The Flying Dagger, written and directed by Chang Cheh, takes its homage to filmmaker Akira Kurosawa quite seriously and opens with a monochrome romp in the reed fields as two lovers take some time to enjoy each other. It’s tastefully done, but - because this is a wuxia film - is interrupted when a villainous stranger approaches the couple, knocks the man away from the woman, and then proceeds to take the poor girl for his own.
Already, we see that Cheh is trying to shake things up: violence, rape, and a stylized black-and-white opening that remains unforgettable throughout this film’s running time as Cheng Pei-pei arrives to deal with the situation and kills the man responsible for the rape.
Unfortunately, he happens to be the head of the Green Dragon clan’s son. Uh-oh.
The Flying Dagger is something different and it doesn’t always work, especially when the romance takes flight and grounds one of our characters. But, at least Cheh is trying to incorporate some new things in the genre. Alongside some very strong tracking shots, we also get a whole lot of daggers as the Green Dragon clan forces Pei-pei’s family into hiding.
Starring Cheng Pei Pei, Lo Lieh, Yeung Chi Hing, Cheng Lui, Shum Lo, and Cheng Miu, The Flying Dagger was held back a couple of years as it was filmed concurrently with The Golden Swallow, but that matters little as both films are solidly executed thanks to some great writing and a cast which is all in. Even if this film gets bogged down with a romance toward the finale, this is still some good stuff from Cheh.
Is there anyone as badass as Lo Lieh? Here, he absolutely dominates the screen in his performance of the wandering swordsman Ying Qing, because he gives us no clue as to his allegiance. It makes for a challenging position for the audience as we are never quite sure of him, but he does combat those flying daggers quite well and constantly saves the day, but his target seems to be Pei-pei’s body. Hmmm.
The movie - now on 1080p - is only one in Shout Factory’s incredible Shaw Brothers Classics Vol. 1 set. This spectacular box set comprises 11 classic martial arts films from the famous Shaw Brothers' library, featuring some of their greatest stars Jimmy Wang Yu (One-Armed Swordsman), Cheng Pei-pei (Come Drink With Me), Lo Lieh (King Boxer), Ku Feng (The Five Venoms), and David Chiang (The Boxer From Shantung). Many of these films are debuting for the first time on Blu-ray.
Can you safely duck and dodge Chih-Ching Ling’s flying daggers? Few can. Find out and watch The Flying Dagger, now on blu-ray from Shout! Factory.
Home Video Distributor: Shout Factory
Available on Blu-ray - June 13, 2023
Screen Formats: 2.35:1
Subtitles: English
Audio: Mandarin: DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 Mono; English: DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 Mono
Discs: Blu-ray Disc; 11-disc set
Region Encoding: Locked to Region A
Godfather of the kung fu film, director Chang Cheh is famous for introducing the revolutionary concept of "yanggang" (macho) martial arts movies. Until then, female stars (often in male swordsman roles) ruled the screens. This collaboration between him and swordswoman supreme Cheng Pei-pei is exceptional indeed. Cheng could hold her own with any man, freeing Chang to create the best of all possible martial arts worlds.
Video
Presented in a 2.35:1 aspect ratio, The Flying Dagger gets its hands bloody and never once rinses its sword as beauty is birthed in this same blood, all with its audience in mind. The poetry on display comes through in the lush fields, the crispness of the interiors and the haunting exteriors, and the sudden violence which echoes throughout the film, including its big finale in which a lone figure takes down all manner of soldiers. Black levels are strong throughout, bringing out nice details in both the loud and quiet moments of this epic adventure. The night and rain-drenched scenes included here are truly rich with layers and those tracking shots are glorious to behold in 1080p.
Audio
For this release, viewers get a satisfying uncompressed Mandarin and English original mono audio. There are optional English subtitles.
Supplements:
Get ready for some exciting thrills and chills with these bonus features!
Commentary:
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There is a new commentary delivered by Frank Djeng of the New York Asian Film Festival. It is quite informative.
Special Features:
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NEW Audio Commentary with Frank Djeng of the New York Asian Film Festival
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Celestial Trailer
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Composite Blu-ray Grade
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MPAA Rating: Unrated.
Runtime: 103 mins
Director: Cheh Chang
Writer: Cheh Chang; Chi-Shan Li
Cast: Pei-Pei Cheng; Lieh Lo; Lei Cheng
Genre: Acttion | Drama
Tagline:
Memorable Movie Quote:
Distributor: Shaw Brothers
Official Site:
Release Date:
DVD/Blu-ray Release Date: June 19, 1969
Synopsis: A wandering swordsman protects a family from the wrath of a clan chief.
