The Blade - The Criterion Collection

Among the boldest accomplishments of Hong Kong cinema's golden age, this uniquely visceral martial-arts movie puts a gritty new spin on the story of the one-armed swordsman, an iconic figure from the moment he was introduced by the Shaw Brothers studio in 1967. Composed in a whirlwind of immersive close-ups and fractured editing, The Blade follows the young sword-maker Ding On (Vincent Zhao), who, after losing an arm in an ambush, transforms himself into a furious avenger. With its intentionally disorienting stylization and starkly brutal tone, The Blade was a rare commercial disappointment for Tsui Hark, but it has since been reclaimed as one of the director's most radical visions - a tour de force of action expressionism, and a scathing reappraisal of the wuxia genre's code of masculinity, that achieves a feverish intensity.

Special Features

Bonus Footage, Commentary: Frank Djeng (Hong Kong cinema expert), Documentaries: 'Action et Vérité' (2006), Video essay by Taylor Ramos and Tony Zhou (filmmakers); New York Asian Film Festival Q&A with Tsui Hark from 2011; International version opening and end credits; Essay by Lisa Morton (author); New cover by Oliver Barrett, Trailers

Actors: Vincent Zhao

Audio Languages: Mandarin chinese, English

Duration: 105 minutes

Number of Discs: 2

Subtitle Languages: English

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