Red Cliff

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  • Opened November 20, 2009 
  • 2 hr 28 min
  • R | Sequences of Epic Warfare

  • Parents: Common Sense Media says Iffy for 15+. More on child suitability

  • RED CLIFF opens with power hungry Prime Minister-turned-General Cao Cao (Zhang Fengyi) seeking permission from the Han dynasty Emperor to organize a southward-bound mission designed to crush two troublesome warlords that stand in his way, Liu Bei (You Yong) and Sun Quan (Chang Chen). As the expedition gets under way, Cao Cao's troops rain destruction on Liu Bei's army, forcing the latter to retreat. Liu Bei's military strategist Zhuge Liang (Takeshi Kaneshiro) knows that their only hope for survival is to form an alliance with rival warlord Sun Quan, and reaches out to Sun Quan’s trusted advisor, war hero Zhou Yu (Tony Leung). Vastly outnumbered by Cao Cao’s fast approaching, brutal army, the rebel warlords band together to mount a heroic campaign unrivalled in history that changes the face of China forever. A massive hit in Asia and the most expensive Asian film production of all time, RED CLIFF is a breathtaking war epic that marks the triumphant return of John Woo. Full synopsis

  • Cast: Tony Leung Chiu-Wai, Takeshi Kaneshiro, Zhang Fengyi, Chang Chen, Vicky Zhao
  • Director: John Woo
  • Genres: Action/Adventure, Drama

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Fan Reviews

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Red Cliff review

by Broken_Wings

If I were to never wake up tomorrow, I'd be satisfied with this being the last movie I watched. Yes, it's THAT great. Absolutely breathtaking. Literally! At times I had to consciously remind myself...

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Critic Reviews

100
San Francisco Chronicle
|

Anyone who enjoys stylized hyper-violence should be enthralled by this long, sweeping, murderously vivid dramatization of ancient Chinese warfare, circa A.D. 208. Read full review

90
Wall Street Journal
| Joe Morgenstern

The immensity encompasses such variety, subtlety and intimacy that you may find yourself yearning for more. Read full review

88
Philadelphia Inquirer
| Steven Rea

This is magnificent filmmaking, and a magnificent film. Read full review

88
Washington Post
|

Red Cliff is a dichotomous beast: The computer-generated imagery that makes so much of it possible is served up in heaping, state-of-the-art portions, but the results occasionally border on the cartoonish. At the same time, Red Cliff is a classic tale that gets a classicist's treatment. Read full review

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Takeshi Kaneshiro as Zhuge Liang in "Red Cliff."