IFFI-2008 - International Film Festival of India

IFFI-2008
OPENING FILM
2007, 35 mm, Colour, 127 mins, Mandarin Chinese
Hong Kong
Warlords
In the year 1850, the suffering of the 430 million Chinese people under the corrupt rule of
the Qing dynasty set the stage for the Taiping Rebellion. During the chaos of the decade
long civil war, 50 million people died from either hunger or battle. In the fall of 1870,
General Pang stands high atop the city walls fully attired in governor's robes. Peering
down upon the site of his inauguration, he is filled with dreams and ambition. Pang has
taken a path of no return; had he chosen differently, he might have been one of the heroes
to later overthrow the corrupt Qing imperial regime and establish a new China. He could
have changed the course of history……But two bandits and a woman have changed the
course of his life - helping him achieve his goal, but ultimately causing his demise. The
two bandits are his sworn blood brothers: Zhao Er-Hu and Jiang Wu-Yang. The woman
who comes between them is Zhao's wife Lian. Peter Chan has been quoted as saying that
the film, mounted on an epic scale and marked by spectacular battle scenes and great
visuals, was influenced by the late Chang Cheh's 1973 film The Blood Brothers, but also
that it was not a remake.
Director
Peter Ho-Sun Chan
Screenplay
Xu Lan, Chun Tin Nam, Aubrey Lam, Huang Jian Xin, Jojo
Hui,
He Jiping, Guo Jun Li, James Yuen
Cinematography
Arthur Wong
Editor
Wenders Li
Music
Chan Kwong Wing, Peter Kam, Chatchai Pongprapaphan
Cast
Jet Li (Gen Pang), Andy Lau (Zhao Er-Hu),
Takeshi Kaneshiro (Jiang Wu-Yang), Xu Jinglei (Lian)
Production Design
Yee Chung Man
Art
Yi Zheng Zhou Pater Wong
Costumes
Yee Chung Man, Jessie Dai, Lee Pik Kwan
Production
Morgan & Chan Films
World Sales
Media Asia Distribution,
Arm Distribution Ltd
Festivals & Awards
London, San Francisco
Peter Ho-Sun Chan co-founded the United Filmmakers Organization (UFO) in Hong
Kong in the early 1990s, and produced a solid track record of box office and critical hits.
Chan has made an indelible mark on both sides of the Pacific with his Hong Kong
comedy-dramas Alan and Eric: Between Hello and Goodbye; Tom, Dick & Harry and
He's a Women, She's a Man. His commercially and critically acclaimed Comrades:
Almost a Love Story was named one of the Ten Best Movies of 1997 by Time Magazine
and swept a record-breaking nine Hong Kong Film Awards. In 1998, he was voted one of
the Top Ten Helmers to watch by Variety. Chan also directed the romantic comedy The
Love Letter for Steven Spielberg's Dreamworks SKG in 1999. Chan furthered his vision
for international collaborations by establishing his own company, Applause Pictures
Ltd, in year 2000. The films produced include: Jan Dara (Thailand-Hong Kong), One
Fine Spring Day (Japan-Korea-Hong Kong), The Eye (Singapore-Thailand-Hong Kong),
Three (Thailand-Korea-Hong Kong), Golden Chicken and its sequel Golden Chicken 2, The Eye
2 (Thailand-Singapore-Hong Kong), Three…Extremes (Japan-Korea-Hong Kong), The
Eye Infinity and McDull, The Alumni (Hong Kong-China). In 2005, Chan widened his
range by embarking on Hong Kong-China co-productions. Perhaps Love, his first
collaboration with film professionals on the Mainland, became one of the best-selling
Chinese films in China, Hong Kong and Taiwan that year, picking up 29 honors at nine
awards ceremonies. It was also selected as Hong Kong's entry to the 78th Annual
Academy Awards in the Best Foreign Language Film category. In 2007, Chan produced
Derek Yee's Protégé and directed The Warlords. The two films took the top two spots as
the highest grossing co-productions of the year both in Hong Kong and China.
3