Red Cliff, Part 2 (2009)

Because Red Cliff really is one film split in two, there’s no real mileage for me in picking a favorite between them.  Since Part 1 has more exposition to deal with, Part 2 can hit the ground running a lot more quickly, and since it has the final battle, some of the action is even more epic here.  Really, though, this functions equally as a satisfying viewing experience and the second half of a single story.  Not sure how the two parts can so well-contained and simultaneously so cohesive, but they pull it off amazingly (a few Part 1 spoilers, by necessity.)

After the coalition army defeats Cao Cao’s larger and better-equipped forces in the first bout of the war, the Prime Minister proves he can fight smart as well (albeit much more underhandedly.)  The allied army takes a serious hit thanks to his machinations, and the alliance itself is in jeopardy.  Zhou Yu and Zhu-ge Liang fight to keep their army afloat, using creative tactics to destabilize elements of the imperial army and get the resources they’re going to need for the big confrontation.  It all comes down to an epic land-and-sea smackdown in which the fate of China hangs on the delicate variables that can tip the scale one way or the other.

As in Part 1, I love watching Zhou Yu and Zhu-ge Liang’s war tactics.  These guys are so brilliant, so resourceful, and so intuitive; Zhu-ge Liang’s plan to get 100,000 arrows is an absolute highlight of the film.  While the two strategists are the biggest players for much of the proceedings, they’re not the only ones getting in on the fun.  In particular, the princess Sun Shang Xiang gets to contribute in a major way that’s totally awesome.  Even Zhou Yu’s wife Xiao Qiao, who is mostly noble/beautiful window-dressing in Part 1 (in addition to this close to being a Chinese Helen of Troy,) is able to help affect the outcome.

Although the final battle feels like it’s a long time coming – not that I have any complaints about the strategizing and character stuff in the first half of the film, but action fans might get antsy waiting for the big fight – it’s definitely worth the wait.  You can feel the weight of this monumental clash.  The suspense is taut, the standout moments are fantastic, and despite the fact that much of it takes place at night, the visibility is still great; nice, clean action beautifully shot.  The fight through all the hanging curtains is really cool, and man, are those shield bearers worth their weight in gold.  And while it’s this enormous battle with even bigger stakes, it still, fittingly, comes down to a personal face-off between Zhou Yu and Cao Cao, with some excellent assists from the other characters.

I know I already geeked out over the acting in my review for Part 1, but I have one more actor I want to mention:  Fengyi Zhang as Prime Minister Cao Cao.  He’s just such a great villain, totally unbalanced and yet frighteningly adept.  As even his own generals start to get freaked out by him, he had me saying, “What a bastard,” more than once.  Arrogant, diabolical, cold-blooded mastermind, and totally slimy.  Well done, Zhang!

Warnings

War violence.