In which an abacus becomes a weapon!
Inviting a muscle-strapped cat named the ‘Spearman’ (Lung Tung Sheng) to a peace party is not a good idea. Okay, sure, the various members of the ‘Iron Flag’ clan have their reasons not to trust the criminal-minded ‘Eagles’, but the strongarm they hired is not going to ease the tension here in director Chang Cheh’s The Flag of Iron. It’s a tale of cross and double-cross as deadly speartips silence both the leaders in the resulting opening battle . . .
And no one knows who is responsible!
Featuring Kuo Chui as 'Iron Leopard' Lo Hsin, Chiang Sheng as 'Iron Monkey' Yuan Lang, Wang Li as Kao Tung, and Lu Feng as 'Iron Tiger' Tsao Feng, The Flag of Iron is yet another cult classic from the house that Shaw Brothers built. It is one hell of a rumble when family feuds turn deadly and become violent spectacles of acrobatic fights with supremely cool weapons - one poor victim gets impaled on a tree! - as brothers are pitted against each other . . .
. . . with spear-tipped flags!
Extremely well-choreographed by Kuo Chue, Lu Feng, and Chang Sheng, The Flag of Iron, once all the talking and boasting is over, earns its marks as a highly kinetic bloodbath, mixing old school martial arts with some new approaches in storytelling and, thanks to cinematographer Cho Wai-Kei, the results are top-notch. There are moments for all the actors to shine - even some of the supporting actors are given choice scenes of blood-dripping violence - but this is probably due to the lack of all the Venom Mob, which might disappoint some viewers expecting to see them appear.
But Cheh was always after fresh faces for his costumed fight fetishes.
Unfortunately, what keeps The Flag of Iron from being a classic example of wuxia are its pacing issues. There are a lot of arguments between the siblings in the clans and that drags the movie into drama-rama land . . . which, if you’re only in it for the costumed fights and the glorious use of secret weapons, is a bit of a trial to get through. As a result, the movie is probably 30-minutes too long.
Yet all is forgiven when the fights come into view. They. Are. Amazing.
The Flag of Iron is now on blu-ray, complete with a new HD remaster from the original 35mm negative, from 88 Films.
Home Video Distributor: 88 Films
Available on Blu-ray - February 8, 2022
Screen Formats: 2.35:1
Subtitles: English
Audio: English: DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 Mono; Mandarin: DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 Mono
Discs: Blu-ray Disc; single disc
Region Encoding: Locked to Region A
Another cult classic from the Shaw Brothers Studio, The Flag of Iron is a quintessential Hong Kong tale of rivals, betrayal and family feuds. When the master of the Iron Flag clan is killed by a mysterious assassin known only as Spearman, it sets off an explosive chain of events which pits two brothers against each other in an action-packed adventure of fist-flying fury.
Video
88 Films brings The Flag of Iron to Blu-ray with an AVC encoded 1080p with an aspect ratio of 2.35:1. Interiors are strong. Colors don’t exactly pop throughout, but it is the blood effects - burning bright in the transfer - which seal the deal. It’s full of great atmosphere thanks to the quick-footed script and looks visually eye-popping due to the 1080-upgrade. Black levels are strong throughout, bringing out nice details in both the loud and quiet moments.
Audio
Fans get the original Mandarin and English lossless mono audio, with new English translations.
Supplements:
Commentary:
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There’s a new commentary with Asian cinema experts Mike Leeder and Arne Venema
Special Features:
Outside of the new commentary, there is the reversible sleeve with brand-new artwork from R.P. “Kung Fu Bob” O’Brien and the original Hong Kong poster artwork to satisfy collectors.
- Restored HD Master in 2.35:1 Aspect Ratio
- English LPCM Mono & Mandarin LPCM Mono 2.0
- Newly Translated English Subtitles
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Composite Blu-ray Grade
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MPAA Rating: R.
Runtime: 113 mins
Director: Che Chang
Writer: Che Chang; Kuang Ni
Cast: Phillip Chung-Fung Kwok; Sheng Chiang; Li Wang
Genre: Action | Drama
Tagline:
Memorable Movie Quote:
Theatrical Distributor: Shaw Brothers
Official Site: https://88-films.myshopify.com/products/the-flag-of-iron-88-asia-29?_pos=1&_psq=the+flag+of+iron&_ss=e&_v=1.0
Release Date: February 1984
DVD/Blu-ray Release Date: February 8, 2022
Synopsis: When director Chang Chen found new talent and blood with "The Five Venoms" actors, most of which were trained in the highly acrobatic Chinese opera and well versed with exotic martial arts weapons, this crated a new spark for his use of bizarre weapons in his films.
