Red Cliff (film)

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Red Cliff
Directed by	John Woo
Produced by	Terence Chang Lion Rock Entertainment
Written by	Lan Xiaolong Wang Hui-ling Wang Qian Zou Jingzhi Based on Chronicle of the Three Kingdoms
Starring	Tony Leung Chiu Wai Takeshi Kaneshiro Zhang Fengyi Chang Chen Hu Jun Lin Chi-ling Zhao Wei Nakamura Shidō
Music by	Taro Iwashiro
Cinematography	Lü Yue Zhang Li
Distributed by	Summit Entertainment (International)
Release date(s)	10 July 2008
Country	China
Language	Mandarin Chinese
Budget	US$80 million[1]
Allmovie profile
IMDb profile

Red Cliff (Chinese: 赤壁), alternatively known as The Battle of Red Cliff, is a two-episode Chinese epic film based on the Battle of Red Cliffs and events during the Three Kingdoms period in Ancient China. The first episode is expected to be released in 2008. The film is directed by John Woo and stars Tony Leung Chiu Wai, Takeshi Kaneshiro, Zhang Fengyi, Chang Chen, Hu Jun, Lin Chi-ling and Zhao Wei. With an estimated budget of US$80 million, The Battle of Red Cliff is the most expensive Asian-financed film to date.^[2]

According to Han Sanping, veteran producer and the CEO of China Film Group, one of the chief investors in the film, The Battle of Red Cliff currently has too much material to include in a single feature. It will therefore be divided into two episodes, with the first to be released before the 2008 Summer Olympics, and the second only at the end of 2008.^[3] Producer Terence Chang confirmed this, saying that the Chinese government views the film as a showcase of Chinese history and wants it released before the Olympic Games.^[4]

This film is one of the two Three Kingdoms films currently in production (as of 2008), the other being Daniel Lee's Three Kingdoms: Resurrection of the Dragon.

Contents 1 Plot 2 Cast 2.1 Replaced cast 3 Production 4 See also 5 References 6 External links

[edit] Plot

Director John Woo said in an interview with CCTV-6 that the film will use primarily the historical record Chronicle of the Three Kingdoms as a blueprint for the Battle of Red Cliffs, rather than the historical novel Romance of the Three Kingdoms. As such, traditionally vilified characters such as Cao Cao and Zhou Yu will be given a more historically accurate treatment in the film.^[5]

[edit] Cast

• Tony Leung Chiu Wai as Zhou Yu
• Takeshi Kaneshiro as Zhuge Liang
• Zhang Fengyi as Cao Cao
• Hu Jun as Zhao Yun
• Lin Chi-ling as Xiao Qiao
• Chang Chen as Sun Quan
• Nakamura Shido as Gan Xing (based on Gan Ning, but this character died in the battle)
• Zhao Wei as Sun Shangxiang
• You Yong as Liu Bei
• Song Jia (宋佳) as Li Ji(驪姬) (fictional character)
• Tong Dawei (佟大為) as Sun Shucai(孫叔財) (fictional character)
• Hou Yong (侯勇) as Lu Su
• Basen Zabu (巴森扎布) as Guan Yu
• Zang Jinsheng (臧金生) as Zhang Fei
• Zhang Shan (張山) as Huang Gai
• He Yin (何音) as Lady Mi
• Wang Yuzhang (王玉璋) as Cheng Pu
• Wang Ning (王寧) as Emperor Xian of Han
• Zhao Chengshun (趙成順) as Xun You
• Yi Zhen (一真) as Cai Mao
• Shi Xiaohong (師小紅) as Jiang Gan
• Wang Qingxiang (王慶祥) as Kong Rong
• Xie Gang (謝剛) as Hua Tuo
• Wang Hui (王輝) as Cao Hong
• Jiang Tong (姜彤) as Li Tong
• Hu Xiaoguang (胡曉光) as Xiahou Yuan
• Guo Chao (郭超) as Yue Jin
• Xu Fengnian (徐豐年) as Zhang Liao
• Ma Jing (馬京) as Wen Pin
• Ye Hwa (葉華) as Tian Tian(田田) (fictional character)

[edit] Replaced cast

• Tony Leung Chiu Wai was originally selected for the role of Zhuge Liang. However, he rejected the role, citing the lack of time (after filming Lust, Caution) to learn his lines, which are in Mandarin.^[6] Producer Terence Chang said financial backing is not affected by the change.^[1]
• Ken Watanabe was originally selected for the role of Cao Cao.^[7] According to a report, some Chinese fans voiced objections over the choice as they felt that it was inappropriate for a Japanese actor to play the role of a Chinese historical figure. The report claimed that the protests influenced the decision of director John Woo, who eventually chose Zhang Fengyi for the role.^[8]
• Chow Yun-Fat was originally selected for the role of Zhou Yu, and had even earlier been considered for the role of Liu Bei. However, he pulled out on 13 April 2007, just as shooting began. Chow explained that he received a revised script a week earlier and was not given sufficient time to prepare, but producer Terence Chang disputed this, saying that he could not work with Chow because the film's Hollywood insurer opposed 73 clauses in Chow's contract.^[4] Chow was replaced by Tony Leung Chiu Wai, who had previously turned down the role of Zhuge Liang.^[9][10]

[edit] Production

Production is helmed by Lion Rock Entertainment and China Film Group.^[11] Distributors are fast to clinch the deal before shooting even began. Current confirmed distributors include Chengtian Entertainment (Mainland China), Avex Entertainment (Japan), Showbox (South Korea), and the Los Angeles-based Summit Entertainment (international).^[12]

Shooting of The Battle of Red Cliff was slated to begin 29 March 2007,^[3] but was later postponed to mid-April.^[13] Shooting will be held at a film studio in Beijing, as well as in Hebei province, where naval warfares will be staged at two working reservoirs.^[14] The art director Timmy Yip told the Associated Press that the film's production design posed a big challenge because of its enormous scale, but said that he had resolved most of his problems, which included funding and location issues.^[1] According to producer Terence Chang, shooting is to follow the "Hollywood model", with the cast given breaks over the weekends. Shooting is also expected to be wrapped up in September.^[15]

According to a report, all cast members had received instruction to report 6 April 2007 at a training ground in the suburbs of Beijing for pre-shoot preparations. Chow Yun-Fat and Takeshi Kaneshiro, who have had experiences in period films, are busy going over the script; while Hu Jun, Zhang Fengyi, You Yong and Chang Chen are undergoing training in Chinese martial arts and equestrianism.^[15] According to other reports, Lin Chi-ling, who will play Younger Qiao in the movie, has already been undergoing training in Beijing in preparation for her role.^[16]

Japanese actor and actress Nakamura Shido and Koyuki have joined the cast, Nakamura playing the Wu general Gan Ning^[17] and Koyuki's role has not yet been determined.

Currently (May 2008) John Woo and his post production crew are finalising the edit and sound mix at Soundfirm Sydney, Australia.

The second Red Cliff film will be mixed by Soundfirm in Australia later in 2008.

The theme song is sung by Alan, a Japan-based Chinese singer of Tibetan descent who's under contract with Avex Entertainment, one of the film's distributors.

On June 9, 2008, a stuntman doing shots for the movie was killed in a freak fire accident,which also left six others injured.^[18]

[edit] See also

• Battle of Red Cliffs, the historical battle the film is based on
• Three Kingdoms, the period in the history of China in which the battle took place
• Chronicle of the Three Kingdoms, a historical record of the events during the Three Kingdoms period, on which the film is based
• Romance of the Three Kingdoms, one of the Four Great Classical Novels, a romanticized interpretation of the historical events during the Three Kingdoms period
• Three Kingdoms: Resurrection of the Dragon

[edit] References

[edit] External links

• Red Cliff at the Internet Movie Database
• Red Cliff at Allmovie

v • d • e Films directed by John Woo 1970s Fist to Fist (1973) • The Young Dragons (1974) • The Dragon Tamers (1974) • Princess Chang Ping (1975) • Hand of Death (1975) • Money Crazy (1977) • Last Hurrah for Chivalry (1978) • Hello, Late Homecomers (1978) • Follow the Star (1978) 1980s From Riches to Rags (1980) • To Hell with the Devil (1981) • Laughing Times (1981) • Plain Jane to the Rescue (1982) • The Time You Need a Friend (1984) • Run Tiger Run (1985) • Heroes Shed No Tears (1986) • A Better Tomorrow (1986) • A Better Tomorrow II (1987) • The Killer (1989) • Tragic Heroes (1989) 1990s Bullet in the Head (1990) • Once a Thief (1991) • Hard Boiled (1992) • Hard Target (1993) • Broken Arrow (1996) • Once a Thief (1996) • Face/Off (1997) • Blackjack (1998) 2000s Mission: Impossible II (2000) • Windtalkers (2002) • Paycheck (2003) • All the Invisible Children (2005) • Red Cliff (2008)

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