Red Cliff

[GeneChing]

Of course, as we've discussed, this is a major big screen film.

Here's the new trailer.

play dates

Opening

11/13/2009
Encino, CA: Town Center 5
Pasadena, CA: Playhouse 7 Cinemas
West Hollywood, CA: Sunset 5

11/18/2009
New York, NY: Sunshine Cinema

11/20/2009
Honolulu, HI: Kahala Theatres 8

11/25/2009
Berkeley, CA: Shattuck Cinemas 10
Palo Alto, CA: Aquarius 2
San Diego, CA: Hillcrest Cinemas
San Francisco, CA: Embarcadero Center Cinema 5
San Rafael, CA: Smith Rafael Film Center
Santa Cruz, CA: Nickelodeon Theatres
Denver, CO: Mayan Theatre
Washington, DC: E Street Cinema
Atlanta, GA: Midtown Art Cinemas 8
Chicago, IL: Landmark's Century Centre Cinema
Cambridge, MA: Kendall Square Cinema
Minneapolis, MN: Lagoon Cinema
Philadelphia, PA: Ritz 5 Movies
Seattle, WA: Harvard Exit Theatre

11/27/2009
Santa Fe, NM: The Screen

12/4/2009
Sacramento, CA: Crest Theatre
Sacramento, CA: Tower Theatre
Santa Rosa, CA: Rialto Cinemas Lakeside 5

12/11/2009
Hartford, CT: Real Art Ways Cinema
Kansas City, MO: Tivoli @ Manor Square
Cleveland Heights, OH: Cedar Lee Theatres

12/17/2009
Albuquerque, NM: Guild

[Judge Pen]

No chance of this playing in Knoxville Tennessee.

[Zenshiite]

I wish I still lived in Philly...

[GeneChing]

Red Cliff is part of Magnet's Six Shooter series - foreign action films in limited release such as Ong Bak 2, Warlords and District 13: Ultimatum

Wednesday, October 14, 2009
John Woo comes to O.C. with a Chinese action epic
'Red Cliff' will make its West Coast premiere Thursday in Santa Ana.
By RICHARD CHANG
The Orange County Register

John Woo is already a legend in filmmaking circles.

In the 1970s and '80s, he directed a string of highly stylized Hong Kong action flicks, such as "Hard Boiled" and "The Killer," which have become cult classics today.

In the 1990s, he crossed over to the American and English-language markets, directing "Hard Target" in 1993, "Broken Arrow" in 1996 and "Face/Off" in 1997. His turn at "Mission Impossible II" in 2000 grossed a whopping $215.4 million domestically and $330.9 million abroad, according to boxofficemojo.com.

Woo is known for his intense, operatic, yet often violent action scenes, combining elaborate sequences and choreography with strong character development.

Now Woo, 63, is turning his camera to ancient Chinese history with "Red Cliff," an epic tale that recreates one of China's most famous conflicts, the Battle of Red Cliff in 208 A.D. The story has been immortalized in the classic Chinese novel, "Romance of the Three Kingdoms."

Woo's film – already a hit in Asia and the most expensive Chinese movie ever made – will make its West Coast premiere at 8 p.m. Thursday at Regency South Coast Village in Santa Ana. (He'll attend and stay for a Q&A session afterward.) The screening is part of the "Ancient Paths, Modern Voices" festival celebrating Chinese culture. The movie will receive a national release on Nov. 20.

We caught up with Woo, who now resides in Santa Monica, and asked about his career and latest project.

Orange County Register: Why were you interested in the story of Red Cliff?

John Woo: I grew up with the story. It had so many heroes I admire, Zhuge Liang, Zhou Yu, since the time when I was a kid. It has the famous scene with the warrior saving the baby in the middle of a fight.

I used his character in "The Killer" with Chow Yun Fat. He was saving the little baby in the hospital. That was where the idea came from. I've been studying this part of history for a long time. The Battle of Red Cliff is the most famous, most popular war in ancient China. I've been thinking of making this film for over 20 years.

OCR: So why did you wait so long to make this movie?

JW: Back then, we didn't have the money or the technology. Now that we have the finances and good technology, I have fulfilled my dream to make it. I always try to make something different. I wanted to show another part of our culture.

Most of the audience, especially the Western audience, they're only familiar with the kung fu films. But we also have something else that's really, really great. The Battle of Red Cliff has brilliant war tactics, strategy and wisdom. It also has a great theme – how a smaller army can defeat a larger, more powerful enemy.

OCR: This is the most expensive Chinese film ever made. How did you come up with the money?

JW: We didn't have much of a problem to finance it. We got huge finances from Japan, Korea, Taiwan, China, Hong Kong. It's a very popular story in the whole of Asia. So we were confident in the project. There's a lot of trust in me. It has done very well in China.

OCR: You had to cut the movie down from almost 5 hours in Asia to 2 ½ hours in America.

JW: For the Asian audience, they are so familiar with this part of history and all the characters. We could take longer to develop all the characters and the relationships in between them. Asian audiences – they prefer longer. They like to see more.

However, the American audience – they are not as familiar with this part of history or the characters. So we have to focus on the main story line and key characters, and cut down some of the side characters' roles. It actually didn't hurt the movie. It still feels like the same movie.

OCR: This movie takes place in 208 A.D. in feudal China. Do you think American audiences will be interested in the subject matter?

JW: I think the American audiences have no problem with historical facts. They get the story from the very beginning. You have to simplify some of the historical elements. The American audience will watch it as a movie, not a history lesson. I made quite a few changes to quite a few scenes from the book, from history. I did intend to make this movie more international. The look is more modern.

OCR: This is the first time you're working with Tony Leung since "Hard Boiled." What was it like to work with him again?

JW: I think he got more mature. He's even more charming. He's very stable and calm, and a very heartfelt man. I greatly admire him.

He also did 95 percent of the stunts by himself. He's very dedicated. He's a lovely man. What he played is my ideal leader. He's so upright, so intelligent, and he also really cares about others.

OCR: You've directed "Paycheck," "Hostage," "Windtalkers," "Mission Impossible II," "Face/Off" and "Broken Arrow." Is it more difficult to direct in English with American actors?

JW: Every film I've made, they're all challenges. But I try to make the thing work in its own way. While making an American film, it didn't make any difference to me. I'm working with the American crew, actors. It's like I was working in Hong Kong. All I'm concerned with is how to make a good movie.

There's so much great support from the people here. There's great trust from the studios. But it's a little more complicated to make a movie in Hollywood. It takes a long time to set up. There's too much time for meetings.

Working in China is just like coming home. Everything was so simple. We don't need to take any meetings. Just walk into a studio and say, "Let's do 'Red Cliff.'" We got huge support from the government, from everyone.

OCR: What's your next project?

JW: I'm working on "Flying Tiger Heroes." They were an American volunteer group (during World War II). They were helping the Chinese government, fighting the Japanese. They made a lot of great contributions. The Chinese and Americans, they worked together to win the war. It's a great story.

[Hebrew Hammer]

Well I just saw it at the San Diego Asian Film Festival and I must admit I was a bit disappointed...expected better action sequences from John Woo and a more interesting tale. Quite a bit of CG effects but the film did have its moments..a couple of unique battle scenes and some humor, I think the IP Man film is probably a better flick based on some of the clips I've seen.

Looking forward to catching Ong Bak 2 or Ninja Assassin.

[GeneChing]

How long was it? I heard John Woo didn't make it to SDAFF.

[Hebrew Hammer]

It started late but I think it was 2hrs and about 15 min.

[GeneChing]

Here's a few.

I'd love a John Woo musical...

John Woo

Ever since morally conflicted assassin Chow Yun-Fat double-gunned his foes in 1989’s The Killer, and nerve-racked cop John Travolta tangoed with psychotic maniac Nicolas Cage in 1997’s Face/Off, John Woo has represented world-weary ultraviolence with thrilling aplomb. TONY met the 63-year-old director at the Soho Grand Hotel to discuss his latest opus: Red Cliff, an action-packed drama about the most famous battle of Han Dynasty.

Filmmakers like Chen Kaige (The Promise) and Zhang Yimou (Hero) have mastered the ancient Chinese epic. Why bother?

I wanted to make this movie for more than 20 years. I grew up with the story. Zhang and Chen are great directors and have made beautiful historical films, but some people feel they are too serious. I tried to avoid that, and to make my historical epic feel modern. I was more inspired by Lawrence of Arabia and The Longest Day.

Your movies are renowned for operatic, impossibly baroque action. Red Cliff has stunning set pieces, but the violence feels less cartoonish than usual.

The battle scenes are much more realistic. I’ve never used kung fu fighting before—just people using guns and flipping in the air—and I wanted to concentrate on the strategies, how people outfight and outthink their enemies. This whole movie is about courage, with an antiwar message: There are no winners. Plus, I wanted the audience to feel involved; if it’s too over-the-top, it’s no good.

It’s nice to see your signature bird flourishes and Mexican standoffs—albeit with swords instead of guns.

At the beginning, I didn’t want to use them again. But I use those elements here in a different way. I have the camera follow a carrier pigeon to review the enemies’ side and the battleships. It’s a wonderful introduction shot: the bird, the river, the mountains, the ships, all in about two minutes. Everybody loved it, and it’s one of the most expensive CGI shots in film history. As for the sword fight, I wanted it to be realistic. But my stunt coordinator loved The Killer so much that he said, “Oh, you have to do it: swords instead of guns. It’ll make your fans happy.” So I said all right.

You’ve returned to shooting in Asia. Was it good to be away from Hollywood?

I learned so much from Hollywood. I just wanted to do this one in China. Everything was so professional in Hollywood; China had a lot to learn. But they wanted to learn! They wanted to do a big-budget Hollywood movie, and they did it. The audience there is so eager to see movies, and the government is more open. I’ve got a few projects set up there now.

Is it true you want to direct a musical?

I’ve always wanted to do a musical, but my producers have to find a studio. I’ve even had a fantastic script for more than 12 years.

What’s the movie about?

It’s an action musical. [Laughs] I never want to give it up.—Stephen Garrett

Red Cliff opens Fri 20.

Forget 'Twilight: New Moon,' John Woo's Chinese epic 'Red Cliff' is the biggest film on the planet
By Ethan Sacks
DAILY NEWS STAFF WRITER

Originally Published:Tuesday, November 17th 2009, 7:00 AM
Updated: Tuesday, November 17th 2009, 10:01 AM

For director John Woo, the movie "Red Cliff" was a lifetime in the making.

The most expensive Chinese movie ever made -- funded by a legion of investors across Asia that could be mobilized only under Woo's banner -- the war epic took four and a half years to film. Woo's vision of bringing the 13th century Chinese novel "Romance of the Three Kingdoms" to the big screen, however, had been in the director's head even before he left to strike it big in Hollywood 16 years ago.

During a recent interview with the Daily News in the bar of a trendy SoHo hotel, Woo, 63, traced his dream to his childhood growing up dirt poor in a violent Hong Kong slum. Back in those days, he used to sneak into the local movie theater as an escape.

"When I was little, I would draw some image on a piece of broken glass," said Woo. "I would draw some cartoon character and then some hero figure from 'Romance of the Three Kingdoms'... and then I would use a [flashlight] shining the glass, projecting the image on the wall. I would move the [light] up and down so the image would be moving."

Five and a half decades and an $80 million budget later, Woo has upgraded significantly.

"Red Cliff," opening Friday in New York, is a film of grandeur and ambition, but one he could never have made on this side of the Pacific.

"His work as a filmmaker in the United States frankly never lived up to the dream he created with his Hong Kong work," said Harry Knowles of Ain't It Cool News. "Chow Yun-Fat simply looked much cooler than Nicolas Cage.

"Nobody has seemed to have found the right story, and he hasn't found the right personality to star in his films."

Knowles lamented that Woo's classic Hong Kong movies -- 1986's "A Better Tomorrow," 1989's "The Killer" and 1992's "Hard Boiled," all starring Chow Yun-Fat -- came out before the spread of the Internet. So a generation of fans grew up without knowing that all the current action-movie clichés, like slow motion shootouts and heroes leaping in the air while firing two guns, were once highly original staples of Woo's films.

"Many John Woo fans continue to look to his action films from the 80s and 90s as the benchmark, as his Hollywood films are more commercially driven and not his personal vision," Arash Norouzi, founder of the Web site Hong Kong Movie World, said by e-mail. " ‘Red Cliff,’ on the other hand, is Woo's dream project and closer to his heart as a filmmaker."

Woo insists his career will still have a Hollywood ending -- 2000's "Mission: Impossible II" grossed more than $200 million at the box office, and he's working on an English remake of "The Killer."
"I'm an American, I still love working in Hollywood," said Woo, sharply dressed in a crisp black suit and matching tie. "But in China, the director is everything, I just walk into an office and say I want to make a movie called 'Red Cliff,' and they just say, 'That's great, let's do it.'

"But in Hollywood, you have to care about [pleasing] so many people."

To please American audiences, Woo agreed to make some cuts -- about two and a half hours worth. "Red Cliff" was released as two movies in Asia, each two and a half hours long.

In China, where Woo is still considered a conquering hero, the first installment earned a record $124 million, overtaking "Titanic" as mainland Asia's biggest box office hit. The movie, however, was chock-full of characters familiar to Chinese audiences who had grown up with the novel and too confusing for Westerners who hadn't.

"It was painful to cut," said Woo. "Every inch of film was just like my child. It was just like cutting flesh. But we had to shorten the movie, and we had to give up something."

Both versions of "Red Cliff" are based on the real-life battle of the same name in 208 A.D. that helped lead to a unified southern China. As almost every schoolchild in China knows, the battle was between the massive army led by the war-mongering Prime Minister Cao Cao (played by Zhang Fengyi in the movie) against two warlords who stand in his way. Only through the guile of the warlords' strategists, Kong Ming (Takeshi Kaneshiro) and Zhou Yu (Tony Leung, reunited with his "Hard Boiled" director), do the severely undermanned good guys have any chance at all.

It all leads to an unprecedented climactic battle that in Woo's movie is fought by thousands of extras clad in 20 pounds of painstakingly recreated armor. His production team built a working flotilla of 25 warships, with the rest of the armada of hundreds of boats added later through CGI.

"I spent more time, more money and more vision on this project," said Woo. "It's unlike Hollywood [where] everything is so professional -- that even the animals are trained for the movies. But in China, we had to spend several months just training the horse how to do the falls. Then we had to train the soldiers how to do the formations.

"It's all worth it," he said. "I've been dreaming of making this movie for over 20 years."

[Wildwoo]

I just saw it and it was amazing.

[GeneChing]

In honor of the premiere of Red Cliff, we have a very special online sweepstakes for you all. Enter to win a RED CLIFF POSTER AUTOGRAPHED BY JOHN WOO. Contest ends 6:00 p.m. PST on 12/02/09. Good luck everyone!!

[GeneChing]

The edited version is just about right for American audiences. It focused on the battle spectacle and deleted a lot of story, but that's ok. For the big screen, it's the battle spectacle we all want to see anyway. It leaves some dangling ends, like Zhao Wei mourning a character that she had a very complex relationship with at the end (that character is completely omitted from this version). But overall, it hangs together well enough cut in half. It's definitely worth seeing on the big screen. John Woo's work is just amazing in scope. If you have a good enough eye to be able to tell the difference between CGI armies and real filmed armies, this film will blow you away.

Boxofficemojo.com seems to be only tracking the Magnolia released version.

TOTAL LIFETIME GROSSES
Domestic: $14,873 24.3%
+ Foreign: $46,352 75.7%
= Worldwide: $61,225

DOMESTIC SUMMARY
Opening Weekend: $13,104
(#64 rank, 2 theaters, $6,552 average)
% of Total Gross: 88.1%
> View All Weekends
Widest Release: 2 theaters
In Release: 5 days / 0.7 weeks

[GeneChing]

KungFuMagazine.com/RED CLIFF Sweepstakes

Contest ends 6:00 p.m. PST on 04/14/2010. Good luck!

[Lucas]

good luck lucas

[Zenshiite]

Good luck me!

I watched part II yesterday, amazing. Though it's interesting that Zhuge Liang is not treated as much like a Taoist sorceror in the movie as he seems to be in the book.

[TaichiMantis]

Good luck me!

I watched part II yesterday, amazing. Though it's interesting that Zhuge Liang is not treated as much like a Taoist sorceror in the movie as he seems to be in the book.

found this on wikipedia...

Director John Woo said in an interview with CCTV-6 that the film primarily uses the historical record Records of 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 are given a more historically accurate treatment in the film