Although it has fictional elements, I'd like to recommend Red Cliff. It's as beautiful as you see in the trailer with lots of action, strategy, along with some drama and intrigue.
I'd watch the full version rather than the abridged one. I.e. you'll have part 1 and 2. Amazon has a Blu Ray for $13.39. This is the one I purchased and you should see this in Blu Ray.
It's an interesting story and it has truly excellent strategy while presenting a good background about the early days of China. I'm personally not terribly familiar with it but movies like this and Hero made me want to look into it. Sure, it's a lot of fun but considering how the characters are based on some history, you can look it up while watching the movie.