I saw the U.S. release in the theater (mostly empty, unfortunately). I viewed Red Cliff as a possible mytho-historical window to understanding China. At 2-1/2 hours, I thought it might be a challenge to sit through. Nonetheless, China has a long history, so maybe a long movie is required. Well, 2-1/2 hours went by effortlessly. The story unfolds slowly but very deliberately. One needs to be very attentive to details, as they reappear with new significance later in the movie. In all, a very satisfying experience. Then, I learned I had seen a truncated version. Boy, that got me mad.
So, I purchased the full, roughly 4-1/2 hour, version when it reach our shores. Some changes in the plot, but mostly the same with more details. More action, more characters, more subplots: "I can't believe I sat through the whole thing!" Red Cliff is, of course, more than just history. The action is just a means to an end for a reflection on universal issues. It's about honor, it's about sacrifice, it's about love, it's about gender relations, it's about family -- not on any individual level, but on a grand and abstract level.
I have a feeling if you just want an action-history experience, the shorter version will suffice. It, too, points to the issues noted above. However, the longer version not only has more details, but it offers more "space" with which to experience the movie.Get more detail about Red Cliff.
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