Whats it like making the most expensive Asian-financed film ever in Red Cliff?
JOHN WOO: I have been dreaming to make something like the old classic epics, Lawrence of Arabia or Spartacus, for a long time. Now I’ve had such a great opportunity to make something like that. In addition, this film had a lot of positive meaning for me; it was a movie about courage, about love, about brotherhood. And this was the time to bring what I’ve learned from Hollywood back to China and allow the people [I worked with] to learn from me and get some new experience. All the filmmakers in China are eager to learn how to make movies with Hollywood style and this also allowed them to use some new equipment. In the meantime I also tried to prove that I could make a big Hollywood movie in China. Obviously it’s a large part of the legacy of Ancient China; Is the Battle of the Red Cliff still a part of Chinese culture? It was one of the most famous battles in Chinese history. So many people were involved and many people in China are still familiar with it. For those who don’t know much
