Truly epic war story has incredible (and violent) battle scenes, great acting, particularly by Tony Leung, and a story that keeps you engaged despite the length of the film. Like just about every Chinese film of this type, it also has a few deliberately silly moments, but overall it is a smashing success and certainly demonstrates that John Woo's directing talent extends beyond the contemporary action flicks he became famous for. Highly recommended--but be sure to get the full version, not some chopped down alternative. ( )