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Licensor Information
The Taiwan Film Institute
Directed by: King Hu
“Visionary” barely begins to describe this masterpiece of Chinese cinema and martial arts moviemaking. A Touch of Zen by King Hu depicts the journey of Yang (Hsu Feng), a fugitive noblewoman who seeks refuge in a remote, and allegedly haunted, village. The sanctuary she finds with a shy scholar and two aides in disguise is shattered when a nefarious swordsman uncovers her identity, pitting the four against legions of blade-wielding opponents. At once a wuxia film, the tale of a spiritual quest, and a study in human nature, A Touch of Zen is an unparalleled work in Hu’s formidable career and an epic of the highest order, characterized by breathtaking action choreography, stunning widescreen landscapes, and innovative editing.
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Release Information:
Technical Specifications
Format:
Blu-ray
Disc:
BD-50 (1 Disc)
Total: 1 Disc
Regions:
A (Blu-ray)
Aspect Ratio:
2.35:1
Audio Options:
Mandarin PCM Mono 1.0
Resolution:
1080p/24
Subtitles:
English
Supplements
Types of Supplements Included: Documentary, Interview, Theatrical Trailer, Poster Insert
- Documentary from 2012 about director King Hu
- New interviews with actors Hsu Feng and Shih Chun
- New interview with filmmaker Ang Lee
- New interview with film scholar Tony Rayns
- Trailer
- Insert featuring an essay by film scholar David Bordwell and notes by King Hu from a 1975 Cannes Film Festival press kit
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Supplements
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Release Credits
Producer: Curtis Tsui
Artwork: Eric Skillman
Artwork: Greg Ruth
Release Notes on Restoration
A Touch of Zen
A Touch of Zen is presented in its original aspect ratio of 2.35:1. Black bars at the top and bottom of the screen are normal for this format. This new digital transfer, sponsored solely by actor Hsu Feng, was created in 4K resolution on an ARRISCAN film scanner from the 35mm original camera negative for the Taiwan Film Institute. The removal of splice marks was a heavy task: a movie with fast editing, A Touch of Zen is full of close splices. This work was done manually reconstructing the damaged parts of the frame with interpolation tools, adjusting for luminance and grain. Also involved with the restoration was cinematographer Hua Hui-ying, who supervised the color grading. As there was no vintage positive element available to use as a reference for color restoration, a 1992 print preserved at the TFI was consulted. Research results on King Hu’s 1967 film Dragon Inn provided the TFI and the lab’s previous restoration experience on that film also helped the lab execute the color correction of A Touch of Zen, which was shot by the same director and film crew.
The original monaural soundtrack was remastered from the 35mm original soundtrack negative.
The original monaural soundtrack was remastered from the 35mm original soundtrack negative.