Cliff Walkers (3 Stars)

Zhang Yimou is one of my favourite directors. That makes this film all the more disappointing. It's a spy thriller that takes place in Manchuria in the 1930's. Four special agents, trained in Russia, are trying to smuggle an escaped prisoner over the border. There was a notorious Japanese prison, in which the inmates were tortured. Japan wanted to make a good impression to the international community, so the prison was demolished and all the inmates were murdered. Except for one escapee. The special agents want him to testify to the Japanese atrocities.

My trouble with the film is that I don't really know the characters. There's very little character development. The male characters are interchangeable, which is intensified by their identical clothing. I wanted to sympathise with the female agent who wanted to rescue her children, but she just isn't interesting enough.

What struck me is how difficult it is to be a spy. There are double agents on both sides, so nobody knows who he can trust.

The film hasn't been released in England or America. There's a German Blu-ray which can be watched with German subtitles or dubbing. I recommend the dubbing, because the subtitles are awkwardly placed, on the bottom edge of the picture. It makes them difficult to read, especially when snow is lying on the ground.