The Promise (2005)
"Wu ji" (original title)

Empowered by the love of a slave (Jang), a royal concubine (Cheung) is given the chance to make an extraordinary decision.

Director:

Kaige Chen

Writer:

Kaige Chen

Stars:

Dong-gun Jang, Hiroyuki Sanada, Cecilia Cheung

Nominated for 1 Golden Globe. Another 1 win & 6 nominations.

Cast

Credited cast:
Dong-gun Jang	...	Kunlun
Hiroyuki Sanada	...	General Guangming
Cecilia Cheung	...	Princess Qingcheng
Nicholas Tse	...	Wuhuan
Ye Liu	...	Snow Wolf
Hong Chen	...	Goddess Manshen
Qian Cheng	...	The Emperor
Xiao Wei Yu	...	Ye Li
Rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Chun-Xiao	...	Princess Qingcheng (voice)
Toby Leonard Moore	...	Wuhan (voice)
Anthony Brandon Wong	...	(voice) (as Anthony Wong)

Storyline

When the world was young, laid a Kingdom between the Land of Snow and the Barbarian Territory where gods and men lived side by side and promises were lies. When the poor and starving orphaned girl Qingcheng meets the Goddess Manshen, she accepts to become the wealthy beauty of beauties with the curse that she would lose every man she loves, unless three things happen: snow falls in the spring, time moves backwards and the dead comes back to life. Years later, the slave Kunlun helps the Great General Master of the Crimson Armor Guangming to defeat a barbarian army with almost seven times more warriors, and Kunlun becomes his slave. When Guangming is wounded, he asks Kunlun to wear his armor and save the king from the cruel Duke of the North Wuhuan that put the Imperial City under siege with his army. However, Kunlun kills the king to save Princess Qingcheng and promises her to never let her die. Princess Qingcheng falls in love for the man of the crimson armor that she believes is ...

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Plot Keywords:

armor | general | slave | princess | king | 

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Genres:

Action | Drama | Fantasy

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG-13 for stylized violence and martial arts action, and some sexual content

Details

Official Sites:

Official site Official site [China]

Country:

China USA South Korea

Language:

Mandarin

Release Date:

15 December 2005 (China)

Also Known As:

The Promise

Filming Locations:

Hengdian World Studios, Heng Dian, China

Box Office

Budget:

HKD 6,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend:

$272,838 (USA) (5 May 2006)

Gross:

$668,171 (USA) (9 June 2006)

Company Credits

Production Co:

21 Century Shengkai Film, Capgen Investment Group, China Film Group

Technical Specs

Runtime:

121 min 103 min (cut)

Sound Mix:

DTS Dolby Digital SDDS

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

It is China's official choice for the 2005 Oscar Awards, Foreign Language film category.

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Goofs

As Kunlun enters Qingcheng's birdcage, the wire to lower him is visible.

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Quotes

Goddess Manshen: Once you have accepted your destiny, nothing can alter it unless time flows backwards, snow falls in the spring, and the dead come back to life.

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Connections

Featured in The 63rd Annual Golden Globe Awards (2006)

User Reviews

Let Your Mind Go

When I was a kid, going to the movies gave me a rush like nothing else, but for the last few years my movie-going experience has been one disappointment after another. "The Promise" was a very rare exception.

I'm not saying this movie is for everybody. It's heavily stylized, and the mythical nature of the story requires a certain suspension of disbelief. BUT, if you crave stimulation for your eyes, your ears, and your imagination, this movie will deliver. The score is incredible, and every frame is stunning, visually. The story is a fairy tale. If you let yourself get lost in it, the experience will be magical. If you spend your time analyzing, breaking down the laws of physics, and worrying whether you're getting all the intended messages, you will most likely come away unsatisfied.