Battles on (and below) bridges! Awesome swordplay in familiar Shaw Brothers’ sets! Nunchuck stabbings! And the fabulous Chen Ping kicking all sorts of ass as The Bloody Hibiscus! The Vengeful Beauty, director Ho Meng-hua’s follow-up after the smashing success of The Flying Guillotine, might be steeped in some old-school wuxia but it is a wonderful addition to the Shaw Brothers’ catalog.
Fans even get, thanks to the bravery of Siu Yam-Yam, an epic topless fight after her failed attempt at seduction! Let’s face it, when females lead wuxia films with characters that are smartly written, everybody wins. Written by On Szeto, The Vengeful Beauty is an absolutely remarkable journey through the dark heart of revenge as one fearless woman stabs her way back to the evil man responsible for her grief . . . while pregnant!
By day, Rong Qiu Yan is the loving wife to the imperial officer Han Tian De (Lee Chung-Ling), but - when night rolls around - she’s all about justice. But her quest for justice hits home the hardest when the ruthless emperor - who wants to keep his flying guillotine soldiers a secret - orders that her family be killed.
Now, in the wake of her husband’s death and the impending birth of her baby, she finds herself on a mission for revenge. She’s not alone either. While on the road - fighting all sorts of baddies in bamboo trees - Ma Sen (Norman Chu), a former Guillotine soldier, joins her plight, as well as her ex-lover Wang-jun (Elliot Ngok), as they make their way toward the man responsible for all the killing, Jin Gang Feng (Lo Lieh).
Choreographed by Tang Chia and featuring a heavier than usual use of wide tracking shots above trees and through roadside cantinas, The Vengeful Beauty proves to be a delight for the eyes as we get lots of interesting looks at life through the Shawscope lens, which favors zoom and rack-focus stylings while single sword slashes take out hundreds of soldiers.
The Vengeful Beauty is now on blu-ray as part of Shout Factory’s Shaw Brothers Classics, Vol 3, which also includes 10 other classic martial arts films from the famous Shaw Brothers' library, featuring some of their greatest stars – Alexander Fu Sheng (The Brave Archer), Lo Lieh (King Boxer), Ti Lung (A Better Tomorrow), David Chiang (The Boxer Of Shantung) and the Deadly Venoms! Many of these films are debuting for the first time on Blu-ray.
The Bloody Hibiscus has arrived!
Home Video Distributor: Shout Factory
Available on Blu-ray - October 24, 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-discset
Region Encoding: Locked to Region A
Of all the many kinds of films Ho Meng-hua directed for the Shaw Brothers, his most popular worldwide was quite possibly The Flying Guillotine. While he did not direct its like-titled sequel, he did helm this great spinning beheader follow-up, which critics considered among his very best. It stars the striking Chen Ping (The Miniskirt Gang, Lady Exterminator) as the fearless title character who takes on an entire flying guillotine gang.
Video
Presented in a 2.35:1 aspect ratio, The Vengeful Beauty is beautifully presented on 1080p from Shout Factory. Interiors are strong. Colors pop throughout, but it is the blood effects - burning bright in the transfer - which seal the deal on this one. 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 of this epic adventure. The tracking shots are glorious to behold in 1080p. Blacks are solid and shadows maintain their lines. Even the costumes are noted stitch by stitch.
Audio
Fans of the genre get only the newly restored lossless Mandarin track for all your chop socky needs.
Supplements:
Complete with brand-new artwork from R. P. Kung Fu Bob O’Briwn, 88 Films provides fans some solid supplemental entertainment which highlights the efforts of the filmmakers.
Commentary:
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See Special Features for the breakdown.
Special Features:
Get ready to duel to the death with these supplemental items!
- NEW Audio Commentary With David West, Critic And Author Of Chasing Dragons: An Introduction To The Martial Arts Film
- NEW Dark Times – An Interview With Actress Susan Shaw By Frédéric Ambroisine
- Original Theatrical Trailer
- Celestial Trailer
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MPAA Rating:
Runtime: 82 mins
Director: Meng-Hua Ho
Writer: On Szeto
Cast: Ping Chen; Hua Yueh; Lieh Lo
Genre: Action | Drama
Tagline:
Memorable Movie Quote:
Distributor: Shaw Brothers
Official Site:
Release Date: March 11, 1978 (Hong Kong)
DVD/Blu-ray Release Date: October 24, 2023
Synopsis: After her whole family was slaughtered under the order of the emperor, a pregnant martial artist is on the run, and struggles to avoid being caught or back-stabbed by even her closest friends.
