Synopsis
In 1930s Japanese-occupied Harbin, four communist agents parachute in on a secret mission — only to discover their plans have been betrayed. Zhang Yimou's first espionage thriller. 1.16 billion yuan box office. Douban 7.6.
Overview
Cliff Walkers (Chinese: 悬崖之上) is a 2021 Chinese espionage thriller directed by Zhang Yimou, his first foray into the spy genre. Starring Zhang Yi, Yu Hewei, and Qin Hailu, the film is set in 1930s Japanese-occupied Harbin and follows a team of communist agents whose secret mission is compromised by a traitor within their ranks.
Released on April 30, 2021, it topped the Labor Day holiday box office with a final gross of approximately 1.16 billion yuan. It holds a Douban rating of 7.6.
Plot Summary
In the 1930s, Harbin is under the control of Japan's puppet state of Manchukuo. Four communist agents trained in the Soviet Union — Zhang Xiancheng (Zhang Yi), Zhang Lan (Liu Haocun), Wang Chuliang (Zhu Yawen), and Wang Yu (Qin Hailu) — parachute into the outskirts of Harbin on a mission codenamed Utrenya.
But their plans have already been leaked by a traitor. The Manchukuo secret police chief Gao Bin (Ni Dahong) has laid a trap. Only Zhou Yi (Yu Hewei), a communist mole deep inside the secret police, can help them navigate a city where every face may belong to an enemy and every rendezvous may be an ambush.
On the cliff's edge, trust is more precious than life.
Cast
| Actor | Role | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Zhang Yi | Zhang Xiancheng | Team leader |
| Yu Hewei | Zhou Yi | Communist mole inside the secret police |
| Qin Hailu | Wang Yu | Team member |
| Zhu Yawen | Wang Chuliang | Team member |
| Liu Haocun | Zhang Lan | Young agent |
| Ni Dahong | Gao Bin | Secret police chief |
Behind the Scenes
Zhang Yimou, then in his seventies, brought a cinematographer's eye to his first espionage film. 1930s Harbin is rendered in breathtaking cold beauty — endless snowfall, dark overcoats, dim streetlamps. Every frame resembles a black-and-white woodcut, saturated with menace.
The action is tense and restrained. There are no Hollywood explosions — just the raw suspense of life and death conveyed through a glance, a door opening or closing, a brush with a stranger on the street.
References
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cliff_Walkers
- IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt14641688/
- Douban: https://movie.douban.com/subject/32493124/
Stills & Gallery
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