Battle of wits review

Hmmmm...I didn't know that it was known as "battle of the warriors", oh well you live and learn. An extremely well casted and beautifully shot film. Not your usual run-of-the-mill war movie either. Based on a Japanese manga (comic) this focuses on one of the episodes that happened and really does take liberties with it and fictionalizes it more than most. Although the script and acting are both top notch: I felt that the director focuses more on the war aspect and strategic element (which is a good thing) and tacked on a romantic note to make the film feel less brutal. Anyone who is familiar with Japanese history will know of the final outcome but will also guess that it cannot be told in a 2+ hour movie; even the epic movie "red cliff" is not long enough to tell the whole story. Unlike most movies of this period there is a strong anti-war message in this one and it is not subtle in any way saying it. All in all this is a very well thought out film (pity about the romance...tacky...real tacky) and is better than the director's previous film "hero". Do not expect any fancy sword play or people running up walls or along bamboos (crouching tiger anyone?) but you will be in awe at the strategies used and the sheer brutality of it all.