The Art of War (2000)

Director:

Christian Duguay

Writers (WGA):

Wayne Beach (story)
Wayne Beach (screenplay) ...
(more)

Release Date:

25 August 2000 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Thriller

Tagline:

Who is your foe?

Plot:

Shaw is an operative for the United Nations' covert dirty-tricks squad, using espionage and quasi-ethical tactics to secure peace and cooperation...

Plot Keywords:

Chinese Mafia | Embassy | Falsely Accused | Fugitive | Mafia

Awards:

2 wins & 9 nominations

Cast

Wesley Snipes	...	Neil Shaw
Donald Sutherland	...	Douglas Thomas
Maury Chaykin	...	Frank Capella
Anne Archer	...	Eleanor Hooks
Marie Matiko	...	Julia Fang
Michael Biehn	...	Robert Bly
Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa	...	David Chan
Liliana Komorowska	...	Jenna Novak
James Hong	...	Ambassador Wu
Paul Hopkins	...	Ray, FBI Agent
Glen Chin	...	Ochai
Ron Yuan	...	Ming
Bonnie Mak	...	Anna Li
Uni Park	...	Tina Chan
Erin Selby	...	Hong Kong Reporter
Fernando Chien	...	Zeng Zi
Paul Wu	...	Shades
Noël Burton	...	Alex Wingate
Andrew Peplowski	...	TNN Reporter #1 / UN
Andrew Nichols	...	TNN Reporter #2 / UN
Mike Tsar	...	NYPD Lieutenant (as Mike Tsarouchas)
Steven P. Park	...	Tattoo (as Steve Park)
Yardly Kavanagh	...	Reporter at Chan's Hotel
Frank Schorpion	...	TWN News Anchorman
Fred Bessa	...	NY Cop #1
Terry Simpson	...	NY Cop #2
Tony Calabretta	...	Detective #2
Fred Lee	...	Dr. Chin
Wei Feng Tang	...	Triad Hood #1 (as Weifung Tang)
Phong Doan Huy	...	Triad Hood #2 (as Huy Phong Doan)
Phil Chiu	...	Triad Hood Driver
Jeniene Phillips	...	TWN Reporter
Frank Cavallero	...	Reporter #6
Michelle Sweeney	...	Diner Waitress
Richard Jutras	...	Larry, Hooks' Secretary
Jeff Ward	...	FBI Agent at Times Square
Ken Tran	...	Triad Bruiser
Marlon Sterling Long	...	FBI Agent in Athletic Club
Zenhu Han	...	Athletic Club Shopkeeper
Danny Blanco	...	NY Cop in Athletic Club Kitchen (as Danny Blanco Hall)
Paul Stewart	...	American Ambassador
Jason Cavalier	...	Security Guard
Tracey McKee	...	Reporter at Times Square
Toula Bassanoff	...	Elderly Chinese Hobo / FBI Agent
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Barry Julien	...	(uncredited)
Larry Lam	...	Fighter (uncredited)
Christine Lan	...	Ochai's Nymphet (uncredited)
Josée Laviolette	...	Lotus Girl (uncredited)
Michael Murphy	...	Politician (uncredited)
Sylvia Stewart	...	Screaming Woman (uncredited)
Angelo Tsarouchas	...	Delivery Guy (uncredited)

Directed by
Christian Duguay

Writing credits (WGA)
Wayne Beach		(story)
Wayne Beach		(screenplay) and
Simon Barry		(screenplay) (as Simon Davis Barry)

Produced by
Peter Bray	....	line producer
Don Carmody	....	executive producer
Alan Chu	....	associate producer
Nicolas Clermont	....	producer
Dan Halsted	....	executive producer
Richard Lalonde	....	co-producer
Elie Samaha	....	executive producer
Wesley Snipes	....	executive producer
Ron Yuan	....	producer
Andrew Stevens	....	executive producer (uncredited)

Original Music by
Normand Corbeil

Cinematography by
Pierre Gill		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
Michel Arcand

Casting by
Rosina Bucci
Vera Miller
Nadia Rona

Production Design by
Anne Pritchard

Art Direction by
Jean Morin
Pierre Perrault

Set Decoration by
Paul Hotte
Ginette Robitaille

Costume Design by
Odette Gadoury

Makeup Department
Linda Bourgon	....	assistant hair stylist
Kathryn Casault	....	makeup artist
Sandra Feijoo	....	assistant makeup artist
Réjean Forget	....	key hair stylist
C.J. Goldman	....	special makeup effects artist
Tahira Herold	....	makeup artist
Tomoko Hidaka	....	makeup artist
Ginette Lajeunesse	....	hair stylist
Anne-Marie Lanza	....	assistant hair stylist
Adrien Morot	....	special makeup effects artist
Melissa Purino	....	makeup supervisor
Sylvania Yau	....	special makeup effects coordinator

Production Management
Daniel Auclair	....	unit manager: second unit
Daniel Hank	....	production manager: New York & Hong Kong
Mario Nadeau	....	unit production manager
Francis Trottier	....	unit manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Anne Alloucherie	....	assistant director
Alexandre Bernard	....	additional third assistant director
Josée Drolet	....	assistant director: second unit
Simon Dugas	....	assistant director
Danielle Lapointe	....	assistant director: second unit
Simon-Édouard Pilon	....	third assistant director
Jeff Ward	....	second unit director
Michael Williams	....	first assistant director

Art Department
Francis Back	....	storyboard artist
Charles-André Bertrand	....	assistant set dresser
Cecile Braemer	....	art department coordinator
Real Capuano	....	scenic technician
Odette Gauvreau	....	painter
Daniel Huysmans	....	property master
Benoit Robert	....	swing gang
Benoit Robitaille	....	swing gang
Andrew Semple	....	prop sculptor

Sound Department
Pierre-Jules Audet	....	sound effects editor
Michel B. Bordeleau	....	supervising sound editor
Donald Cohen	....	production sound mixer
Don Cohen	....	sound mixer
Marc Gagnon	....	sound effects editor
Bernard Gariépy Strobl	....	sound re-recording mixer
Stéphane Larivière	....	sound effects editor
Peter Lopata	....	sound effects editor
Sylvain Richard	....	sound effects editor
Eric Rocheleau	....	assistant sound re-recording mixer
Bruno Ruffolo	....	adr recordist
Hans Peter Strobl	....	sound re-recording mixer
David Yonson	....	adr recordist (uncredited)

Special Effects by
Louis Craig	....	special effects coordinator
Normand Gobeille	....	special effects technician
André Laforest	....	special effects technician
Eric-André Paquin	....	special effects technician
Sebastien Roussel	....	pyrotechnician
Martin Williams	....	special effects technician

Visual Effects by
Mashi Akiyama	....	3D effects artist
Sébastien Bergeron	....	digital compositor
Marc Bourbonnais	....	3D effects artist: Hybride Technologies
Wayne Brinton	....	digital compositor: Hybride Technologies
Nicolas Cotta	....	visual effects artist
Daniel Coupal	....	digital effects artist
Thierry Delattre	....	digital effects supervisor
Anouk Deveault-Moreau	....	visual effects coordinator: Hybride
Shawn Hillier	....	digital effects compositor
George Jardon	....	visual effects supervisor
Joseph Kasparian	....	lead digital textures
Joseph Kasparian	....	lighting artist
François Lambert	....	digital compositor: Hybride
Franck Lambertz	....	digital compositor: Hybride
Jean Lapointe	....	digital compositor
Daniel Leduc	....	digital effects producer
Marc Massicotte	....	I/O technician
Stanley Monahan	....	optical effects
Pierre Raymond	....	visual effects supervisor
Philippe Theroux	....	computer graphics supervisor
Yanick Wilisky	....	digital effects artist
Dave Salter	....	digital artist (uncredited)
Mark Tureski	....	optical effects (uncredited)

Stunts
Phil Chiu	....	stunts
Dean Choe	....	stunts
Mike Chute	....	stunts
Clay Donahue Fontenot	....	stunt double: Wesley Snipes
Patrick Kerton	....	stunts
Henry Kingi Jr.	....	stunts
Larry Lam	....	stunt fighter
Stéphane Lefebvre	....	stunts
Steve Lucescu	....	stunt rigger
David McKeown	....	stunts
Hilary Porter	....	stunts
David Rigby	....	stunts
Michael Scherer	....	stunt coordinator
Michael Scherer	....	stunts
Jeff Ward	....	stunt coordinator
Jeff Ward	....	stunts
Ron Yuan	....	fight choreographer: Ming
Russell Yuen	....	stunts

Camera and Electrical Department
Robert B. Baylis	....	key grip
Bernard Couture	....	director of photography: second unit
Amelie Duceppe	....	video assist operator
Norayr Kasper	....	director of photography: second unit
Patrick Lima	....	key grip: second unit
Alain Masse	....	dolly grip
Eric Morin	....	focus puller: "b" camera
Ken Myers	....	video tape operator: New York
Stian Nilsen	....	key grip: New York
David Norris	....	camera operator: Wescam camera
Mathieu Price	....	grip
Gaetan Stange	....	best boy
Jonas Steadman	....	focus puller: second unit
Paul Sullivan	....	steadicam operator: second unit
Jan Thijs	....	still photographer

Casting Department
Erik Johnson	....	extras casting intern
Mike Bucci	....	extras casting (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Marie-Etienne Bessette	....	extras dresser
Rosalie Clermont-Bilodeau	....	costume supervisor
Marie-Maude Grenier	....	key extras dresser
Daniele Leger	....	assistant costume designer

Editorial Department
Karina Baccanale	....	second assistant editor
Jim Campabanal	....	negative cutter
Christian Gravel	....	assistant editor

Music Department
Normand Corbeil	....	orchestrator
Terry Delsing	....	music editor
David Franco	....	music supervisor
Roger Hewett	....	orchestrator
Ken Kugler	....	conductor
Ken Kugler	....	orchestrator
Craig Pettigrew	....	music editor
Robert Puff	....	music preparation
Sandy DeCrescent	....	orchestra contractor (uncredited)

Transportation Department
Mark Bendit	....	driver
Pierre Chabot	....	driver
Pierre Cheminat	....	driver
Stanford Davis	....	driver: Wesley Snipes
Gilles Emond	....	driver
Daniel Matthews	....	transportation coordinator
James Sanchez	....	transportation captain
Joe Sanchez	....	transportation coordinator
Spiro Tsovras	....	driver

Other crew
Guy Aumond	....	production accountant
Dominique Brault	....	key production assistant
Al Cerullo	....	helicopter pilot: New York
Paul Dupont	....	safety coordinator
François Fauteux	....	location manager
Josée Francis	....	assistant location manager
Nathan Gendzier	....	location manager: New York
Renée Hébert	....	assistant to producer
Frederik Joly	....	production assistant
Michael Konyves	....	assistant to director
Christian Labrie	....	weapons wrangler
Steve Leblanc	....	production assistant
Massimo Nouhra	....	production financing
Amélie Ponette	....	script supervisor
Sharon Seto	....	epk director
Claudine Strasser	....	script supervisor
Ashiha Thorne	....	assistant: Wesley Snipes
Patrick Tremblay	....	production assistant
Chantal Dupuis	....	production assistant (uncredited)
Jim Lau	....	adr voice (uncredited)
Tanya Nesi	....	production assistant (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Morgan Creek Productions (and)
• Franchise Pictures (and)
• Amen Ra Films (present)
• Filmline International Inc.
• Imperial Entertainment Group
• Canadian Film or Video Production Tax Credit (CPTC)
• Quebec Film and Television Tax Credit

Distributors

• Motion International (2000) (Canada) (theatrical)
• Warner Bros. Pictures (2000) (USA) (theatrical)
• New Films International (2000-2001) (non-USA) (all media)
• Hispano Foxfilms S.A.E. (2000) (Spain) (theatrical)
• UGC-Fox Distribution (UFD) (2000) (France) (theatrical)
• 20th Century Fox of Germany (2000) (Germany) (theatrical)
• Fox-Warner (2000) (Switzerland) (theatrical)
• Warner Bros. (2000) (UK) (theatrical)
• Warner Home Video (2000) (USA) (DVD)
• Herald Film Company (2001) (Japan) (theatrical)
• Netherlands Fox Film Corporation (2001) (Netherlands) (theatrical)
• United King Films (2001) (Israel) (theatrical)
• Warner Home Video (2001) (USA) (VHS)
• Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment (2001) (Netherlands) (DVD) (VHS)
• Warner Bros. (2001) (Argentina) (all media)
• Argentina Video Home (2001) (Argentina) (DVD)
• Argentina Video Home (2001) (Argentina) (VHS)
• Veronica (2004) (Netherlands) (TV) (first national airing)
• Alpha Filmes (Brazil) (DVD)
• Alpha Filmes (Brazil) (VHS)

Special Effects

• Hybride Technologies
• Intrigue (special effects)

Other Companies

• Audio Post Productions Inc.  re-recording studio
• B.F. Lorenzetti & Associates  insurance
• Cine-Byte Imaging  film scanning and recording
• Completion Guarantors (TGC)  bond
• Corbis  still images: Vietnamese refugee camp and boat people
• Film Effects  optical effects
• Imperial Entertainment Group  financing
• Intermède plus  additional music
• International Fighting Championship  fight footage
• Les Productions Victor/Audio-FX  sound editing facilities
• Location Michel Trudel Inc.  camera equipment provided by
• Location Michel Trudel Inc.  sound stages
• Location Snap Shots  weapons
• Modulations  foley recording studio
• Montage Metaphore  off-line editing facilities
• NBC News Archives  footage: protest at American Embassy in Beijing
• National Bank of Canada  financing
• TF1 International  footage: Paris millenium day
• The Image Bank  footage: village in provence aerial footage and additional opening scene prop
• Urban Marketing Corporation of America (UMCA)  field publicity
• Video Assist Inc.  24 fps playback equipment and services
• Video Tape Library  footage: Sydney millennium celebration
• Vision Globale  video dailies

Also Known As:

Art de la guerre, L' (Canada: French title)

MPAA:

Rated R for strong violence, some sexuality, language and brief drug content.

Runtime:

117 min | Germany:116 min (cut version) | Germany:117 min (uncut version)

Country:

USA | Canada

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital EX

Certification:

South Korea:18 (original rating) | Malaysia:U (cut version) | South Korea:15 (video rating) (cut) | Portugal:M/16 | Netherlands:12 (TV rating) | Malaysia:18PL (uncut version) | Netherlands:16 | Argentina:13 | Australia:MA | Canada:14A | Chile:14 | Denmark:15 | France:U | Germany:18 (bw) | New Zealand:R18 | Norway:15 | Peru:14 | Spain:18 | Sweden:15 | Switzerland:14 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:14 (canton of Vaud) | UK:18 | USA:R | Iceland:16 | Philippines:PG-13

Filming Locations:

Hong Kong, China

Company:

Morgan Creek Productions

Trivia:

Before appearing in this film, Michael Biehn read a copy of Sun Tzu's "Art of War" in K2 (1991).

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: When Shaw and Bly pass through the glass fence and fall on the floor below (in the final scene), the glass bounces unnaturally, especially in close-ups.

Quotes:

Neil Shaw: Listen to me. Governments they come, they go. But the McDonalds... they last for eva!

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Kaubôi bibappu: Tengoku no tobira (2001)

Underrated Conspiracy Thriller

Snipes puts in a fine performance as Neil Shaw, a united nations defence agent who is wanted for the assassination of the Chinese U.N. ambassador at a time where U.S. and Chinese relations are already strained.

Snipes teams up with a beautiful U.N. translator (Marie Matiko) in a search for the truth behind the conspiracy that is engulfing the duo. The Art of War delivers action, thrills and good plot twists and overall is a satisfying thriller. However it is not without some minor flaws, the story although complex and interesting is somewhat dis-jointed in its delivery and the ending lacks impact, even if it does ring true to the plot line.

All in all 'The Art of War' is a good, yet less than perfect action thriller, that will certainly satisfy Snipes fans.

7/10