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John Woo Talks Red Cliff

John Woo
© Mania.com

 In the late 1980s and early 1990s, John Woo spearheaded a renaissance in Hong Kong cinema with kinetic action films such as The Killer, Hard Boiled and A Better Tomorrow. The results earned him a worldwide cult following and sent him to Hollywood where he further honed his talents with the likes of Broken Arrow, Face/Off, and Mission: Impossible II. The quality of his American output slipped in recent years, however, which prompted a return to Asia for Red Cliff: a sprawling war story which has since become the most successful film in Chinese history. It is due to arrive in the United States this Wednesday. Woo recently sat down to talk about the film with Mania and other members of the press.

Question: What do you want people in the U.S. to get from this endeavor?

John Woo: I just wanted to introduce the audience to a rich part of Chinese history. We see Chinese battle tactics, formations and strategy onscreen for the first time. The Battle of Red Cliff was a famous battle fought around 200 AD, shortly before the Han Dynasty collapsed into three kingdoms. It demonstrated how a smaller army could defeat a larger, more powerful enemy through a combination of teamwork, innovation, intelligence and courage. I wanted to make this movie for over twenty years. I grew up with the story and it had so many heroes I admire. In the meantime, I'd been working in Hollywood for over sixteen years. It really made me learn a lot. I thought it was about time to take what I'd learned from Hollywood into Asia. There are so many young, talented people in China. They're all eager to learn and they have the same working style as Hollywood. All they need is a big-budget Hollywood-type movie to give them a chance to use the right equipment and learn from the right people.

Q: Do you think China's going to open as a real force in cinema? Do you think the bridges between China and Hollywood are growing stronger?

JW: I think so. First of all, the Chinese government is growing more open to it. They're giving a warmer welcome to foreign productions. They have the biggest sound stage in Asia, and all kinds of modern facilities. Red Cliff was so successful in China, along with other Chinese-made films. It draws the audience back into the theater, and they want to see all kinds of movies. They keep building theaters, and they keep doing good business. 

Q: You've expressed frustration with working in Hollywood in the past. Was it easier working in China?

JW: In China, everything was so simple. I just walked into the office and let them know I wanted to make a movie called Red Cliff, and they said, "Okay, let's do it." I didn't have to take advice from anyone, I didn't have to take notes from anyone, I didn't have to take any meetings. I just closed my door and did my own work. We also got huge support from the government there. We got the real army on the set--700 to 1500 soldiers on the set every day. The only concern was how to make a good movie. Of course, the good thing about Hollywood is that the people are so professional. They're very open minded and they welcome all kinds of talent. It just takes a long time to set up a project.

Q: What were some of the most difficult cuts you had to make in getting the five-hour Asian version down to the two-and-a-half-hour American version?

JW: American audiences aren't as familiar with our history, so we decided to focus on the main storyline. Originally, there were two love stories in the film. We had to cut them out, trim a lot of side characters, and just focus on one storyline. But basically it's still there; it's the same movie. Some people even find a lot more excitement in the American version. It's much tighter. Of course for the Asian people, they're so familiar with our history, so you can spend much more time developing the characters and telling a more elaborate story. 

Q: It certainly seems like the women have plenty of material that got cut.

JW: We increased the females' role from the book. Since the movie's all about teamwork, I thought a woman should take a much larger role in the film. Besides, I wanted to show classic Chinese women--known for their beauty, but also with very strong personalities. Very brave and independent, and also with a very strong will. 

Q: Will we see the five-hour version in the United States?

JW: Yes, they'll release the Asian version on DVD.

Q: Was there any formal association with "The Art of War?"

JW: A little. After studying "The Art of War," I got some ideas for designing the battle scenes. Like the turtle formation: a square-shaped formation with little patterns inside of it and different kinds of soldiers using different kinds of weapons to advance into the enemy. It's nice to see the different kind of ways to defeat the enemy. Also the burning ships sequence, and calculating the weather. In the book, they "borrowed the East Wind" to help burn the ships. I made it a little less mystical, a little more reasonable. They calculate the weather--when it's going to turn--and how they can use that. 

Q: How did your working relationship with Tony Leung change when you reunited for this? Or had it changed?

JW: I was so happy to work with him again. I found him more mature and even more charming than he was. He still has the same kind of charisma, but this time he was calmer and more stable. He cared more about the rest of the cast; he's a man with a big heart. We've known each other for so long that we didn't need to say much on set.

Q: Do you think there's a future for Honk Kong cinema?

JW: We have Johnnie To making good movies there, and quite a lot of young directors making good movies there. Of course, it's not as big as before, but people are still trying, still working.

Q: Would you ever want to return to Hong Kong cinema?

JW: I don't think so. I prefer making movies in China. Hong Kong is so limited; there's fewer locations and less history. All we can do is repeat the same thing. But in China, there's so much interesting history and culture. You can try so many different things. I'm still learning; I have a lot to learn. And I like working in different countries, different places. Maybe in the future, I'll go make a French film or a Russian film or a Turkish film.