Criterion in the USA has announced the release of the Tsui Hark-directed The Blade, starring Vincent Zhou on 4K UHD and Blu-Ray.
The Blade is a gritty, down-to-earth take on the traditional wuxia genre. The story follows Ding-on, a young blacksmith who loses an arm after being betrayed and left for dead. Through intense physical suffering and emotional isolation, he forges a new fighting style built around a single blade, driven by survival and revenge rather than honour or glory.
A bold, violent, and emotionally raw martial arts film featuring swordplay, The Blade stands out as a landmark example of how Tsui Hark pushed genre boundaries.
Special Features –
- New 4K digital restoration, with uncompressed monaural soundtrack
- One 4K UHD disc of the film presented in Dolby Vision HDR and one Blu-ray with the film and special features
- New audio commentary featuring Hong Kong cinema expert and producer Frank Djeng
- Action et vérité (2006), a documentary featuring director Tsui Hark, coscreenwriter Koan Hui, and actor Xiong Xin-xin
- New video essay by filmmakers Taylor Ramos and Tony Zhou (Every Frame a Painting)
- New York Asian Film Festival Q&A with Tsui from 2011
- Alternate English-dubbed track
- English version opening and end credits
- Trailer
- New English subtitle translation
- PLUS: An essay by author Lisa Morton
- New cover by Oliver Barrett
Many fans will be pleased to see this new release, as the previous DVD release was barebones and had poor subtitles. See original trailer below.