Zhou Yu 周瑜
Zhou Yu convinced Sun Quan that Cao Cao's army could be resisted, and he commanded Wu's forces at Red Cliffs. In Three Kingdoms he is also the rival of Zhuge Liang, whom he loses to time and again in their battle of wits. In John Woo's two-part epic, Zhou Yu, played by Tony Leung, and Zhuge Liang each have their own interests, but above all they must win the war together.
Zhou Yu (周瑜) was born in 175 in Shu, in the Lujiang commandery. His courtesy name was Gongjin. Even in his youth he grew close to Sun Ce and helped him establish his power in the south. After Sun Ce's death, Zhou Yu continued to serve his brother Sun Quan. The Records of the Three Kingdoms also mention his ear for music. According to Chen Shou, Zhou knew music well and even after several cups of wine would notice when a musician went off and turn in his direction.
In 208, Cao Cao moved his troops south. At Sun Quan's court they debated whether to submit. Zhou Yu argued for resistance and commanded the forces of Wu, which together with Liu Bei's troops won the victory at Red Cliffs. After that he fought for Jiangling. In 210, while preparing for a campaign to the west, Zhou Yu died on the road.
In Luo Guan-Zhong's novel, Zhou Yu fears that Zhuge Liang will eventually outwit him and take away the fruits of their shared victory. In the novel Zhou Yu becomes convinced more than once that his fears are not unfounded, and his fury at his rival ultimately destroys him. In the chronicle there is no such enmity between them.
In the TV series Three Kingdoms (2010), Zhou Yu was played by Victor Huang Wei-De. In Red Cliff (2008) and Red Cliff: Part 2 (2009), with Tony Leung Chiu-Wai, far more room is given to his decisions. In John Woo's films the heroes first and foremost size each other up as future allies. They first speak of whether they can trust each other over musical instruments.
