The Promise (2005 film)

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The Promise
Directed by	Chen Kaige
Produced by	Kim Dong-ju Chen Hong
Written by	Chen Kaige
Starring	Jang Dong-gun Hiroyuki Sanada Cecilia Cheung Nicholas Tse
Distributed by	Warner Independent Pictures
Release date(s)	December 15, 2005 May 5, 2006
Running time	128 min
Language	Mandarin
All Movie Guide profile
IMDb profile

The Promise (Simplified Chinese: 无极; Traditional Chinese: 無極; pinyin: Wújí; literally "Limitless") is an epic fantasy movie directed by Chen Kaige and starring Jang Dong-gun, Hiroyuki Sanada, Cecilia Cheung and Nicholas Tse.

It was first released in China on December 15, 2005. The Weinstein Company adapted it for North American distributions and 3-day preview screenings, but they sold the movie to Warner Independent Pictures. While under the holds of TWC, they trimmed down 19 minutes of scenes and renamed it Master of the Crimson Armor. Eventually, it was released on May 5, 2006 as The Promise.

When it was released in Asian markets, the crowd reactions were mixed. In China however, public response was largely negative. Its commercial performance was unknown, but it was rumored to make $9 mil USD in mainland China in the opening week and $8 mil HKD in Hong Kong. [1] The budget was rumored to be 282~340 million CNY ($35~42 mil. USD), surpassing the cost of Hero. [2]

Despite that it received negative buzz and was never yet released in the US, it was one of the two Chinese movies, along with international hit Kung Fu Hustle, to receive the Best Golden Globes Foreign Language Film nomination in the history. Both eventually lost to Paradise Now in an awards ceremony.

[edit] Plot

In a war-ravaged land where danger was rampant and food was scarce a young girl named Qingcheng feeds herself and her mother by pillaging the bodies of dead soldiers. One day, after finding some bread, Qingcheng pulls the boots off a hanging corpse for herself. However, it was all a trick as "the corpse" is not dead and he is able to string up Qingcheng. After Qingcheng promises to be his slave, he cuts her down and she proceeds to ask if she can see his helmet. Upon receiving the helmet, she uses it to smack him on the head before fleeing.

While crossing over some water Qingcheng drops her bread, but the bread is caught by a goddess and is brought back to Qingcheng. Asked by the goddess why she does not eat the bread, Qingcheng replied that she is saving the food for her mother. The goddess then tells the girl that her mother is dead. Grief stricken, the girl eats the bread. Before she departs, the goddess offers her a chance to live a life in which she will have all the food she wants, will be able to wear the most beautiful clothing, and men will fall helplessly in love with her. However, there is a catch: all men whom she falls in love with will die. The girl readily accepts the conditions.

Years later, after a brutal battle in which his regiment of 3,000 men was able to defeat a barbarian horde of 20,000, General Guangming (played by Hiroyuki Sanada) is informed that the King is being attacked by the traitorous Duke Wuhuan (played by Nicholas Tse) from the north. While he and his slave Kunlun (played by Jang Dong-Gun), a man of extraordinary strength and speed, search for the path back to the kingdom they become lost and decide to split up to find their way. However, while looking for the path, General Guangming comes across the goddess who informs him that the victory against the barbarians would be his last because soon a man wearing Guangming's crimson armor would kill the King and his name would be besmirched. Laughing, Guangming states that he would never kill the king.

After the goddess departs, Wuhuan's assassin Snow Wolf (played by Liu Ye) attacks Guangming. After the battle, Kunlun finds his master wounded and his master tells him to wear his armour and save the king. Kunlun asks how can he tell who is the king and Guangming informs him that the king will be the one without a weapon.

Back at the palace, the King and his princess, (the grownup) Qingcheng (played by Cecilia Cheung), stand upon the top of the palace walls which are surrounded by Wuhuan's soldiers. Wuhuan demands that the King give him Qingcheng, something the king is all too willing to do. Angered by this, Qingcheng tells the soldiers that she will strip off a layer of clothing if they will kill the king. Being that her stunning beauty entrances them, they willingly attempt to do as she asks. Infuriated, the king draws his sword and it is at this point that Kunlun, dressed in Guangming's armor, arrives at the scene throws his sword at the king, impaling and killing him, and rescues Qingcheng. However, their victory is short lived because Wuhuan and his men catch up to them. Wuhuan states that if Guangming jumps he will spare the life of Qingcheng. Kunlun, in love with Qingcheng and knowing that he can survive the fall jumps. Kunlun returns to his master and returns the crimson armor to him. Guangming is angered as he had been beaten and tied up to a tree by his own men who did not kill him only because he had been their superior officer, all because Kunlun killed the king. The two hurry to rescue Qingcheng in which they are successful. Qingcheng is in love with Guangming because of the words he said to her before he jumped, you must not die, you have to live, however, she of course does not know that it was actually Kunlun who spoke these words so her heart's desires are misguided. Kunlun, whose own desires comes second to his master's stands aside while Guangming tries to make Qingcheng fall in love with him.

[edit] External links

• Official site
• The Promise at the Internet Movie Database
• "The Promise in Shangri La" Translation of an article about the environmental destruction left behind by the film crew in Yunnan
• MonkeyPeaches
• The Promise - Film Coverage
• Interview with director Chen Kaige
• Interview with actor Hiroyuki Sanada ("Guangming")

The Films of Chen Kaige
Yellow Earth (1984) • The Big Parade (1986) • King of Children (1987) • Life on a String (1991) • Farewell, My Concubine (1992)  Temptress Moon (1996) • The Emperor and the Assassin (1999)  Killing Me Softly (2002) • Together (2003) • The Promise (2005)