ANALYSIS: Red Cliff 1 & 2 - Epic commercial blockbuster or unqualified historical disaster?

Red Cliff: An epic of commercial proportions?

The following is an analysis of both Red Cliff instalments as released in Asia.

I would not normally like to touch on movies that I do not like, but there are some that are so awful that it rankles, and I feel the need to make a statement even if everyone else seems to think differently.

As a film critic and producer/director/writer wannabe, there are certain rules that one has to generally accept when reviewing a film.

The first is that movies are inherently flawed. Even with all the attention to detail and continuity, the film is bound to miss a beat somewhere. Then there is the artistic license to change the storyline and plot details to improve viewing pleasure and dramatic impact.

There is no point in scrutinising every little thing just to see if the movie makes sense. If that's what you want, you can visit online forums on the movie or just watch Mythbuster.

The other thing is that film adaptations are generally not as good as the original yarn. As such, it is common for fans and readers of a novel, manga or otherwise to find fault with their respective film adaptations.

The historical epic Red Cliff, directed by John Woo no less, is essentially such an adaptation of the Three Kingdoms' Battle of Red Cliffs.

I'm not going to mince my words. I grew up on Romance of the Three Kingdoms, and I don't like John Woo's version, but that's not the reason I'm breaking the silence.

My beef is with the incredibly flippant motivations and excuses, given by the producers of the two films, for various events written into the storyline.

First they announced that the films would adhere more closely to true historical events - a poorly disguised attempt to give Tony Leung star billing, as if he really needed that (see how well he did in Lust, Caution).

Next they threw in Romance legends of Kong Ming 'borrowing arrows' - a bona fide Mythbuster 'candidate' - effectively making that announcement moot.

Nevermind that.

They needed a stronger female presence, so they threw the beautiful Xiao Qiao (Lin Chiling) right smack into the final confrontation between Cao Cao and the allied forces.

Do we really need to insult the history of Three Kingdoms like that? I can think up a possible dozen extra appearances for Lin Chiling without her having to take centrestage and ruining one of history's great literatures, or records for that matter.

Much ado about Tony: Suddenly the role of Chou Yu takes on a higher plane of importance; though to be fair, Tony Leung plays the part excellently.

They say she can't act: In honesty, she's beautiful enough that she doesn't really need to; but then they made her act the heroine....

Worthy adversary or loyal ally? The chemistry between Takeshi Kaneshiro's Kong Ming and Chou Yu seems a little suspect and sometimes a little contrived.

Fallen at the hands of a woman: Zhang Fengyi plays a lecherous Cao Cao who allows a woman to ruin his plans.

Romance of the Three Kingdoms is originally a tale about brotherhood. In that respect, getting John Woo of Bullet in the Head fame to helm Red Cliff seems an inspirational and foolproof choice.

Which is why I find inexplicable that the roles for Liu Bei, Zhang Fei and Guan Yu are so muted, while the best lines seem to fall to Tony Leung's Chou Yu and Takeshi Kaneshiro's Kong Ming.

And it is a two-part epic mind you. No excuses for underdeveloped key characters and storylines.

Chou Yu even gets to be the one to graciously let Cao Cao go scot free. Guan Yu and Kong Ming must be turning in their graves - since it is the former who does so in Romance, while the latter wanted to execute the man who allowed Cao Cao to fight another day.

And finally, though this has more to do with production issues, I would have thought the Chinese had learnt from the failures of Chen Kaige's The Promise and Tsui Hark's The Legend of Zu. Bad CGI just don't cut it in modern blockbusters.

On an added note, wire-fu - especially bad wire-fu - need to be kept off non-wuxia films.

Red Cliff was made with the sole intention to sell popcorn, not to honour the history and tradition of The Three Kingdoms - and a lot of popcorn it did sell.

However, the discerning audience needs to recognise that The Three Kingdoms (Chronicles or Romance) is in itself an epic tale, and the film makers borrowed on that to create a predictably epic and successful two-part movie.

I feel deeply disappointed that an epic story on brotherhood bonds could be so badly reinterpreted by a director like John Woo, who once made his name precisely on films that featured such themes of brotherhood.

MooMeter Reading:
Moo-o..

FEATURE: Serbis - An explicit view into Filipino cinema

Serbis: Literally an explicit view into Filipino cinema.

What's a day like in a seedy family-run cinema in the Philippines?

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Serbis offers precisely this, sometimes all too explicit glimpse into the life of such a family theatre.

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We know it is a family theatre because of the big capital letters that line vertically outside the cinema - 'FAMILY'. But the only thing that connotes any kind of kinship in this sleazy joint is the family that runs it.

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For hidden within the dark confines of the theatre are a host of activities and characters that are definitely not suitable for the eyes of children.

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Run by the Pineda family, all in the name of making a living, the cinema features a glitz of romantic or pornographic films that attract not only prostitutes but also gay young men ready to offer a special "service" to older men.

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"Serbis" by the way, means "service" in Tagalog - a byword for the boys hawking their sexual services within the theatre.

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Coco Martin as Alan, who is about to get a shock. Let's just say the sex is very real and much more explicit....

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Strong performances from Jacky Jose and Gina Pareno as the matriarchs of the family.

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The only thing 'Family' about this cinema is the family that runs it.

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Those familiar with Filipino film may not be overawed by the live sex scenes that feature all too readily in Serbis. Others however, may find it a little hard to stomach.

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But Serbis is not simply a film about the gay culture in the Philippines. It is also a story of the Pineda family that owns the rundown theatre.

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But it is not exactly a story either, but rather "a day in the life of"... a revealing look into the various characters that come and go within the dirty, dank halls of the cinema (including a runaway goat no less).

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Such films are not easy to appreciate. One does not expect earth-shattering events to occur in the space of a single day. Nor would one expect any suitable conclusions to issues explored within the film.

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Instead, Serbis steams along to a slow boil, exposing the lives in detail of a fairly strong ensemble cast.

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A matriarchal grandmother (Gina Pareno) breaks her daily routine for a trip to court after suing her estranged husband for bigamy. She leaves her daughter and mother of the family, Nayda (Jacky Jose) to man the theatre in her absence.

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Little son Jonas peeps unabashedly at his sister changing. One assumes he would have seen much more in the theatre halls where he seemingly has free rein.

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Another son and cinema janitor, Alan (Coco Martin) goes about his daily chores with quiet stoicism, painting murals of nude ladies and clearing choked (and extremely dirty) toilets. He meets with his girlfriend for sex, then warms to the revelation of her unwanted pregnancy.

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Nayda's husband Lando (Julio Diaz), who runs a little eatery downstairs, tries to deal with a customer who has shortchanged him.

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Meanwhile, cousin Ronald and cinema projectionist (Kristopher King), receives a very visual blowjob from a resident prostitute, then makes eyes at Nayda in a sudden, perhaps incestuous turn....

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As a film that offers an unadulterated view into the several seedy cinemas found in the Philippines, Serbis certainly leaves almost nothing to the imagination.

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On the other hand, as a drama depicting the lives of people who frequent sleazy settings such as in this cinema, the film is a very frank and thoughtful portrayal. Akira Kurosawa's The Lower Depths this is not, but Serbis does make a decent shout for its sense of realism.

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MooMeter Reading:

Moo-oo?!!

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Exclaimations for:

! Outstanding Set Design: Carlo Tabije and Benjamin Padero breathe life into the rundown and dilapidated cinema where most of the action takes place. From the lively stairwell filled with wannabe prostitutes whiling their time away in the day, the murky toilet where grandma takes her bath, to the darker interiors of the cinema where a serbis boy jacks off a customer, these scenes make Serbis as much a story about the theatre as it is the about the people who run it.

! Outstanding Cast: Gina Pareno and Jacky Jose deliver very strong performances as the matriarchs of the family. Special mention also for upcoming actor Coco Martin who conveys volumes despite saying very little at all.

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Query for:

? Poor Sound Quality: While it is acknowledged that Serbis is a low budget independent arthouse film, and shaky camerawork aside, it is the often overwhelming background noise of traffic that jars the ears rather than to lend a gritty feel to the overall cinematography.