The Promise (2005 film)
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| The Promise | |
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| 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 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 mainland China on December 15, 2005,[1] as well as Hong Kong and Singapore. 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 USD$9 million dollars in mainland China in the opening week and HK$8 million dollars in Hong Kong. [1] The budget was rumored to be CN¥282~340 million yuan (USD$35~$42 million dollars), 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.
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[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 supernatural 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] Box Office
The Promise played to blockbuster business in Mainland China, grossing an estimated $18,000,000 USD.[3] Business was much less spectacular in Hong Kong, where it grossed a mere $654,435 USD ($5,073,311 HKD).[4]
The Promise was scheduled to be released in North America by the Weinstein Company in December 2005 under the title Master of the Crimson Armor. This version was edited by approximately twenty-five minutes. However, the Weinsteins eventually cancelled plans to distribute the film, and North American distribution rights were bought by Warner Independent. Warner reverted the title back to The Promise, but otherwise retained the shortened Weinstein cut of the film.
Warner released The Promise in North America on May 5, 2006 in an aggressive 213 theatres. However, the film was met with weak reviews and was a box office bomb. In its opening weekend, it grossed a very modest $272,838 USD ($1,280 per screen), and collected only $669,625 USD by the end of its run.[5]
According to Box Office Mojo, The Promise has grossed $33,539,654 USD worldwide.
[edit] Environmental Damage
The film has been criticized for the environmental damage caused while filming in Yunnan. The film production damaged the vegetation and natural scenery of the area and the surrounding Lake Bigu from filming and set construction, and left behind a large amount of undisposed household waste. [2][3][4][5]
[edit] Trivia
- This movie is a very loose film adaptation of a story called The K’un-lun Slave, which was written by P’ei Hsing (c. 800) during the Tang Dynasty.[6]
- It was given a “rotten” rating of 30% on Rotten Tomatoes. The critical consensus was that this film had “An incoherent plot and ridiculously obvious CGI effects [which doomed] this effort from the usually outstanding Chinese director Chen Kaige.[7]
[edit] References
- ^ Xinhua: Dates set for the battle between Zhang Yimou and Chen Kaige
- ^ Reuters, "China film director hailed for harming environment", November 1, 2006, http://uk.news.yahoo.com/01112006/80-132/china-film-director-hailed-harming-environment.html
- ^ Nanfengchuang, "The Promise In Shangri La", by Yin Hongwei (尹鸿伟 ). August 24, 2005.
- ^ Shanghai Daily, "Filmmakers despoiled Shangri-La". By Zhu Moqing and Zhang Liuhao. May 11, 2006.
- ^ South China Morning Post, "Fine over damage caused by epic film". by Minnie Chan. August 12, 2006.
- ^ Liu, James J.Y. The Chinese Knight Errant. London: Routledge and Kegan Paul, 1967 (ISBN 0-2264-8688-5)
- ^ The Promise (2005)
[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")
| Films directed by Chen Kaige |
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| 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) |
