The Promise (2005 film)
Encyclopedia
The Promise is a 2005 Chinese epic fantasy film
directed by Chen Kaige
and starring Jang Dong-gun
, Hiroyuki Sanada
, Cecilia Cheung
and Nicholas Tse
. The film is based on the wuxia
romance The K'un-lun Slave
, written by P'ei Hsing at the time of the Tang Dynasty
.
First released in mainland China on December 15, 2005, as well as Hong Kong and Singapore. The Weinstein Company
adapted it for North American distributions and three-day preview screenings, but they sold the film to Warner Independent Pictures
. While under the control of TWC, 19 minutes of scenes was trimmed out and the film was renamed Master of the Crimson Armor. Eventually, it was released on May 5, 2006 as The Promise.
When it opened in Asian markets, the crowd reactions were mixed. In China, public response was largely negative, although it made US$9 million in mainland China in the first week and HK$8 million in Hong Kong. The budget was rumored to be 282~340 million yuan (US$35~$42 million), surpassing the cost of Zhang Yimou
's 2002 film Hero
.
Despite the negative buzz, it is one of two Chinese films in 2006 to be nominated for Golden Globes Best Foreign Language Film at the 63rd Golden Globe Awards
.
General Guangming defeats a larger army of barbarians with only 3,000 men and rushes back to save the King, who is besieged in the palace by the traitorous Duke Wuhuan. He meets Manshen, who tells him that someone wearing his Crimson Armour will commit regicide and tarnish his reputation. Subsequently, Guangming is attacked and wounded by Wuhuan's assassin, Snow Wolf. Guangming asks his slave Kunlun to don his armour and save the King, telling Kunlun that the King is the one without a weapon. Kunlun arrives at the palace and mistakes Qingcheng for the King as she is unarmed, and he kills the King instead, who has just drawn his sword. Kunlun falls in love with Qingcheng and they flee, only to be cornered at a cliff by Wuhuan and his soldiers. Wuhuan promises to leave Qingcheng unharmed, should Kunlun kill himself by jumping off the cliff, which Kunlun does.
Kunlun leaps off the cliff and survives. Guangming is angry as his subordinates had turned on him after believing that he had murdered the King. Kunlun saves his master and returns the Crimson Armour. They go to rescue Qingcheng from Wuhuan's clutches later and Qingcheng falls in love with Guangming, whom she believes to be the one who leapt off the cliff for her earlier. Kunlun is captured by Wuhuan, who realises that it was he who murdered the King.
While Guangming and Qingcheng lead a happy life in the countryside, Kunlun learns from Snow Wolf that Wuhuan was actually the one responsible for the destruction of his family and homeland. Snow Wolf is actually also from the same hometown as Kunlun and he was forced to become Wuhuan's servant in fear of death. Wuhuan lures Guangming back to the palace and has him imprisoned. He places Guangming, Kunlun and Qingcheng on trial for regicide and has the liberty to decide on their punishments. The captives break free and engage Wuhuan in a final battle in which both Wuhuan and Guangming are killed. Kunlun dons Snow Wolf's immortality robe and he survives despite having been fatally wounded. The goddess Manshen appears and tells Qingcheng that she has finally found her true love. Kunlun and Qingcheng fly away together into the far distance as the film ends.
. The film's production crew was accused of damaging the vegetation and natural scenery of the area and the surrounding Lake Bigu from filming and set construction, and left behind a large amount of undisposed household waste.
Hu Ge
's 2005 short film A Murder Case Caused by a Bun (一个饅头引起的血案) spoofed The Promise. After it was released on the Internet, Chen Kaige threatened legal action for copyright infringement, but the case fizzled out owing to widespread Internet support for the beleaguered Hu.
The Promise was scheduled to be released in North America by the Weinstein Company in December 2005 under the title Master of the Crimson Armor. This version was shortened by approximately 25 minutes. However, the Weinsteins eventually canceled plans to distribute the film, and North American distribution rights were bought by Warner Independent. Warner reverted the title back to The Promise, but otherwise retained the Weinstein's cut.
Warner released The Promise in North America on May 5, 2006 in 213 theaters. The film grossed US$272,838 in its opening weekend, and collected US$669,625 by the end of its run. The Promise has grossed US$33,539,654 worldwide.
Fantasy film
Fantasy films are films with fantastic themes, usually involving magic, supernatural events, make-believe creatures, or exotic fantasy worlds. The genre is considered to be distinct from science fiction film and horror film, although the genres do overlap...
directed by Chen Kaige
Chen Kaige
Chen Kaige is a Chinese film director and a leading figure of the fifth generation of Chinese cinema. His films are known for their visual flair and epic storytelling.-Early life:...
and starring Jang Dong-gun
Jang Dong-gun
-Early life:Spending his childhood in Yongsan-gu, Seoul, he later went on to the Korea National University of Arts, dropping out before obtaining a degree.-Career:Jang Dong-gun first entered the entertainment world in a talent contest in 1992...
, Hiroyuki Sanada
Hiroyuki Sanada
is a Japanese actor.-Life and career:Sanada was born in Tokyo. Originally aiming to be an action star, starting with shorinji kempo, he eventually took up Kyokushin kaikan Sanada began training at age 11 with actor and martial arts star Sonny Chiba's Japan Action Club where he developed good...
, Cecilia Cheung
Cecilia Cheung
Cecilia Cheung Pak-Chi is a Hong Kong actress and cantopop singer. She is the ex-wife of Nicholas Tse, thus being the daughter-in-law of Patrick Tse and Deborah Lee. She and Nicholas have two sons, Lucas and Quintus Tse...
and Nicholas Tse
Nicholas Tse
Nicholas Tse is a Hong Kong singer-songwriter, actor and musician, and son of actor Patrick Tse. He is a member of the Emperor Entertainment Group...
. The film is based on the wuxia
Wuxia
Wuxia is a broad genre of Chinese fiction concerning the adventures of martial artists. Although wuxia is traditionally a form of literature, its popularity has caused it to spread to diverse art forms like Chinese opera, manhua , films, television series, and video games...
romance The K'un-lun Slave
Kunlun Nu
Kunlun Nu is a wuxia romance written by Pei Xing during the Tang Dynasty. The hero of the tale is a Negrito slave that uses his supernatural physical abilities to save his master's lover from the harem of a court official.-Plot:...
, written by P'ei Hsing at the time of the Tang Dynasty
Tang Dynasty
The Tang Dynasty was an imperial dynasty of China preceded by the Sui Dynasty and followed by the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms Period. It was founded by the Li family, who seized power during the decline and collapse of the Sui Empire...
.
First released in mainland China on December 15, 2005, as well as Hong Kong and Singapore. The Weinstein Company
The Weinstein Company
The Weinstein Company is an American film studio founded by Bob and Harvey Weinstein in 2005 after the brothers left the then-Disney-owned Miramax Films, which they had co-founded in 1979...
adapted it for North American distributions and three-day preview screenings, but they sold the film to Warner Independent Pictures
Warner Independent Pictures
Warner Independent Pictures was the specialty division of film studio Warner Bros. Entertainment. Established in August 2003, its first release was 2004's Before Sunset...
. While under the control of TWC, 19 minutes of scenes was trimmed out and the film was renamed Master of the Crimson Armor. Eventually, it was released on May 5, 2006 as The Promise.
When it opened in Asian markets, the crowd reactions were mixed. In China, public response was largely negative, although it made US$9 million in mainland China in the first week and HK$8 million in Hong Kong. The budget was rumored to be 282~340 million yuan (US$35~$42 million), surpassing the cost of Zhang Yimou
Zhang Yimou
Zhang Yimou is a Chinese film director, producer, writer and actor, and former cinematographer. He is counted amongst the Fifth Generation of Chinese filmmakers, having made his directorial debut in 1987 with Red Sorghum....
's 2002 film Hero
Hero (2002 film)
Hero is a 2002 wuxia film directed by Zhang Yimou. Starring Jet Li as the nameless protagonist, the film is based on the story of Jing Ke's assassination attempt on the King of Qin in 227 BC....
.
Despite the negative buzz, it is one of two Chinese films in 2006 to be nominated for Golden Globes Best Foreign Language Film at the 63rd Golden Globe Awards
63rd Golden Globe Awards
----Picture - Drama: Brokeback Mountain ----Picture - Musical or Comedy: Walk the Line ----TV Series - Drama: Lost ----TV Series - Musical or Comedy: Desperate Housewives ----Miniseries or TV Movie: Empire Falls ...
.
Plot
A starving girl named Qingcheng meets a goddess called Manshen and accepts an offer to enjoy a luxurious life and become the most beautiful woman in the land in return for forgoing true love for eternity. When she grows up, she becomes the King's concubine.General Guangming defeats a larger army of barbarians with only 3,000 men and rushes back to save the King, who is besieged in the palace by the traitorous Duke Wuhuan. He meets Manshen, who tells him that someone wearing his Crimson Armour will commit regicide and tarnish his reputation. Subsequently, Guangming is attacked and wounded by Wuhuan's assassin, Snow Wolf. Guangming asks his slave Kunlun to don his armour and save the King, telling Kunlun that the King is the one without a weapon. Kunlun arrives at the palace and mistakes Qingcheng for the King as she is unarmed, and he kills the King instead, who has just drawn his sword. Kunlun falls in love with Qingcheng and they flee, only to be cornered at a cliff by Wuhuan and his soldiers. Wuhuan promises to leave Qingcheng unharmed, should Kunlun kill himself by jumping off the cliff, which Kunlun does.
Kunlun leaps off the cliff and survives. Guangming is angry as his subordinates had turned on him after believing that he had murdered the King. Kunlun saves his master and returns the Crimson Armour. They go to rescue Qingcheng from Wuhuan's clutches later and Qingcheng falls in love with Guangming, whom she believes to be the one who leapt off the cliff for her earlier. Kunlun is captured by Wuhuan, who realises that it was he who murdered the King.
While Guangming and Qingcheng lead a happy life in the countryside, Kunlun learns from Snow Wolf that Wuhuan was actually the one responsible for the destruction of his family and homeland. Snow Wolf is actually also from the same hometown as Kunlun and he was forced to become Wuhuan's servant in fear of death. Wuhuan lures Guangming back to the palace and has him imprisoned. He places Guangming, Kunlun and Qingcheng on trial for regicide and has the liberty to decide on their punishments. The captives break free and engage Wuhuan in a final battle in which both Wuhuan and Guangming are killed. Kunlun dons Snow Wolf's immortality robe and he survives despite having been fatally wounded. The goddess Manshen appears and tells Qingcheng that she has finally found her true love. Kunlun and Qingcheng fly away together into the far distance as the film ends.
Cast
- Jang Dong-gunJang Dong-gun-Early life:Spending his childhood in Yongsan-gu, Seoul, he later went on to the Korea National University of Arts, dropping out before obtaining a degree.-Career:Jang Dong-gun first entered the entertainment world in a talent contest in 1992...
as Kunlun, the slave - Hiroyuki SanadaHiroyuki Sanadais a Japanese actor.-Life and career:Sanada was born in Tokyo. Originally aiming to be an action star, starting with shorinji kempo, he eventually took up Kyokushin kaikan Sanada began training at age 11 with actor and martial arts star Sonny Chiba's Japan Action Club where he developed good...
as General Guangming - Cecilia CheungCecilia CheungCecilia Cheung Pak-Chi is a Hong Kong actress and cantopop singer. She is the ex-wife of Nicholas Tse, thus being the daughter-in-law of Patrick Tse and Deborah Lee. She and Nicholas have two sons, Lucas and Quintus Tse...
as Qingcheng- Guan Xiaotong as young Qingcheng
- Nicholas TseNicholas TseNicholas Tse is a Hong Kong singer-songwriter, actor and musician, and son of actor Patrick Tse. He is a member of the Emperor Entertainment Group...
as Duke Wuhuan- Shi Lei as young Wuhuan
- Liu Ye as Snow Wolf, the assassin
- Chen HongChen Hong (actress)Chen Hong is a Chinese actress, perhaps most famous for being the present wife of director Chen Kaige. They have a son together. In recent years, she has co-produced Together, The Promise and Forever Enthralled and also acted in these films...
as Manshen, the goddess - Qian Bo as One Eye
- Yu Xiaowei as Commander Yeli
- Cheng Qian as the King
- Li Jing as Kunlun's mother
Reception
The film has been criticized for the environmental damage caused while filming in YunnanYunnan
Yunnan is a province of the People's Republic of China, located in the far southwest of the country spanning approximately and with a population of 45.7 million . The capital of the province is Kunming. The province borders Burma, Laos, and Vietnam.Yunnan is situated in a mountainous area, with...
. The film's production crew was accused of damaging the vegetation and natural scenery of the area and the surrounding Lake Bigu from filming and set construction, and left behind a large amount of undisposed household waste.
Hu Ge
Hu Ge (director)
Hu Ge is an amateur director in the People's Republic of China who rose to fame through social satire and the Internet. His works, which are videos which can be downloaded from video-sharing sites such as YouTube, and freely distributed by his permission, are viewed by millions...
's 2005 short film A Murder Case Caused by a Bun (一个饅头引起的血案) spoofed The Promise. After it was released on the Internet, Chen Kaige threatened legal action for copyright infringement, but the case fizzled out owing to widespread Internet support for the beleaguered Hu.
Box office
The Promise grossed an estimated US$18,000,000 in mainland China. Business was much less spectacular in Hong Kong, where it grossed a mere US$654,435 (HK$5,073,311).The Promise was scheduled to be released in North America by the Weinstein Company in December 2005 under the title Master of the Crimson Armor. This version was shortened by approximately 25 minutes. However, the Weinsteins eventually canceled plans to distribute the film, and North American distribution rights were bought by Warner Independent. Warner reverted the title back to The Promise, but otherwise retained the Weinstein's cut.
Warner released The Promise in North America on May 5, 2006 in 213 theaters. The film grossed US$272,838 in its opening weekend, and collected US$669,625 by the end of its run. The Promise has grossed US$33,539,654 worldwide.
External links
- The Promise at MonkeyPeaches
- The Promise at LoveHKFilm.com
- The Promise - Film Coverage
- Interview with director Chen KaigeChen KaigeChen Kaige is a Chinese film director and a leading figure of the fifth generation of Chinese cinema. His films are known for their visual flair and epic storytelling.-Early life:...
- Interview with actor Hiroyuki SanadaHiroyuki Sanadais a Japanese actor.-Life and career:Sanada was born in Tokyo. Originally aiming to be an action star, starting with shorinji kempo, he eventually took up Kyokushin kaikan Sanada began training at age 11 with actor and martial arts star Sonny Chiba's Japan Action Club where he developed good...
("Guangming")