The Great Wall is a period fantasy/monster film directed by famed Chinese filmmaker Zhang Yimou, who gave us such memorable films as Raise The Red Lantern, Hero and House Of Flying Daggers. Set during the Song dynasty in ancient China, The Nameless Order battles against a horde of emerald monsters on a stretch of the great wall, aided by two European mercenaries played by Matt Damon and Pedro Pascal.

The film lacks the beautiful visual poetry of the director’s earlier films like Hero, but the action pieces are still very impressive and make for an entertaining film to watch. A big chunk of the visual effects for the film was done by Industrial Light & Magic (ILM) Singapore, and had I not moved to Vancouver in 2015 I would most certainly have been involved in the project.

Anyhow, a recent re-watch of the film made me seek out this art book, which showcases a very nicely presented combination of film stills, marketing materials as well as concept art from the film. A considerable amount of content is dedicated to the designs for The Nameless Order, showcasing their impressive costumes and weapons design. Creature designs for the monster horde known as Taotei are also explored in detail, with many discarded designs that are quite interesting to look at.

The Great Wall certainly isn’t Zhang Yimou’s best film to date, but as a director with a strong background in cinematography, he still manages to make a movie that weaves a rich tapestry of color and action that is thrilling to watch. This art book is a great way to discover the unique visual designs for the impressive set pieces created for the film through the concept art, from costumes, weapons to creature designs. Recommended.

The Great Wall – The Art Of The Film book details :

– Dimensions – 12 x 1 x 10.7 inches
– Hard cover, 160 pages
– Full color

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