Disc:

Video (both):

Audio:

LPCM Audio Chinese 1152 kbps 1.0 / 48 kHz / 1152 kbps / 24-bit

• Archival newsreel footage from the film’s première (1:45)
• Trailer (1:53)
• Hostel Forces, a new video essay by critic David Cairns (15:21)
• 36-PAGE BOOKLET featuring vintage writing on the film by critic Tony Rayns; a testimonial about King Hu by Tsui Hark; an analysis of Hu’s style by Edmond Wong; the eight characteristics of “the inn” in King Hu’s films and archival images

DVD included

• New interview with actor Shangkuan Ling-fung (10:29)
• Interview from 2016 with actor Shih Chun (10:59)
• New scene analysis by author and New York Asian Film Festival cofounder Grady Hendrix (25:41)
• Newsreel footage of the film’s 1967 premiere in Taipei, Taiwan (1:50)
• Trailer (1:59)
PLUS: An essay by critic Andrew Chan

Bitrate:

 

 

The Film:

1967's "Dragon Inn" ("Long men kezhan" in Mandarin, also known as "Dragon Gate Inn") is kind of a big deal. It's the first film that director King Hu did in Taiwan after leaving Shaw Brothers, in many ways jump-starting that country's film industry. It's been remade and referenced, and its DNA shows up in many movies beyond Hu's "inn films". And most importantly, it's a terrific wuxia film in it's own right.

Minister of Defense Wu Chien has just been executed, thanks in part to lies spread by eunuch Tsao Shao-chin (Bai Ying), who controls both the secretive Eastern Agency and Palace Guards. The Emperor has allowed Wu's family to live in exile, but Tsao figures this will just lead to revenge, and when the first attempt to assassinate them fails, he dispatches the agencies' top swordsmen, Pi Hsiao-tang (Miao Tien) and Mao Tsung-hsien (Han Ying-chieh) to Dragon Gate, when the Wus will cross into Mongolia. They commandeer the local inn, but others also arrive ahead of the Wus: Hsiao Shao-tzu (Shih Chun), a friend of innkeeper Wu Ning (Cho Kin) is first, and then travelers Mr. Chu (Hsieh Han) and Ms. Chu (Polly Shang-kuan) - and the more justice-minded new arrivals have considerable skills with the sword themselves.

When it comes to martial arts films, 1967 was a huge, formative year. The first mega-hit of the genre, The One-Armed Swordsman, made Jimmy Wang Yu a star and cemented director Chang Cheh as the genre’s leading visionary. Just a few months after the release of that film, director King Hu, having recently left the Shaw Brothers after creative differences on Come Drink with Me, unleashed Dragon Inn. As an independent film out of Taiwan it may not have had the budget or the clout of the Shaw Brothers studio behind it, but Dragon Inn is arguably more well-known than almost all the 1960s martial arts films from the Shaw studio. I knew all this going into Dragon Inn, and even with an incredible amount of historical hype behind it, Dragon Inn wowed me with its cinematic artistry and an ahead-of-its-time ability to craft thrilling martial arts sequences through editing.

The story of Dragon Inn is a well-known one, but that doesn’t impede the film’s ability to enthrall. The government is corrupt and controlled by devious eunuchs, and our story begins as Zhao Shao Qin, a eunuch with unparalleled power, orders the execution of General Yu, a good man who was framed. Yu’s family is sent to the remote outpost of Dragon Gate, where Zhao has plans to murder them far from the watchful eyes of civilization. He sends a delegation of his most powerful soldiers to await the family’s arrival at the inn, but thankfully there’s a few people at Dragon Gate still loyal to General Yu and his resilient spirit.

Excerpt from Silver Emulsion located HERE

Image :    NOTE: The below Blu-ray captures were taken directly from the Blu-ray disc.

King Hu's Dragon Inn is sweeeeet on Blu-ray from The Masters of Cinema group in the UK. The restoration of this film is part of the "Taiwan Film Classics Digital Restoration and Value-Adding Project" commissioned by the Ministry of Culture to Chinese Taipei Film Archive in 2013. The 1080P transfer is dual-layered with a max'ed out bitrate and supports the film's textures beautifully in the original 2.35:1 aspect ratio. Colors are deep and tight and depth is frequently apparent. This Blu-ray offers a rich, mesmerizing 1080P presentation with exceptional contrast. I was thrilled with the presentation!

The Criterion is advertised as "New 4K digital restoration, supervised by cinematographer Hua Hui-ying". The Criterion restoration is also part of the "Taiwan Film Classics Digital Restoration and Value-Adding Project" commissioned by the Ministry of Culture to Chinese Taipei Film Archive in 2013. Like the Masters of Cinema it is on a dual-layered disc with a max'ed out bitrate. The Criterion colors are a shade richer, black levels deeper and the visuals are exported slightly more crisply. You can even see it in the un-expanded captures below. The UK might show more texture but the Criterion is a step up in detail and there is a slight variance in the frame with the MoC looking marginally vertically stretched. You would have to have quite the discerning system to identify significant variance.    

CLICK EACH BLU-RAY CAPTURE TO SEE ALL IMAGES IN FULL 1920X1080 RESOLUTION

1) Masters of Cinema  - Region 'B' - Blu-ray - TOP 2) Criterion - Region 'A' - Blu-ray - BOTTOM

1) Masters of Cinema  - Region 'B' - Blu-ray - TOP 2) Criterion - Region 'A' - Blu-ray - BOTTOM

1) Masters of Cinema  - Region 'B' - Blu-ray - TOP 2) Criterion - Region 'A' - Blu-ray - BOTTOM

1) Masters of Cinema  - Region 'B' - Blu-ray - TOP 2) Criterion - Region 'A' - Blu-ray - BOTTOM

1) Masters of Cinema  - Region 'B' - Blu-ray - TOP 2) Criterion - Region 'A' - Blu-ray - BOTTOM

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The audio is transferred via a linear PCM 1.0 channel mono channel track at 1152 kbps. The film's sounds are a unique blend - but common, I suppose, to the Wuxia genre with smashing cracks of violent kicks and punches and a dynamic score by Lan-Ping Chow and, un-credited, Ta Chiang Wu. It is very Spaghetti western-esque at times. In David Cairns Hostel Forces video essay supplement he appropriately remarks that the music occasionally sounds like "a needle dropping on vinyl - paving the way for Quentin Tarantino's mashups." It is odd, but no doubt accurate to the film's original production - even the squeaky high-end must surely be part of the presentation. There are optional English subtitles and my Oppo has identified it as being a region 'B'-locked.

Criterion have the same audio transfer - a linear PCM mono track, in original Mandarin, 24-bit. I couldn't notice any difference. The Criterion also offers optional English subtitles and their Blu-ray is Region 'A'-locked.

Extras :

There is some poor quality archival newsreel footage from the film’s première in Taipei and a new MoC trailer but the best digital supplement is a 15-minute video essay, entitled, Hostel Forces, by critic David Cairns. He gives a brief history of Hu's work evoking Sergio Leone, Hitchcock, Charlton Heston's entrance in El Cid etc. finding supportive references in Dragon Inn. He talks about the camera angles, one-dimensional characters and is amused by the frequent conflict set-ups and facial expressions. It's wonderful and I only wish it was longer. The package contains a 36-page liner notes booklet featuring vintage writing on the film by critic Tony Rayns; a testimonial about King Hu by Tsui Hark; an analysis of Hu’s style by Edmond Wong; the eight characteristics of “the inn” in King Hu’s films and archival images. Being dual-format we also get a, second disc, DVD.

Criterion include a new 10-minute interview with actor Shangkuan Ling-fung recalling her work on Dragon Inn with director King Hu. There is also an 11-minute interview from 2016 with actor Shih Chun detailing the actor’s experiences making Dragon Inn. I enjoyed the 25-minute new scene analysis by author and New York Asian Film Festival cofounder Grady Hendrix. She discusses director King Hu’s aesthetic sensibility via analysis of a scene from Dragon Inn. WE also get a short video of Newsreel footage of the film’s 1967 premiere in Taipei, Taiwan showing the cultural impact of Dragon Inn upon its release. There is also a trailer and the package has a booklet with an essay by critic Andrew Chan.

Masters of Cinema  - Region 'B' - Blu-ray

 

Criterion - Region 'A' - Blu-ray

 

BOTTOM LINE:
Dragon Inn is a film that added respectability to the Wuxia genre. King Hu is remarkable and his direction alone makes this a rewarding viewing. The film hardly needs my endorsement - this is a classic - looking and sounding as good as it ever will in digital - and the Masters of Cinema extras add even more value. This Blu-ray gets our highest recommendation! Don't miss this!

 

Gary Tooze

October 21st, 2015

June 7th, 2018

 

More Shaw Brothers-Martial Arts-Wushu or related films on Blu-ray reviewed (click review buttons to also see comparisons where applicable):