Dragon Inn (1967) (DVD) (The Criterion Collection) (English Subtitled) (US Version)

Actors: Shih Chun;Bai Ying;Shangkuan Ling-fung
Directors: King Hu
Format: Color, Widescreen, NTSC
Language: Mandarin Chinese
Subtitles: English
Region: Region 1 (U.S. and Canada only. Read more about DVD formats.)
Number of discs: 1
Rated:
NR
Not Rated
Studio: Criterion Collection
DVD Release Date: July 10, 2018
Run Time: 111 minutes

The art of martial-arts filmmaking took a leap into bold new territory with this action-packed tale of Ming-dynasty intrigue. After having the emperor’s minister of defense executed, a power-grabbing eunuch sends assassins to trail the victim’s children to a remote point on the northern Chinese border. But that bloodthirsty mission is confounded by a mysterious group of fighters who arrive on the scene, intent on delivering justice and defending the innocent. The first film King Hu made after moving to Taiwan from Hong Kong in search of more creative freedom, Dragon Inn combines rhythmic editing, meticulous choreography, and gorgeous widescreen compositions with a refinement that was new to the wuxia genre. Its blockbuster success breathed new life into a classic formula and established Hu as one of Chinese cinema’s most audacious innovators.