KING HU: A TOUCH OF ZEN (1971)
A TOUCH OF ZEN opens Friday, April 22 at Film Forum in NY and on May 27th at Cinefamily in Los Angeles, with national rollout to follow.
This classic has been restored and is being released by the Criterion Collection, accompanied with an initial theatrical release starting at Film Forum in NYC. I will watch it shortly and publish my comments here. The Criterion blurb inf:.
Taiwan
1971
180 minutes
Color
2.35:1
Mandarin
Spine #825
"Visionary" barely begins to describe this masterpiece of Chinese cinema and martial arts moviemaking. A Touch of Zen by King Hu depicts the journey of Yang (Hsu Feng), a fugitive noblewoman who seeks refuge in a remote, and allegedly haunted, village. The sanctuary she finds with a shy scholar and two aides in disguise is shattered when a nefarious swordsman uncovers her identity, pitting the four against legions of blade-wielding opponents. At once a wuxia film, the tale of a spiritual quest, and a study in human nature, A Touch of Zen is an unparalleled work in Hu’s formidable career and an epic of the highest order,
characterized by breathtaking action choreography, stunning widescreen landscapes, and innovative editing.
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Disc Features
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.New 4K digital restoration, with uncompressed monaural soundtrack on the Blu-ray
.Documentary from 2012 about director King Hu
.New interviews with actors Hsu Feng and Shih Chun
.New interview with filmmaker Ang Lee
.New interview with film scholar Tony Rayns
.Trailer
.New English subtitle translation
.PLUS: An essay by film scholar David Bordwell and notes by Hu from a 1975 Cannes Film Festival press kit
New cover by Greg Ruth
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