Stockholm Film Festival

During the 1860’s Taipeng Rebellion in China, three men make a contract to the death, promising to always stand up for each other. The sworn brothers enter the military, and initially their bond is further cemented through their hellish battles. But as time goes by the friendship wanes, and ultimately they are forced to turn on each other, due to the harsh realities of war and political intrigue.

Critically acclaimed director Peter Chan goes against the popular style of Hong Kong fighting films in this violent, historical drama. Where movies such as Hero and House of Flying Daggers offered poetic beauty, The Warlords goes straight for the grim reality with disturbingly authentic combat scenes. The film also manages to combine hardcore action with character-driven drama, and Jet Li delivers his most complex performance to date. Chan has composed a brutal and visually stunning war epic, offering neither resolution nor peace.

Premiere Status

Nordic Premiere

Orig. title

Tau ming chong

Cast

Jet Li, Andy Lau, Takeshi Kaneshiro, Zhang Wen-Xiang,Jinglei Xu

Producer

Peter Chan, Andre Morgan

Script

Tin Nam Chun, Junli Guo,Jiping He, Jianxin Huang, Jo Jo Yuet-chun Hui, Oi Wah Lam, Lan Xu, James Yue

Cinematography

Arthur Wong

Music

Kwong Wing Chan, Peter Kam, Leon Ko

Spoken language

Mandarin

 

Other films from the Twilight Zone section

See all the festival films from 2008