AllMovie

A man rises up to lead his people in a brave and risky struggle for freedom in this epic-scale historical drama. Mouna Rudo (Ching-tai Lin) was born and raised among the Seediq people, an indigenous tribe in Taiwan, and as he grew to be a man he became a member of the Seediq Bale, a courageous band of native warriors. However, Rudo's way of life is threatened under the yoke of occupying forces from Japan, who took over the nation in 1895. As Rudo sees the traditions and honor of his people stripped away, he realizes the time has come to fight back, and in 1930 he brings together a group of former Seediq Bale soldiers, many of whom have been reduced to infighting, and molds them into a revolutionary army. Rudo and his comrades make their stand when they confront Japanese occupation troops at a youth athletic event, leading to a violent confrontation between the Seediq forces and their oppressors. Written and directed by Wei Te-Sheng, Saideke Balai (aka Warriors of the Rainbow: Seediq Bale) was the most expensive film ever produced in Taiwan at the time of its release; it debuted in Taiwan in a two-part, four-hour edition, while a 150-minute cut for international distribution was screened at the 2011 Toronto International Film Festival.