source: Cliff Walkers

No pun intended - and when you watch the movie to the end, you will get a feeling that something is missing ... or not told to the end. That is because there will be a sequel to this. I had no idea when I started watching this, that that was the case ... but it is what it is. I would have waited and watched this and the sequel together. It looks like Zhang Yimou is also doing the sequel. And if that name means something to you (I reckon you came to this site because of him rather than the film title), than you know what to expect from a movie he directs. There is a reason a lot of his work is getting nominated for a lot of awards ... same is true for this one right here. Tension is high and the visuals match the the story that is being told. There is enough thrill to keep you on the edge of your seat. Even if you do not have any clue what happened in real life (history and all that). We cannot know it all, can we? Maybe this will keep you interested in all things that surround this and maybe more about chinese history.

The plot twists and turns in this movie of the Communists vs the puppet regime in Manchukuo. Set in December 1934, the story revolves around a true event. The sets are lovingly and authentically created to reproduce the romance of the period. Attention to detail is evident even to ensuring the cinema calendar is correct. I had to watch and rewatch the movie so many times to link the clues and details. Zhang's masterly cinematography would have certainly won him the Best Director Oscar had Jane Campion's Power of the Dog not been just as lush and powerful. Excellent, really Excellent movie. This will be a hard act to follow.

Well, this movie is obviously another try of the CCP to brainwash its 1.4 billion subjects and at the same to whitewash and make the Chinese Communist Party was the sole entity that fought against the Japanese even before China officially declared war against the Japanese invasion in the Puppet Manchuria regime. But fair is fair, other than the formulaic and cliched ideological whitewash&brainwash purposes, Zhang, the director, the whole cast, the camera work, the editing as well as the soundtrack, the song at the end, all seamlessly performed a great work. The only miscast was actress Haocun Liu, who played the role Lan, a young, maybe too young to be a Soviet Russian trained Chinese Communist member. Her role in this movie was a huge mix bag, because sometimes she looked just too young, too fragile, too vulnerable to play such role, yet at some critical moments, she also weirdly showed a rare toughness and maturity. Her purity and decency showed in this movie are exactly when Zhang ZiYi was just an unknown young girl auditioned for Zhang Yimou's My Father & Mother 1999. Could she enjoy a bounty future as Zhang Ziyi? Only time could tell. After watched this movie, an afterthought inevitably came up. If those founding members of CCP were exactly liked what they have shown in each and every propaganda movies including this one, then I have to say, that the once passionate and patriotic first batch of the Chinese Communist vanguards were long gone. If they knew what their beloved Party has become since 1949, I think all of them would turn in their graves and cry their hearts out.

"Zhang Yi leads the action in the first half, as his character is the traditional hero type who is decisive, vigilant and unflinchingly no-nonsense, an iron-wrought man who doesn't buckle under torture, so when Zhang crumples under his Achilles' heel (the attachment to his own offspring), it is Yu Hewei's Zhou, the surprising foe-to-friend undercover who takes up the gauntlet and resumes the endeavor. The secret mission takes a back seat, it is the "find the mole" game that propels the film to a satisfying if predictable finish in the homestretch. Great sacrifice is potently effectuated, mind game well played, earnest camaraderie emotively honored, the petticoat fighters are safe and waifs reunited with their parent, with the chief mission is accomplished en passant. Everything is well gauged to comply with China's ever-stringent censorship after Zhang Yimou's previous film ONE SECOND (2020), which also stars Zhang Yi and Liu Haocun, hits a bumpy road to get released." read my full review on my blog: Cinema Omnivore, thanks.

The topic is a typical Chinese communists theme, i.e., how nationalists persecuted them and communists sacrificed themselves to win the ruling of the country. The movie was directed by the famous director Zhang yimo, who did it for Chinese communist authority, which is understandable. The directing is ok, and the movie theme is quite tense from the beginning to the end. However, the actors/actresses are mediocre. The ending is also typical Chinese movie technique, i.e. Use crying and background music to stir up emotion of audience.

A film based on a TV series - XuanYa (Cliff). I think the meaning is quite obvious, considering it tells a story of special agents. Directed by Zhang Yimou, with a crew full of powerful actors. Especially Yu Hewei, for the character Zhou Yi. I cannot tell too much, otherwise it'd be spoiled, but his acting definitely reached to the master level in this film. He does have 20 some years of acting experiences with multi-direction roles. The film was well made, intense plots, beautiful scenes, unexpected twists, perfect lines and intricate emotions. Every actor was on their best state with the cameras filming to its precision. It was no more no less. I cannot praise it enough. Please go and watch!

Don't mind the 2 star rating one. Had a quick browse on other films he/she reviewed - lols - obviously not much taste in film. Great plot. Great actings. The whole point about spy is that spy doesn't have a "look". Yet with enough stereotypical film casting nowadays, there are people out there quickly pointing their fingers on the lead female actress not being "spy looking enough". Whatever the f that means.

I enjoyed it a lot. It exceeded my expectations. Great twists. It revolves around a group of Chinese revolutionary agents sent to Harbin on a secret mission. However, the local security agency found out about them and got the passwords, so now the agents will meet counterintelligence imposters instead of their comrades. It's a tense movie, from start to finish. Well done.

Before this, I always thought "The Message" was the best one of this type. But Cliff Walkers impressed me with its story-telling. Back in 1940s, four of the specially-trained spies were sent to commit a mission--To protect an informant and send him out so he can tell the truth about the government to the world. However, there are moles among the four. So it's harsh for the real agents to do the task. Firstly, the acting is quite satisfying. Zhangyi played a senior spy in the movie, and his performance of being tortured was quite impressive.