#825: HU, King: A Touch Of Zen (1971)
HU, King (Taiwan)
Based on the Ming Dynasty short story Xianü from Strange Stories from a Chinese Studio by Pu Song-ling.
All the elements of the short story are present in this 1971 wuxia masterpiece by director King Hu, absent the homosexual relationship between Gu Sheng-zhai (the amazing Shih Chun) and Ouyang Nian (Tien Peng).
The Booklet
Interview 2
A Touch Of Zen [1971]
Spine #825
Blu-ray
Blu-ray
"Visionary" barely begins to describe this masterpiece of Chinese cinema and martial arts moviemaking. A Touch of Zen (Xia nu) by King Hu depicts the journey of Yang, a fugitive noblewoman in disguise who seeks refuge in a remote, and allegedly haunted, village. The sanctuary she and her three companions find with a shy scholar is shattered when a nefarious swordsman uncovers her identity, pitting the five 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.
180 minutes
Color
Color
Monaural
in Mandarin
2:35:1 aspect ratio
Criterion Release 2016
Director/Writer
King Hu was 40 when he wrote and directed A Touch of Zen.
Other Hu films in the Collection:
#937: Dragon Inn (1966)
The Film
#937: Dragon Inn (1966)
The Film
Imperial Seal of Ming Dynasty 1368-1444
And how many wuxias have you seen where there is no fighting until an hour or so into the picture? For that matter, how many films of this genre have no dialogue whatsoever for the first five minutes? Just spider webs …
A Touch of Zen is unique in so many ways — and can rightly be claimed as the grandfather of such films as Ang Lee’s Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon.
Over two years in the making, Hu oversaw nearly every aspect of the filmmaking process — the actors helped him build the Jing Lu Fort set, took martial arts training in the morning and acting lessons in the afternoon.
Filming at the abandoned fort was postponed for a full year in order to let the weeds yellow again. Hu was more than a perfectionist — he planned every shot (using elaborate storyboards he drew himself) and coaxed the actors into magnificent performances sometimes involving simple twists of the head and the movement of the eyes.
Naturally, the film’s investors got nervous and took over the film from Hu. They spliced it into two parts (before the second part was even finished) and released it as a two-parter.
It bombed.
Then, in 1975, Hu re-assembled it into its present 180-minute form and it won a prestigious award at the Cannes Film Festival.
Finally, in the 1990’s, Hsu Feng (who plays Yang Hui-zhen, the female lead) — who by this time had become a successful producer (Chen Kaige’s masterpiece, Farewell My Concubine and Zhang Yimou’s Shanghai Triad, for example) — raised the funds to restore the nearly unwatchable print. Another invaluable save by the great film restoration industry.
Direction
Hu not only planned out every shot, he scoured the Taiwanese countryside for appropriate landscapes, which — like classical Chinese paintings — often used massive amounts of white/sky space which fills the frame and dwarfs his characters by design. There are long segments of such scenes with no dialogue and simple shots of smoky mountain terrain and boulders and dark caves.
Editing
As far back as Eisenstein, fast cutting as a technique to achieve a desired effect was part of the filmic vocabulary of many directors. But here, Hu uses it to enliven the fight scenes (with hidden trampolines providing the “flying” of the fighters) and to contrast the frequent long shots of landscape. The smooth editing overall makes a three-hour film eminently watchable without any boring let up.
Check out this one example of superb editing: the shots where Gu and Yang are about to hook up for the night. Eyes, head movements all filmed close — and then the embrace, clipped from the close-ups into a long shot! Magnificent!
Characters
We are introduced to Gu in a moody introduction to his opening up his painting stall in early morning. There is no rush. Soon, we meet his nagging mother, (Zhang Bing-yu), who plays a universally understood character.
Other beautifully sketched roles include Hang Ying-jie as Xu Xian-chun, the ultimate bad guy (he also served as the action choreographer) and the serene Abbot monk, Hui-yuan (Roy Chiao) …
The ending with the monk as Buddha is absolutely stunning!
Music
A great score never sticks its notes out too far — here, a completely Chinese orchestra, derived from the Opera, is used to great effect: drums, cymbals and zithers.
Hu was most likely the first Chinese director to make what we call today an “art film.” The fact that it can be seen in this pristine restoration is a thing to be thankful for.
Criterion — more Hu!
Film Rating (0-60):
56
The ExtrasThe Booklet
Eight-panel foldout poster with an essay by film scholar David Bordwell and notes by Hu from a 1975 Cannes Film Festival press kit.
Commentary
None.
Documentary
Commentary
None.
Documentary
From 2012 about director Hu.
Very informative, with interviews galore from seemingly everyone involved in Hu’s career.
Interview1
Interview1
With actors Feng and Chun.
They’ve hardly aged …
Interview 2
With filmmaker Ang Lee.
He seems reluctant to completely credit Hu with such a great influence on his own, mega-hit wuxia (CT, HD) — but he does acknowledge the bamboo forest scene as an important influence to his top-of-trees segment in CT,HD …
Interview 3
With film scholar Tony Rayns.
Any interview or commentary with Rayns is a joyous pleasure. He dispenses jewels of knowledge about the subject matter without wandering away too far — and makes the subject matter shine. A master film critic.
Trailer
Extras Rating (0-40):
Any interview or commentary with Rayns is a joyous pleasure. He dispenses jewels of knowledge about the subject matter without wandering away too far — and makes the subject matter shine. A master film critic.
Trailer
Extras Rating (0-40):
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