Set in 1931, Japan invaded China and headed into World War II. The Japanese established secret camps in northeastern China, where horrible crimes were committed against the Chinese. This story takes place in these tortured lands. After suffering several problems with censorship, renowned Chinese filmmaker Yimou (Hero) directs this complex story of espionage and counterespionage, the director's first foray into this genre, set in the snowy cliffs of Manchuria. It was the puppet state of Manchuria (China) during the 1930s, under complete control of Japan and reigning the famous emperor Pu Yi. Dedicated to the heroes of the communist revolution, it centers on four special agents of the communist party who, after receiving training in the Soviet Union, return to China to carry out a dangerous secret assignment, but after being betrayed by an informer, the spies find themselves threatened since the beginning of the mission. After being sold by a traitor, the team finds themselves surrounded by threats on all sides from the moment they parachute into the mission.
Cliff Walkers (2021) shows a lot of violence, action, emotion, torture and fierce confrontations. This luxurious thriller was beautifully filmed with good production design, costumes evocative of the era it takes place in, luxurious cinematography and impressive set pieces. As is usual in Yimou's cinema, the film becomes a delight for the senses through successful recreations, a somber staging and very bright action scenes under constantly falling snow.
The film was a great box office success in China in 2022, although not in the rest of the world as happened in other films by this notable Chinese filmer, this is his first film in the spy genre. The film was convincingly directed by China's Zhang Yimou, who has firmly established himself as a distinguished filmmaker and producer whose recent films have generated millions at the Chinese box office. He created the "Zhang Ziyi Trilogy", which includes Hero (2002), Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (2000) and House of Flying Daggers (2004).
Zhang Yimou is an excellent and veteran director whose films often explore the dark side of life in small rural Chinese communities. Most of his films begin with the title displayed in Chinese calligraphy style. He has achieved several hits, such as ¨The Curse of the Golden Flower¨, ¨The House of Flying Daggers¨, Hero¨, ¨The Road Home¨, ¨The Red Lantern¨, "Shanghai Triad", ¨Happy Times¨ , ¨Vivir¨, ¨Red Lantern¨, ¨Qiu Ju, a Chinese Woman¨ and winning several awards at various International Festivals. And adding this ambitious historical epic by Zhang Yimou ¨Cliff Walkers (2021). Rating: 6.5/10, above the average average, but not notable due to some disjointed scenes and sometimes being difficult to follow. Essential and indispensable view for Zhang Yimou's followers.
