Red Cliff
Seen it?2008 | 145 min | History, War, Action
Saturday SpecialWhy it’s a Saturday Special
It earned strong reviews (91% on Rotten Tomatoes), it drew serious awards attention and it was a solid box office hit. A strong pick for the weekend.
Based on critics, audiences, awards, box office and buzz. Details below.Is it for you?
- Who'll love it
- Made for action fans and history buffs. If you loved Batman Begins or Kill Bill: Vol. 1, start here. Critics rate it higher than audiences do, so it rewards patience more than it chases thrills.
- The mood
- Intense.
- The pace
- Fast-moving, at 2 hr 25 min.
- What might put you off
- Rated R: meant for adults.
- It's in Chinese, so expect subtitles (or a dub).
- Audiences were cooler on it than critics.
In 208 A.D., in the final days of the Han Dynasty, shrewd Prime Minster Cao convinced the fickle Emperor Han the only way to unite all of China was to declare war on the kingdoms of Xu in the west and East Wu in the south. Thus began a military campaign of unprecedented scale. Left with no other hope for survival, the kingdoms of Xu and East Wu formed an unlikely alliance.
How it earned its rating
- CriticsStrong
91% on Rotten Tomatoes, 73 on Metacritic
- AudiencesSolid
7.1 out of 10
- AwardsStrong
Nominated for 1 Critics' Choice Award.
- Box office & staying powerStrong
$250 million worldwide on a $80 million budget; still draws a steady audience long after release
- Buzz & cultural impactSolid
About 146K people sought it out in the past year
Trailer
More like this
Batman Begins Saturday SpecialAnother martial arts action film, and a Saturday Special.
Legionnaire
Monday Morning MaybeAnother martial arts action film. Fair warning: it's a Monday Morning Maybe.
Kill Bill: Vol. 1
Friday Night FlickAnother much-loved martial arts action film.
Flyboys
Weeknight WatchAnother historical drama, though it's more of a weeknight watch.
Ironclad Weeknight WatchAnother action film, though it's more of a weeknight watch.
Want more like this, picked just for you? Get my picks
Cast & crew
Directed by John Woo
- Tony Leung Chiu-waiZhou Yu
- Takeshi KaneshiroZhu Ge Liang
- Zhang FengyiCao Cao
- Chang ChenSun Quan
- Zhao WeiSun Shang Xiang
- Hu JunZhao Yun
- Shidou NakamuraGan Xing
- Lin Chi-lingXiao Qiao
- You YongzhiLiu Bei
- Hou YongLu Su