Considered by many to be one of the all-time greats of wu xia and Hong Kong cinema, King Hu's A Touch Of Zen is without a doubt, an absolute classic!
Taking almost 3 years to complete, the film is beautifully shot, with some incredible lighting, that takes the viewer on a visual journey lasting 3 hours, with every scene filled with colour, drama, intrigue, and action.
Heavily influenced by his peers of early Japanese cinema, King Hu's epic is told in 3 parts weaving together the makings of a ghost story, political intrigue, romance and martial arts with the first focusing on artist Ku (played by Shih Chun), who lives in a quiet little village where strangers are noticed and mysterious going-ons catch an interest. It is here he meets Yang (played by Hsu Feng), which leads to the second chapter...
As the pace picks up (near the one-hour mark), we learn of Yang's background as the first bout of action comes in to play. While what is on display would be typical of late 60's wu xia action, A Touch Of Zen manages to offer enough stylish choreography and new moves to make it stand out from the rest. The third chapter shifts gears again, with the addition of kung-fu monk played by the legendary Roy Chiao, and swordsman Pai Ying - star of many kung-fu and swordplay films from Taiwan in the seventies and eighties, as well as having starred in Hu's very own Dragon Gate Inn a couple of years before.
While extensively long for its time and as a wu xia movie, A Touch Of Zen rarely slows down or bores the audience offering plenty of tense drama and action, along with many stunning images shot on location. I've long been a fanof King Hu's swordplay movies, and A Touch Of Zen still stands strong as one of his best!
Keep an eye out for a young Jackie Chan and Lam Ching Ying as henchmen and stuntmen, and Sammo Hung in a more prominent role as a guard in the forest battle...
Overall: Worth a watch in 4K, A Touch Of Zen is a stunning piece if film-making as well as one of the finest from the Far East!
Heavily influenced by his peers of early Japanese cinema, King Hu's epic is told in 3 parts weaving together the makings of a ghost story, political intrigue, romance and martial arts with the first focusing on artist Ku (played by Shih Chun), who lives in a quiet little village where strangers are noticed and mysterious going-ons catch an interest. It is here he meets Yang (played by Hsu Feng), which leads to the second chapter...
As the pace picks up (near the one-hour mark), we learn of Yang's background as the first bout of action comes in to play. While what is on display would be typical of late 60's wu xia action, A Touch Of Zen manages to offer enough stylish choreography and new moves to make it stand out from the rest. The third chapter shifts gears again, with the addition of kung-fu monk played by the legendary Roy Chiao, and swordsman Pai Ying - star of many kung-fu and swordplay films from Taiwan in the seventies and eighties, as well as having starred in Hu's very own Dragon Gate Inn a couple of years before.
While extensively long for its time and as a wu xia movie, A Touch Of Zen rarely slows down or bores the audience offering plenty of tense drama and action, along with many stunning images shot on location. I've long been a fanof King Hu's swordplay movies, and A Touch Of Zen still stands strong as one of his best!
Keep an eye out for a young Jackie Chan and Lam Ching Ying as henchmen and stuntmen, and Sammo Hung in a more prominent role as a guard in the forest battle...
Overall: Worth a watch in 4K, A Touch Of Zen is a stunning piece if film-making as well as one of the finest from the Far East!