Article: Woo kicks Chinese film back into shape with Red Cliff.(Entertainment)

BYLINE: Min Lee

A true epic needs more than the grandeur of its landscapes, the lavishness of its sets and the sheer manpower of its battle scenes: It needs a truly epic story.

John Woo displays the crucial distinction in the magnificently told Red Cliff, the Hong Kong director's triumphant return to Chinese film after 16 years in Hollywood.

Using old-fashioned good storytelling, Red Cliff restores credibility to the genre of Chinese historical epics that have often been tainted by pointlessly large-scaled and action-packed productions.

Woo is helped by a wealth of source material. Red Cliff is based on a storied historical period that has inspired video games ...

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