Chichester Cinema at New Park
The Warlords
- Tau Ming Chong
International Panorama: China
Peter Chan's period epic is set during the Taiping Rebellion in China in the late 19th Century, with a turbulent backdrop of brutal battles, personal rivalry and political intrigue. Ma Xinyi (Jet Li) stumbles out from underneath a pile of dead bodies, the sole survivor of a slaughter.
When he falls in with bandits led by Cao Er-Hu (Andy Lau) and sidekick Zhang Wen-Xiang (Takeshi Kaneshiro), he earns the men's respect, and the three swear a blood oath. Pang convinces the men that they should be fighting for the government and against the ruling, and corrupt, Qing dynasty.
As civil war develops, the three men have their bond tested, not only by the machinations and demands of government generals, but also because Pang's inescapable attraction to Mi Lan (Xu Jinglei), Zhao's wife.
Based on actual events, The Warlords is a serious minded historical piece, employing a romantic realism that is at odds with recent Chinese blockbusters. The set pieces are breathtaking, and the performances are all excellent. Iit is little wonder that the film swept the board at the Hong Kong Film Awards this year.
China · 2007 · Peter Chan · 118min
| Mon | 12 Jan | 13:15 | Book | |
| Tue | 13 Jan | 18:00 | Book | |
| Thu | 15 Jan | 15:30 | Book |
