I'm not a big war film fan but I saw this film in spite of that fact primarily because of Zhang Ziyi's role in it. I'm split between this film and The Road Home as to which was her best role, but in both she made the character she played seem very real.
The pace of the film was a bit strange, there are painfully slow moments and then explosive terror and emotional intensity. The contrast made the intense moments stand out far more than films which are just continuous action and it allowed time to really get a sense of knowing the characters.
I wouldn't recommend this film to someone who is looking for an "action" type movie but for people who want serious drama set in a non-fictional historical setting which really focuses close-up on the human costs of war this film is excellent.
The pace of the film was a bit strange, there are painfully slow moments and then explosive terror and emotional intensity. The contrast made the intense moments stand out far more than films which are just continuous action and it allowed time to really get a sense of knowing the characters.
I wouldn't recommend this film to someone who is looking for an "action" type movie but for people who want serious drama set in a non-fictional historical setting which really focuses close-up on the human costs of war this film is excellent.