Ever since morally conflicted assassin Chow Yun-Fat double-gunned his foes in 1989’s The Killer, and nerve-racked cop John Travolta tangoed with psychotic maniac Nicolas Cage in 1997’s Face/Off, John Woo has represented world-weary ultraviolence with thrilling aplomb. TONY met the 63-year-old director at the Soho Grand Hotel to discuss his latest opus: Red Cliff, an action-packed drama about the most famous battle of Han Dynasty.

Filmmakers like Chen Kaige (The Promise) and Zhang Yimou (Hero) have mastered the ancient Chinese epic. Why bother?
I wanted to make this movie for more than 20 years. I grew up with the story. Zhang and Chen are great directors and have made beautiful historical films, but some people feel they are too serious. I tried to avoid that, and to make my historical epic feel modern. I was more inspired by Lawrence of Arabia and The Longest Day.

Your movies are renowned for operatic, impossibly baroque action. Red Cliff has stunning set pieces, but the violence feels less cartoonish than usual.
The battle scenes are much more realistic. I’ve never used kung fu fighting before—just people using guns and flipping in the air—and I wanted to concentrate on the strategies, how people outfight and outthink their enemies. This whole movie is about courage, with an antiwar message: There are no winners. Plus, I wanted the audience to feel involved; if it’s too over-the-top, it’s no good.

It’s nice to see your signature bird flourishes and Mexican standoffs—albeit with swords instead of guns.
At the beginning, I didn’t want to use them again. But I use those elements here in a different way. I have the camera follow a carrier pigeon to review the enemies’ side and the battleships. It’s a wonderful introduction shot: the bird, the river, the mountains, the ships, all in about two minutes. Everybody loved it, and it’s one of the most expensive CGI shots in film history. As for the sword fight, I wanted it to be realistic. But my stunt coordinator loved The Killer so much that he said, “Oh, you have to do it: swords instead of guns. It’ll make your fans happy.” So I said all right.

You’ve returned to shooting in Asia. Was it good to be away from Hollywood?
I learned so much from Hollywood. I just wanted to do this one in China. Everything was so professional in Hollywood; China had a lot to learn. But they wanted to learn! They wanted to do a big-budget Hollywood movie, and they did it. The audience there is so eager to see movies, and the government is more open. I’ve got a few projects set up there now.

Is it true you want to direct a musical?
I’ve always wanted to do a musical, but my producers have to find a studio. I’ve even had a fantastic script for more than 12 years.

What’s the movie about?
It’s an action musical. [Laughs] I never want to give it up.—Stephen Garrett

Red Cliff opens Fri 20.

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