The movie was one of the costly Martial Arts films of its day, spending a large amount of money on the design and building of villages, circa the Ming Dynasty era. Hu’s blend of quick modifying, slow-movement, and difficult sensible battle choreography would influence films for decades to come back. A Touch of Zen was filmmaker King Hu’s epic 3 1/2 hour martial arts extravaganza that became a cult hit, however was granted newfound respect when Criterion launched the totally restored version in 2016. Critics and Martial Arts fans have been re-introduced to the story of a woman who teams up with a zen painter and Buddhist monks to struggle a corrupt authorities. The Yangs are a well-known family of troopers in the service of the government but are betrayed by a authorities official conspiring with the Mongols.
In China, the modern history of martial arts begins in the Nanjing … Read More