Cliff Walkers

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Cliff Walkers
Impasse.jpg
Traditional懸崖之上
Simplified悬崖之上
Mandarinxuányá zhīshàng
Literallyon the cliff
Directed byZhang Yimou
Written by
Produced by
Starring
CinematographyZhao Xiaoding
Edited by
Music byJo Yeong-wook
Production
companies
Release date
  • April 30, 2021 (2021-04-30) (China)
Running time
125 min[1]
CountryChina
LanguageMandarin
Box officeUS$185.2 million[2]

Cliff Walkers (Chinese: 悬崖之上), previously titled Impasse in English,[3] is a 2021 Chinese historical spy thriller film directed by Zhang Yimou and written by . It is set in the Imperial Japanese puppet state of Manchukuo in the 1930s before World War II erupts. It was selected as the Chinese entry for the Best International Feature Film at the 94th Academy Awards.[4]

Plot[]

Set in the Japanese puppet state of Manchukuo, the film follows four Chinese Communist Party agents who parachute back to Harbin[5] in Northeastern China in the early 1930s. Together, they embark on a secret operation code-named “Utrennya” (Russian: "утренняя") that intends to extract a former prisoner who could expose the unethical human experimentation and other crimes against humanity committed by Unit 731 of the Imperial Japanese Army in front of the international community. Upon landing, the team members split into two groups to avoid being captured and tortured to sell out their loved ones on the other group. They are also ready to sacrifice themselves by ingesting cyanide-equivalent pills contained in a match box. Soon after their separation, group 1 discover their local contacts are disguised by enemies. They manage to escape the trap, but also realize they had been sold out by a traitor, who cave after being tortured and witnessing the execution of his fellow comrades. Will group 1 be able to inform group 2 and carry out the mission? That is the question on the snowy grounds of Manchukuo.

Cast[]

  • Zhang Yi as Zhang Xianchen, a former journalist-turned CCP agent
  • as Zhou Yi, a CCP agent embedded within the enemy
  • Qin Hailu as Wang Yu, Zhang's wife and comrade
  • Zhu Yawen as Chu Liang, Zhang's comrade
  • as Xiao Lan, Zhang's comrade and Chu's girlfriend [6]
  • Ni Dahong as Gao Bin, enemy in charge
  • as Gao's henchman
  • as Jin Zhide, Gao's henchman
  • Lei Jiayin as Xie Zirong, a CCP agent-turned traitor

Production[]

A conceptual poster was released in October 2019 during Pingyao International Film Festival.[7] On Dec 13, 2019, the cameras started rolling in Xuexiang National Forest Park.[8] The shooting wrapped on May 19, 2020.[9]

The original score was composed by Jo Yeong-wook, whereas the eponymous theme song is composed by the band RadioMars and performed by Zhou Shen.[10][11]

Release[]

The movie was released on April 30, 2021 in both China and the United States. In China, it is released in IMAX, CINITY, Dolby Cinema, etc.[12] In the United States, it is distributed by China Media Capital.

Reception[]

Cliff Walkers received a 82% positive rating on Rotten Tomatoes, with an average rating of 6.7/10.[13]

Awards and nominations[]

Year Awards Category Recipient Result Ref.
2021 15th Asian Film Awards Best Supporting Actor Yu Hewei Nominated [14][15]
Best Supporting Actress Qin Hailu Nominated
Best Editing Li Yongyi Won
Best Cinematography Zhao Xiaoding Nominated
Best Costume Design Chen Minzheng Nominated
Best Original Music Jo Yeong-wook Nominated
34th Golden Rooster Awards Best Picture Cliff Walkers Nominated [16][17]
Best Director Zhang Yimou Won
Zhao Xiaoding Won
Best Actor Zhang Yi Won
Nominated
Lin Mu Nominated
Yang Jiang and Zhao Nan Nominated

See also[]

References[]

  1. ^ "Cliff Walkers". AMC Theatres. Retrieved May 1, 2021.
  2. ^ "Xuan Ya Zhi Shang Box Office". The Numbers. Retrieved 2 May 2021.
  3. ^ Davis, Rebecca (2021-03-24). "Zhang Yimou's 'Impasse' Sets China Release Date, Ramping Up Labor Day Competition". Variety. Retrieved 2021-06-11.
  4. ^ "张艺谋《悬崖之上》代表中国内地 竞逐第94届奥斯卡最佳国际影片奖 (Zhang Yimou's "Above the Cliff" represents Mainland China to compete for the 94th Oscar for Best International Film)". Sohu. 10 November 2021. Retrieved 10 November 2021.
  5. ^ Kenny, Glenn (2021-04-29). "'Cliff Walkers' Review: Double Crosses and Double Agents". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2021-05-02.
  6. ^ "Cliff Walkers movie review: Zhang Yimou spy thriller, starring Liu Haocun, deceives with its labyrinthine narrative". scmp.com. April 30, 2021. Archived from the original on May 5, 2021. Retrieved May 4, 2021.CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)()
  7. ^ "张艺谋谍战片《悬崖之上》曝概念海报 冰天雪地背景2020年上映 新作"坚如磐石"已送审". Mtime.com. 2020-09-11. Retrieved 2021-05-01.
  8. ^ "张艺谋《悬崖之上》开机，首度挑战谍战题材". The Beijing News. 2019-12-14. Retrieved 2021-05-01.
  9. ^ "张艺谋首部谍战片《悬崖之上》杀青 编剧发文纪念". Sina.com. 2020-05-19. Retrieved 2021-05-01.
  10. ^ "周深献唱《悬崖之上》，无词哼唱片段曝光". mtime.com (in Chinese). 2021-04-22. Retrieved 2021-05-01.
  11. ^ "Zhou Shen Sings The Theme Song of "Impasse"". Youtube. Retrieved 1 May 2021.
  12. ^ "张艺谋《悬崖之上》五一档将登陆全国IMAX影院". mtime.com (in Chinese). 2021-04-01. Retrieved 2021-05-01.
  13. ^ "Cliff Walkers (2021)".
  14. ^ "15th Asian Film Awards – Nominations 2021". Asian Film Festivals. September 9, 2021. Retrieved September 10, 2021.
  15. ^ Sabastian Nadilo (October 8, 2021). "15th Asian Film Awards – Winners 2021". Asian Film Festivals. Retrieved October 9, 2021.
  16. ^ 第34届中国电影金鸡奖公布完整提名名单. qq.com (in Chinese). 29 November 2021. Retrieved 31 November 2021. Check date values in: |access-date= (help)
  17. ^ 第34届中国电影金鸡奖完整名单. qq.com (in Chinese). 30 December 2021. Retrieved 31 December 2021.

External links[]

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