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

ADDITION: Metrograph Pictures Blu-ray (December 2023): Metrograph have also transferred Tsai Ming-Liang's "Goodbye, Dragon Inn" ("Bú sàn", 2003) to Blu-ray. disc from Metrograph Pictures. It is advertised as a "4K Restoration by CINEMATEK, the Royal Film Archive of Belgium.".

There 1080P compares favorably with Second Run's 2020 1080P transfer. It's slightly darker and tighter showing the same rounded corners. If forced, I'd say that Metrograph Pictures Blu-ray image quality, with a max'ed out bitrate (30% higher), is superior.

NOTE: We have added 30 more large resolution Blu-ray captures (in lossless PNG format) for DVDBeaver Patrons HERE

The audio - also offering lossless 5.1 and stereo tracks, is marginally more robust at 24-bits for the surround. As Colin stated in the below review: "As Tsai Ming-Liang mentions in his 36-minute interview on (the Second Run) Blu-ray disc, the sound mixing was very key to the mood of "Goodbye, Dragon Inn". And Du Tuu-Chih accomplishes the Herculean task of combining the film's haunting and echoing sounds alongside the sounds of 1967's "Dragon Inn". The closing song "Affection" was written by Hattori Ryoichi (he wrote songs for many Hong Kong movies in the 60s). "Metrograph Pictures add optional English subtitle translations on this Region 'A'-locked Blu-ray.

Metrograph add a new commentary by Phoebe Chen who talks about King Hu's 1967 Dragon Inn ("Long men kezhan") imbedded into Tsai Ming-liang’s Goodbye, Dragon Inn with sequences of it playing throughout. This is the first commentary I recall hearing from her. Phoebe is a New York-based writer, teacher, and researcher from China and Australia who has written about movies, books, etc. for publications like Artforum, The Nation, The New York Review of Books, Aperture, Film Comment, Criterion, and she is currently a PhD student at NYU. She talks about perspectives in Goodbye, Dragon Inn - of different characters, and Tsai disinterest in conventional point-of-view. Phoebe identifies the director's cameo in the film as an audience member, discusses the director's common theme of rain and water, framing devices and much more referencing his other films - notably What Time is It There? and it's connection to Goodbye, Dragon Inn. It's a very good commentary - fairly dense - so you may require multiple listens to digest all she is exporting. This really adds value to the Metrograph . We also get a 7-minute introduction by film critic Nick Pinkerton who wrote, in 2001, Goodbye, Dragon Inn: 1 (Decadent Editions). He see Goodbye, Dragon Inn as a modern classic - a film haunted by the ghosts and portents of a culture in flux. Included is the 18-minute short Light made by Tsai Ming-liang in 2019. It follows the feature about the theater-going experience with static shots around the venue, with music later that gives the theatre a human quality.

So, both Blu-ray editions (Second Run and Metrograph) have immense value. The scales will tip to the US release with slightly superior a/v, the edifying Phoebe Chen commentary, Pinkerton introduction and the director's short. A pure 'slow cinema' classic with long, deliberate, takes and elegant, conscious, rhythms. Tsai considers it one of his best films. Me too. Strongly recommend to own Goodbye, Dragon Inn in your, world cinema, digital library.        

***

ADDITION: Second Run Blu-ray (November 2020): Tsai Ming-Liang's "Goodbye, Dragon Inn" ("Bú sàn", 2003) is presented in a new 4K restoration. The older SD DVD releases pale in comparison to this new dual-layered Blu-ray disc from Second Run. Not only is there more detail and grain visible in every shot, the slightly brighter image shows more information in what were once blocky uniform black shadows. The image is now in the 1.85:1 aspect ratio, opening up the sides of the frames while leaving the top and bottom more or less identical. The moderately high bitrate allows for a consistent image quality, while colors have a deeper spectrum now (though at moments can lean a little teal/magenta). Second Run's Blu-ray is positively worth the remarkable upgrade over the past DVDs.

NOTE: We have added 10 more large resolution Blu-ray captures (in lossless PNG format) for DVDBeaver Patrons HERE

Second Run's new Blu-ray of "Goodbye, Dragon Inn" contains not one, but two audio track options. The original soundtrack is available in 16-bit 5.1 surround DTS-HD Master Audio and 2.0 channel 24-bit stereo linear PCM. As Tsai Ming-Liang mentions in his 36-minute interview on this Blu-ray disc, the sound mixing was very key to the mood of "Goodbye, Dragon Inn". And Du Tuu-Chih accomplishes the Herculean task of combining the film's haunting and echoing sounds alongside the sounds of 1967's "Dragon Inn". The closing song "Affection" was written by Hattori Ryoichi (he wrote songs for many Hong Kong movies in the 60s). There are new and improved English subtitle translations on this Region 'Free' Blu-ray from Second Run.

Director Tsai Ming-Liang sits for a 36-minute interview discussing, "Goodbye, Dragon Inn". I have long been a fan of Tsai's work, and to hear him speak at length about this film is a real pleasure. The director covers many topics surrounding the film, including its original conceptions (intended a medium-length film as half of a diptych, though both films ended up being too long) as well as the film's location (Fu-ho) dictating the structure and formation of the film. Tsai also talks of bringing 1967's "Dragon Inn" actors Miao Tien and Shih Chun back to be filmed watching their early screen appearances in an almost empty theatre. The director then talks of the 2-week production, and what many talents various crew members brought to the table. A later story has Tsai recalling that this is one of (my other favorite 'slow-cinema' director), Apichatpong Weerasethakul's favorite films, and that it brought him to tears during his first viewing. Tsai tells of a rather nasty newspaper cartoon re. his film that I won't spoil here. I wish that this 36-minute interview could have gone on for days. Tsai Ming-Liang is quite eloquent, and his informative context doesn't take away from the film's ambiguities or multiple possible readings. The other interesting feature here is the world home-video premiere of 2009's 37-minute "Madam Butterfly". Tsai’s modern-day interpretation of the classic story is worth a watch. This Second Run Blu-ray release also includes a booklet featuring the essays "Haunted" by curator and critic Tony Rayns, plus a personal appreciation by filmmaker Apichatpong Weerasethakul.

This 4K restoration of Tsai Ming-Liang's "Goodbye, Dragon Inn" (or at least the 2019 Venice festival screening) was approved by the director himself, according to the included interview. The visuals on display put the older SD DVD releases to shame. Fans of the film (myself included) can appreciate the even better sound mixing, here in both the surround audio and stereo. The extras are few but precious, as the interview with Tsai is worth the price of admission alone. This Blu-ray is highly recommended to fellow 'slow cinema' fans.

Colin Zavitz