The School of Cinematic Arts and Magnet Releasing, a divison of Magnolia Pictures,
invite you and a guest to a special advance screening of

RED CLIFF

Written by John Woo, Khan Chan,
Lup Cheng and Sheng Heyu

Directed by John Woo


7:00 P.M. on Sunday, November 22nd

Norris Cinema Theatre/Frank Sinatra Hall


FREE ADMISSION. OPEN TO ALL.

MAKE A RESERVATION

ABOUT RED CLIFF

Red Cliff marks the triumphant return of action-cinema master John Woo, who reunites with international superstar Tony Leung for the first time since the 1992 classic Hard Boiled. A breathtaking war epic, Red Cliff brings to the screen the legendary tale of the Battle of Red Cliff that took place in China in 208 AD.
 
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.

Red Cliff was first immortalized in the classic Chinese novel Romance of the Three Kingdoms. Although written over seven hundred years ago, the novel is still widely read all over Asia and has spawned more than a dozen videogames and numerous comic books. Thus, John Woo created two versions of the film: a two part, five-hour version for Asian audiences and a single two-and-a half hour version for other territories. When the first part was released in Asia in July 2008, it went on to gross over US$124 million and broke the box office record previously held by Titanic in mainland China. With an estimated budget of US$80 million, Red Cliff is the most expensive Asian-financed film to date.

"We wanted to make a Hollywood blockbuster in Chinese that would appeal to non-Asian audiences as well. We worked very hard to create a version of the film that maintains the integrity of the action and character development of the story, while excising some of the cultural details that could be considered unnecessary for Western audiences not intimately familiar with the historical mythology," notes Producer Terence Chang, Woo's long time collaborator. 

35mm print provided courtesy of Magnet Releasing.

Rated R. Running Time: 146 minutes. In Mandarin with English subtitles.

Opening at select Los Angeles theaters on Wednesday, November 25th, 2009.

To learn more about the film and to view the trailer, click here.


DIRECTOR'S STATEMENT

We have all seen Hollywood's epic blockbusters. We, as an audience, are deeply moved by the grand imagery and heart-pounding sound achieved through modern technologies. The world's audiences have also enjoyed the various genres of Chinese cinema, including kung-fu, action and drama. However, Chinese historical epics are rarely depicted with the scale and technique that is found in Hollywood blockbusters. Chinese cinema contains much of our cultural heritage, including the spirit of the martial arts. Using the medium of cinema, we are able to express our ideals and culture through different layers. These thoughts led me to make a film about the heroes of the Three Kingdoms outside of the martial arts genre. It is a film I had long dreamed of making, ever since I read about the heroes from that glorious time in history.

The story of Red Cliff took place 1,800 years ago in China. It was a battle bearing significant historical importance. Through the widely told tales of the battle, we learned of the great intelligence and bravery of the ancient people of China, who, though gravely outnumbered, managed to defeat their enemies. I believe that by working with our talented teams and utilizing recent technological advances, we are able to create this epic tale in a film on the same scale as a Hollywood blockbuster. Through on-location filming and post production special effects, we recreated the realism of the ancient battlefield. Such visual spectacle has never been seen on the Chinese screen.


My goal is for this film to rise above cultural and historical barriers, so that the Western audience feels as if they are watching an Asian Troy, while the Eastern audience can discover new perspectives on a familiar story. I also wanted to prove that here in China we are capable of creating an epic film of the same caliber as a Hollywood production.


For me, the most attractive aspects of Romance of the Three Kingdoms are not the supernatural characters idealized by the novel, but the true heroism the characters show. The world has many kinds of heroes, but I like heroes that are real and human. I see many similarities between my idea of what a hero should be and the characters of Three Kingdoms. I genuinely believe that human emotion is universal and not bound by culture. The same values of virtue, morality and friendship are praised in the West just as they are in the East. Though these feelings are expressed in different ways, deep inside, we all essentially share the same emotions.

With this in mind, I disregarded a great deal of the details in the book when I made Red Cliff. We assembled a large production crew from all over the world: China, America, Japan and Korea. During the course of our collaboration, talented people from both East and West were able to learn from working together. During the shooting of Red Cliff, I was also surprised to find there are many young people full of passion for filmmaking in China. They worked hard and learned a great deal, while all the time maintaining a modest attitude. Despite differences in our backgrounds, we worked together and constantly overcame the many great obstacles before us, persisting through disastrous weather conditions, all for the successful completion of our large scale battle scenes. I was deeply touched by the spirit, diligence and unity of our teams. 

At the same time, we've received immense support from the Chinese government in the making of this film. In this exciting time and place in history, I firmly believe that Chinese cinema is on the right track. It will soon emerge on the world stage and captivate the world with its amazing diversity and charismatic stars.

It was only ten years ago that a film like Red Cliff was next to impossible to create. The technologies and resources were simply unavailable. Thus, I would like to pass on my sincere gratitude and appreciation to all our investors from China, Japan, Korea and Taiwan, who helped me realize this dream of mine. I truly wished to make a film that could be enjoyed by audiences all over the world. Inside my heart, film knows no boundary. While audiences in the East love many great movies from the West, western audiences also appreciate the splendid culture of the East. Therefore, I genuinely hope that when you watch Red Cliff, you do not look at it as a Chinese film or a Hollywood film, but as a global film.


ABOUT OUTSIDE THE BOX [OFFICE]

Outside the Box [Office] is a weekly showcase for upcoming releases highlighting world cinema, documentary and independent film titles. Recognizing a need for greater diversity on campus, the series will draw from around the globe to present movies that may challenge, inspire or simply entertain. The weekly screenings will be on Wednesday nights (and other select dates, as they arise) in the School of Cinematic Arts Complex, George Lucas Building.

To view the calendar of screenings, click here.

ABOUT CHECK-IN & RESERVATIONS

This screening is free of charge and open to all USC students, faculty, staff and alumni. The theater will be OVERBOOKED to ensure capacity and the RSVP list will be honored on a first-come, first-serve basis, with no reserved seating. Please bring a photo ID or print out of your reservation confirmation, which will automatically be sent to your e-mail account upon successfully making an RSVP through this website. Doors will open at 6:30 P.M.

ABOUT PARKING

The USC School of Cinematic Arts is located at 900 W. 34th St., Los Angeles, CA 90007. Parking passes may be purchased for $8.00 at USC Entrance Gate #5, located at the intersection of W. Jefferson Blvd. & McClintock Avenue. We recommend parking in outdoor Lot M or V, or Parking Structure D, at the far end of 34th Street. Please note that Parking Structure D cannot accommodate tall vehicles such as SUVs. Free street parking is also available along Jefferson Blvd.