Wu ji (2005)

Director:

Kaige Chen

Writer:

Kaige Chen (writer)

Release Date:

15 December 2005 (China)

Genre:

Action | Drama | Fantasy

Plot:

Empowered by the love of a slave (Jang), a royal concubine (Cheung) is given the chance to make an extraordinary decision.

Plot Keywords:

Princess | Armor | General | Slave | Barbarian

Awards:

Nominated for Golden Globe. Another 1 win & 6 nominations

Cast

Dong-gun Jang	...	Kunlun
Hiroyuki Sanada	...	General Guangming
Cecilia Cheung	...	Princess Qingcheng
Nicholas Tse	...	Wuhuan
Ye Liu	...	Snow Wolf
Hong Chen	...	Goddess Manshen
Qian Cheng	...	The Emperor
Xiao Wei Yu	...	Ye Li
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Chun-Xiao	...	Princess Qingcheng (voice)
Anthony Wong	...	(voice)

Also Known As:

The Promise (International: English title) (Singapore: English title)
Master of the Crimson Armor (USA) (pre-release title)
Mo gik (Hong Kong: Cantonese title)

MPAA:

Rated PG-13 for stylized violence and martial arts action, and some sexual content.

Runtime:

121 min | USA:103 min (cut version)

Country:

China | Hong Kong | Japan | South Korea

Language:

Mandarin

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

DTS | Dolby Digital | SDDS

Certification:

Singapore:NC-16 | Singapore:PG (edited version) | Taiwan:PG-12 | USA:PG-13 | Switzerland:10 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:10 (canton of Vaud) | France:U | Netherlands:12 | Malaysia:U | Brazil:12 | South Korea:12 | Germany:12 (f) | Portugal:M/12 (Qualidade) | Australia:M

Filming Locations:

Hengdian World Studios, Heng Dian, China

Company:

21 Century Shengkai Film

Trivia:

It is China's official choice for the 2005 Oscar Awards, Foreign Language film category.

Quotes:

Goddess Manshen: Once you have accepted your destiny, nothing can alter it unless time flows backwards, snow falls in the spring, and the dead come back to life.

Movie Connections:

Featured in The 63rd Annual Golden Globe Awards (2006) (TV)

one of the most beautiful movies i've ever seen

It is about beauty and meaning. Yes, it is a fairy tale. How refreshing after decades of Disney low-grade tales and looks! This movie makes me feel like china taking over the world would be a good thing : You cant beat Chinese culture. The movie is highly personal and courageous, it is a statement of aesthetics as well as a philosophical one. I love it how it crashes through the preconceived notions, habits and expectations of the audience to bring forth its own powerful vision. I was taken aback at the start but the sheer beauty of some scenes took me into it. Don't ask yourself what it is about, it is just too beautiful for you to care. And there is a whole lot of meaning if you look into it. This meaning is on another level from the one of usual movies. This makes it all the better and more daring. It is soulful. It tells you about the inner worlds, as well as about ethics and decision. It is as a fairy tale should be : inspiring, meaningful, uplifting and strengthening your aliveness and involvement in the world. Helping you reconnect with your purpose and identity. Thank you, whoever made this piece of art. I'm deeply grateful.