...	Zhang Fei

Also Known As:

Red Cliff (International: English title) (UK) (USA)
Chek bik (Hong Kong: Cantonese title)
The Battle of Red Cliff (International: English title) (working title)

MPAA:

Rated R for sequences of epic warfare.

Runtime:

Singapore:150 min (PG version) | China:146 min | South Korea:134 min | UK:148 min

Country:

China

Language:

Mandarin

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

South Korea:15 | Singapore:NC-16 | Hong Kong:IIB | Singapore:PG (edited version) | Malaysia:U | Switzerland:14 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:14 (canton of Vaud) | Belgium:KT | UK:15 (cut) | Norway:15 | Ireland:15A | Portugal:M/12 | Finland:K-15 | Netherlands:12 | USA:R (certificate #45613) | USA:R | Philippines:R-13 (MTRCB) | Australia:M

Filming Locations:

Beijing, China

Company:

Beijing Film Studio

Trivia:

Yun-Fat Chow dropped out of the film the day principal photography began. Tony Leung Chiu Wai replaced him.

Quotes:

Liu Bei: Truth and illusion are often disguised as each other, Cao Cao likes to play this game, both with friends and foes.

Movie Connections:

Followed by Chi bi xia: Jue zhan tian xia (2009)

A review of the European version

After 15 years in Hollywood and making only on decent film (Face/Off) John Woo returns to his Asian roots. Here he get the creative independence he deserves and creates the most successful (and most expensive) ever Chinese films.

The year was 208AD, the Prime Minister Cao Cao (Fengyi Zhang) has taken control of Northern China and made the Emperor a puppet ruler. But the south is defiance. Lord Liu Bei (Yong You) tries to fight and has excellent general, but is hopelessly outnumbered by Cao Cao forces. He sets out to make an alliance with two other Southern Lords, the young Sun Quan (Chen Chang) and military expert Zhou Yu (Tony Leung). Liu Bei uses his chief adviser Kongming (Takeshi Kaneshiro) to negotiate with Lords. Even with this new alliance, Cao Cao still outnumbers the 3 Kingdoms with a force of 800,000 troops. Zhou Yu and Kongming sets out the win the coming battle with strategy, expert military tactics, trickery, the weather and spies. Here the two forces set out for the coming battle.

John Woo is an action director and the martial arts and the battles are well handle, if OTT (but that's what John Woo does). He has flair and the fights are bloody. He has fun with the CGI, from the battles to following arrows and doves when they are in flight. He gets to combine both Asian and Hollywood style of film-making. The music as well combine both Asian and Western styles. The film itself feels like the Chinese Lord of the Rings.

Tony Leung is the strongest link in the film, he is an expert martial artist and a good actor, being in House of Flying Daggers, the Infernal Affiars Trilogy and Lust Caution just to name a few. He offers another good performances. Other actors also offer good performances and they was no one who dragged the film down.

In China and Hong Kong Red Cliff was split into two films and already out on DVD in Hong Kong. The Western version compares the films, and its also the dumbed down version. The English was just weird in context with the rest of film. The film also does change in tone from it beginning. Lets hope that the DVD release in the West will be of both films or an extended edition.