Korean Job Discussion Forums

jkelly80 · Joined: 13 Jun 2007 Location: you boys like mexico?

I'm a big fan of the Three Kindgoms period in China, and I just saw that John Woo made a huge epic about the Battle of Chibi called Red Cliff. I'm wondering if this movie is playing in Seoul and if there's any chance to catch it with English subtitles.

bangbayed · Joined: 01 Dec 2005 Location: Seoul

It's out of the theaters. It was called 적벽대전 (1부 - 거대한 전쟁의 시작) or if you can't read that "Jeok Byeok Dae Jeon" and was big in July. You'll probably be able to find it on DVD with English subtitles at Yongsan.

asylum seeker · Joined: 22 Jul 2007 Location: On your computer screen.

They probably wouldn't have had it on with English subtitles at Yongsan anyway because it's a Chinese movie. I think they'll only do that with Korean movies in order to promote the local industry.
By the way, it's a good movie. You should definitely see it.

jkelly80 · Joined: 13 Jun 2007 Location: you boys like mexico?

Cool I'll look for around Yongsan then. I've read the book about eight times so this movie should be quite bad ass given the production values. Thanks all.

Zyzyfer · Posted: Mon Sep 01, 2008 5:48 pm Post subject:

Hey, another fan. Sweet!

I wanted to watch it in the theaters when it was out, but was worried that, even if it had English subtitles, they'd be under the Korean ones or something, so never went.

I downloaded it to appease me until there's an official DVD release, and it had English subtitles. I think they're hard titles, put in by the production company. They're a little on the fast side, though.

The two big battles were a little confusing to me, hard to keep track of exactly what's going on, particularly the first one when you're trying to figure out who's who, but there is tons of fan service for the big heroes in it, and even Zhou Yu runs out and whips some ass towards the end. It's a solid movie, and although I haven't watched Resurrection of the Dragon (another ROTK movie centered around Zhao Yun), it's got to be way better. The only part where I cringed was Sun Shangxiang at the victory dinner, too over the top.

Must-see for any ROTK fan. Very pro Shu and Wu.

jkelly80 · Joined: 13 Jun 2007 Location: you boys like mexico?

I would figure any movie about Chibi would end up being pretty anti-Wei, but I've heard Woo tries to tone it down a little bit. It sounds like the Battle of Changban Bridge is pretty amazing.

Zyzyfer · Posted: Mon Sep 01, 2008 10:28 pm Post subject:

Guan Yu and Zhao Yun get fan serviced out the ass in Changban. Zhang Fei gets some assbeat time as well. My problem was that I didn't realize who Zhao Yun was at first, so I was confused. They're also hopping around between different parts of the battle. I'm sure if I watched it again, it'd be clear to follow.

And I would say it's pretty anti-Wei. Cao Cao is portrayed very much in the same light as he is in the novel, villainous, treacherous, and cunning, and none of the Wei generals get any props. Perhaps it was a fairly quiet period for heroism in Wei at that time compared to Wu and Shu, but still. Zhang Liao got like 1 second of screen time.

Still, for fans, it's pretty awesome. I hope they keep it up and do a series of films from Dong Zhuo to at least Guan Yu's death or so, maybe Zhuge's northern expeditions. That would be sweet.

jkelly80 · Joined: 13 Jun 2007 Location: you boys like mexico?

Well I found it at a few places in Seoul but nobody has it in English. Too bad because I hear the US version will be severely abridged when it comes out. I agree, I'd love to see an entire series, all the way through at least the conquest of Shu by Liu Bei.

jkelly80 · Joined: 13 Jun 2007 Location: you boys like mexico?

Found it online. I have to say that Zhang Fei looks pretty much perfect (like a Neanderthal).

Also, after just 15 min I have to say that Shu looks ridiculous saintly and Cao Cao is already an uber villain. I don't remember Kong Rong being executed right before Chibi either.