Cliff Walkers
| Cliff Walkers | |
|---|---|
 Theatrical release poster | |
| Traditional Chinese | 懸崖之上 |
| Simplified Chinese | 悬崖之上 |
| Literal meaning | on the cliff |
| Hanyu Pinyin | xuányá zhīshàng |
| Directed by | Zhang Yimou |
| Written by | Quan Yongxian |
| Produced by | Lin Liang Pang Liwei |
| Starring | |
| Cinematography | Zhao Xiaoding |
| Edited by | Li Yongyi |
| Music by | Jo Yeong-wook |
Production companies | |
Release date |
|
Running time | 125 minutes |
| Country | China |
| Language | Mandarin |
| Box office | US$185.2 million |
Cliff Walkers (Chinese: 悬崖之上), previously titled Impasse in English, is a 2021 Chinese spy thriller film directed by Zhang Yimou and written by Quan Yongxian. 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.
Plot
 | This Section's plot summary needs to be improved. (December 2025) |
Set in the Japanese puppet state of Manchukuo, the film follows four Chinese Communist Party agents who parachute back into Harbin in Northeastern China in the early 1930s. Together, they embark on a secret operation code-named “Utrenya” (Russian: утреня) that intends to extract a former prisoner who could expose crimes committed by the Imperial Japanese Army to the international community (e.g., unethical human experimentation and other crimes against humanity committed by Unit 731 of that army[according to whom?][citation needed]).
Upon landing, the team split into two groups to avoid being captured and forced to betray their mission or others in the group. They are also presented as being ready to sacrifice themselves, evidenced in part by their accepting pills from a match box bearing a Russian inscription, to ingest should they be caught.
Soon after separating, one group discovers that their local contacts are the covert opposition, falsely pretending to be compatriots. They manage to escape the trap, and realize they have been betrayed by a local co-conspirator intended to aid the four, after he witnessed the execution of others of the local conspiracy, then being tortured by electric shock, and being induced to answer his interrogators through the administration of drugs.
Cast
- Zhang Yi as Zhang Xianchen, a former journalist-turned CPC agent
- Yu Hewei as Zhou Yi, a CPC agent embedded within the enemy
- Qin Hailu as Wang Yu, Zhang's wife and comrade
- Zhu Yawen as Chu Liang, Zhang's comrade
- Liu Haocun as Xiao Lan, Zhang's comrade and Chu's girlfriend
- Ni Dahong as Gao Bin, enemy in charge
- Li Naiwen as Gao's henchman
- Yu Ailei as Jin Zhide, Gao's henchman
- Lei Jiayin as Xie Zirong, a CPC agent-turned traitor
Production
A conceptual poster was released in October 2019 during Pingyao International Film Festival. On Dec 13, 2019, the cameras started rolling in Xuexiang National Forest Park. The shooting wrapped on May 19, 2020.
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.
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. In the United States, it is distributed by China Media Capital.
Reception
Critical response
On review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds an approval rating of 80% based on 51 reviews, with an average rating of 6.6/10. The website's critical consensus states: "Stylish and exciting, Cliff Walkers sees director Zhang Yimou trying his hand at the spy thriller genre with generally impressive results". On Metacritic, the film has a weighted average score of 64 out of 100, based on 10 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".
Awards and nominations
| Year | Awards | Category | Recipient | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 15th Asian Film Awards | Best Supporting Actor | Yu Hewei | Nominated | |
| 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 | ||
| Best Director | Zhang Yimou | Won | |||
| Best Cinematography | Zhao Xiaoding | Won | |||
| Best Actor | Zhang Yi | Won | |||
| Yu Hewei | Nominated | ||||
| Best Art Direction | Lin Mu | Nominated | |||
| Best Sound Recording | Yang Jiang and Zhao Nan | Nominated |
See also
References
- ↑ "Cliff Walkers". AMC Theatres. Archived from the original on 2021-04-28. Retrieved May 1, 2021.
- ↑ "Xuan Ya Zhi Shang Box Office". The Numbers. Archived from the original on 7 August 2021. Retrieved 2 May 2021.
- ↑ Davis, Rebecca (2021-03-24). "Zhang Yimou's 'Impasse' Sets China Release Date, Ramping Up Labor Day Competition". Variety. Archived from the original on 2021-06-11. Retrieved 2021-06-11.
- ↑ "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. Archived from the original on 6 April 2022. Retrieved 10 November 2021.
- ↑ Kenny, Glenn (2021-04-29). "'Cliff Walkers' Review: Double Crosses and Double Agents". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on 2021-05-02. Retrieved 2021-05-02.
- ↑ "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.()
- ↑ "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. Archived from the original on 2020-06-08. Retrieved 2021-05-01.
- ↑ "张艺谋《悬崖之上》开机，首度挑战谍战题材". The Beijing News. 2019-12-14. Archived from the original on 2020-08-08. Retrieved 2021-05-01.
- ↑ "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. Archived from the original on 2020-06-03. Retrieved 2021-05-01.
- ↑ "周深献唱《悬崖之上》，无词哼唱片段曝光". mtime.com (in Simplified Chinese). 2021-04-22. Archived from the original on 2021-04-22. Retrieved 2021-05-01.
- ↑ "Zhou Shen Sings The Theme Song of "Impasse"". Youtube. Archived from the original on 2 May 2021. Retrieved 1 May 2021.
- ↑ "张艺谋《悬崖之上》五一档将登陆全国IMAX影院". mtime.com (in Simplified Chinese). 2021-04-01. Archived from the original on 2021-04-22. Retrieved 2021-05-01.
- ↑ "Cliff Walkers (2021)". Rotten Tomatoes. Archived from the original on 2021-06-18. Retrieved 2021-06-11.
- ↑ "Cliff Walkers". Metacritic. Fandom, Inc. Retrieved 11 September 2026.
- ↑ "15th Asian Film Awards – Nominations 2021". Asian Film Festivals. September 9, 2021. Archived from the original on September 10, 2021. Retrieved September 10, 2021.
- ↑ Sabastian Nadilo (October 8, 2021). "15th Asian Film Awards – Winners 2021". Asian Film Festivals. Archived from the original on October 8, 2021. Retrieved October 9, 2021.
- ↑ 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. Archived from the original on 31 December 2021. Retrieved 31 December 2021.
- ↑ 第34届中国电影金鸡奖完整名单. qq.com (in Chinese). 30 December 2021. Archived from the original on 31 December 2021. Retrieved 31 December 2021.
External links
- Cliff Walkers at IMDb
- Cliff Walkers at Rotten Tomatoes
- Cliff Walkers at Mtime.com (archived) (in Chinese)
- Cliff Walkers at Douban (in Chinese)
- Cliff Walkers at filmaffinity.com
- Cliff Walkers at hkmdb.com
- Cliff Walkers at rogerebert.com