John Woo described The Crossing as a movie with a bit of everything: action, romance, humor, tragedy. I’d add it is even a history lesson. It opens with a battle and closes the same way. First one is a brutal massacre, second one is less bloody but worst if you think about the fact that it is history: 500 thousand troops dead as a result. It is certainly not “a Chinese Titanic”, some love boat glossy tale. It is far more, and far better.
The pace is glacial, it is building up to the second part’s tragedy, and it plays with the time accounts, intersecting characters’ memories in ongoing dealings. But the stories, which seem separated by an ocean at the beginning, are all linked, and Woo throws crumbs for you to follow and recognize. It keeps you interested, but won’t reveal the plan, even if we all know where this is headed. Or think we do.
There are several common place tropes being used, but work well in the story telling. One little semi spoiler: the one scene that brings tears to most eyes is a sacrifice, let’s say that the victim is non human. it does not detract from the pain.
Recognizing Taiwan in the movie is part of the fun watching this film. Also, I liked the fact that it is not grandiose and self congratulatory in basking in its greatness as most Hollywood films of such scope. It is what it is, trying to show a time period and its circumstances accurately -though there are a couple of historical woopsies…
I saw it on a giant screen and it is quite suitable. Again, pity they do not show the 3D and/or IMAX versions here in Taiwan. It was designed for it. English subtitles, which with the switching between Northern accented Mandarin, Southern accented Mandarin, Taiwanese and Japanese, are quite welcomed.
Best performance was by Huang Xiaoming as the general. Certainly not a one dimensional soldier.
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