MovieChat Forums > San guo zhi jian long xie jia (2008) Discussion > That phrase Cao Cao and Cao Ying said .....

That phrase Cao Cao and Cao Ying said ...


First off, let me comment that i join the millions out there who are calling this a bad movie ... no love from me to this movie .. ever!

However, a few things in the movie does catch my eye ... and one happens to be something that Cao Cao and Cao Ying said ... which i can't seem to remember for the life of me ...

Please correct it if what i recall is wrong ...

"I would rather fail the world, than to have them fail me ..."

Did i get it right?

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i would rather betray the world, than let the world betray me

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This phrase is not originally created by the movie. It's a famous motto of Cao Cao's.

In the three kingdom's story, when Cao Cao and another guy, Chen Gong, went on the run, an old man whom Cao knew invited these two guys stay in his home for the night. Then, the old man then went out, saying that he would buy some fine wine to treat Cao and Chen.

When the old man had gone for quite some time, Cao grew suspicious and went to look around in the house, then found that in the backyard the old man's servant was sharpening a knife. Cao thought the old man's real intention was to murder/capture them and turn them up to the officials, so he killed everyone in the house, including the old man's wife and children. But after killing them all, Cao found a pig being tied up in the kitchen, and realized that the servant was sharpening the knife cos he would slaughter the pig and cook them a big meal.

Realizing that they'd killed innocent people, Cao and Chen fleed from the house. On the way, they met the old man coming back with a bottle of fine wine. The old man, knowing nothing about the murder, warmly insisted them to stay longer. Chen felt very guilty and didn't know what to do. Cao drew his sword and killed the old man.

Chen questioned Cao why, and then Cao said this - "I'd rather betray the world, than let the world betray me".

Back to topic, I found this phrase is TOTALLY out of place in the movie. There's absolutely no reason for Cao Cao to say that to Cao Ying at that moment.

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bravo. indeed a very famous phrase.

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I feel the same. They sticked that phrase in there just to show Cao Cao's famous quote. But it's completely out of touch.

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Touche. :)

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Perfect summary+interpretation of the scenes from the original TV episode!

Everything is made to be perfect.

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“Better to wrong the world than let the world wrong me!” is what they say in The Greatest of Heroes so still same meaning there. its funny in this book tho coz its Cao Cao and Xiahou Dun instead of Chen Gong, and he kills a bunch of children and their mother in quite horrific detail...

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I think that part was a turning point for Cao before then he had done nothing truly evil, I don't believe he was in fact evil, his paranoia that kept him alive is the same that made him so brutal. But that's what I love about the Three Kingdoms books, they paint no-one in black or white, anything they do they have reasons (whether justified or not). This movie may not be accurate but definitely worth a watch if you've read the books (I'm currently half way through the 3rd).

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