I haven't been able to find a substantial reason as to why the official release date was in 2007, but it's only now hitting theaters in the US. And only at independent theaters, too. With names like Jet Li, Andy Lau, and Takeshi Kaneshiro, this film sports some of the biggest names in Chinese cinema - I just don't understand the limited release. Regardless, the film appears to have the same big-budget perspecitve as Red Cliff, but manages to ground it in a much more solid story, and not just because it's loosely based on historical fact. The characters have real flaws, enacting believable dialogue, all framed within a traditional, beautiful, Chinese landscape. The flaws of these three blood-brothers, however, reached the point early on where there was nothing left to relate to, no one to side with when major conflicts arise, leaving a rift between the main characters and the viewers. After the continuous battle scenes, I feel like I understood the fatigue presented in the film, but the plot points were a bit jumbled and even confusing at times. This film fared far better than recent Chinese films, but still left a lot to be desired. Still waiting for that great Chinese epic.
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4/13/2010
1 comment:
I can't remember what plane ride I saw this on, but it was at least a year ago and maybe 2 years ago. But my guess is that it was an international flight... it was a bit of a depressing movie. And yeah, I remember thinking that by the end I didn't like any of the "brothers."
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