Red Cliff (Chinese Film by John Woo)

This is a panoramic movie that I did not want to end. It is set in the year 208 AD in Ancient China during the Han dynasty. The Emperor Xian is too meek and the formidable Prime Minister named Cao Cao bullies the young ruler into agreeing to an invasion of Southern China.

Cao Cao prepares a colossal imperial navy to sail along the Yangtze River to a place called Red Cliff. Here the retreating forces of  Warlords Zhao Yun and Zhang Fei escape with hordes of refugees into a kingdom in Southern China ruled by another Warlord called Sun Quan. There is an alliance with Sun Quan and a strategist from each allied force jointly decide upon a plan to thwart the ruthless Prime Minister Cao Cao.

Cao Cao's vast navy is anchored on the opposite side of the huge river waiting to attack the fortress at Red Cliff with hundreds of ships and a million soldiers. Only the strategy of Zhuge Lang and Zhou Yu can save the Southern China kingdom and its allies.

The film was directed by John Woo of Mission Impossible 2 and Face Off. There are wonderful characters in this movie and grand battle scenes. The story flows well and is thoroughly enjoyable. It is subtitled, which I prefer to dubbed English.

I thought the film, cast and story was dynamic and is well worth a good night in. The heroine is gorgeous too - I defy any red bloodied bloke not to accidentally fall in love with Zhuge Liang's very pretty wife.