23 of 24 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A Masterpiece - But a Terrible DVD, June 5, 2005
This review is from: A Touch of Zen (DVD)
I went to see "A Touch of Zen" in the late seventies at the New York Film Festival. In all seriousness it was my greatest moviegoing experience in all my years as a moviegoer. I guess it's because whenever I saw a classic film like "Citizen Kane" or "The Bicycle Thief" or "The Godfather" or whatever, I was prepared to see something great.
But I was totally unprepared for this. I had never seen anything like it before. And when Hsu Feng suddenly revealed her ability to fight with this awe-inspired power and grace--not to mention bound like a gazelle--it hit me with all the beauty and magic of what movies can be. And it knocked me out to see a woman warrior like this.
Since then of course I've seen many films like this. "Crouching Tiger" quotes many films, but Ang Lee and James Schamus are fans of this one. But there is also "The Matrix" (the shot where Hsu Feng is revealed on the ceiling over the door) and of course, "House of Flying Daggers" - the scene in the bamboo forest is totally ripped off in that film. And of course, countless Hong Kong films. This was the bible.
And I also believe that the painstaking beauty of it's Leone-like compositions, it influenced the new generation of filmmakers like Zhang Yimou. Other directors of King Hu's time made four films a year. He spent three years on this.
But the thing to remember is that "A Touch of Zen" was completely done before CGI. Of course there is a lot of old-fashioned cinema trickery, but much of it is just plain old acrobatics.
So I was a little afraid to see what I would think of it decades later. What made the first time work was how unexpected it was. Anyway, I popped in a copy, just to check out how bad the copy was. I ended up watching the whole three hours, finishing at two am.
I've seen so many other films like this since, but it is still the best.
The copy is just like the ones you see in restoration videos, when they show you how the brilliant color has faded and there are all these scratches, etc. There is another version of this film that comes from a different company, it's available on Amazon.UK, but you would need an all-region player, which is of course illegal. It might end up being the same print anyway. There is another version I've seen at cinflix.com that has no subtitles.
One final note, I actually met King Hu on a Hollywood backlot in the eighties. He was trying to make a Hollywood film with producers Midge Sanford & Sarah Pillsbury ("Desperately Seeking Susan") I guess he was a little too early. I'm sure there would be a place for him now, but he passed on years ago.
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16 of 17 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
One of the best films ever made (in my opinion)., July 2, 2005
This review is from: A Touch of Zen (DVD)
A Touch of Zen is a magical film. I have never seen anything like this before (or since). A whimsical tale filled with vengence, redemption, honor and enlightenment. Everything about this film is a wonder to behold. King Hu wanted to make a movie that people will never forget once they saw it. All I can say is that he accomplished what he set out to do. Originally this movie was over six hours long.
The studio forced him to edit it down to three hours. To hell with "Crouching Tiger..." You want to see a real mystical martial arts/asian zen film then this is the one!
However the DVD presentation is not that spectacular. A classic like this one deserves better. But despite it's flaws this is one movie you need to see! Watch out for a young Sammo Hung, Yuen Wah and Yuen Biao!!
Highest recommendation possible, one of the essentials.
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12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
SIMPLE, ELEGANT MIX OF CHINESE PHILOSOPHY, INCREDIBLE UNSPOILED SCENERY AND ACTION, July 24, 2006
This review is from: A Touch of Zen (DVD)
In the first ten minutes I thought it was just okay;
then it did nothing but get better for the next 177 minutes. Director King Hu was a visionary;no wonder so many contemporary movies have explicitly and liberally lifted his ideas.
Unlike so many martial arts' movies, character reigns;
the plot is intricate, evolving and and motivates the action.
And the natural locations make me want to take a very long walk around China. A feeling of reality and naturalness prevails in every scene.
If you buy this, and you should, read the bio of King Hu Jing-Chaun; amazing what he's done and the lasting impact of his work. His genius really shines in Touch of Zen.
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