There are few works more impressive than that of director King Hu. The director gave artistry to the Wuxia genre in films like The Dragon Inn and A Touch of Zen. The Valiant Ones is as impressive as both though with a lean economical style that neither had. More of a politically tinged action thriller as was the case with The Dragon Inn – though The Valiant Ones is more cynically minded.
In order to stop the raiding by Japanese pirates that has become increasingly more rampant the Ming-era government hires a skilled group of mercenaries to put an end to it. As the group led by a mysterious Commander (Roy Chiao) begins to make headways toward their ultimate goal, they find corruption and bureaucracy at every turn. Can this group of valiant fighters outsmart not just the Japanese pirates but the Army and Government Officials being paid off.
There is a refinement to all director King Hu’s films. Even when the director is attempting what equates to a Dirty Dozen / Wild Bunch (both films the erudite director would have seen) riff there is an artistry and visual aplomb that is at play.
The Valiant One is so visually astute a picture that Hu boldly begins the film without any character introductions. Rather the director (and screenwriter of the picture) allows the characters to develop through action and essentially on the run. This hurried style of storytelling adds to the tense nature of the film. There is no time for our heroes to gather and consort with one another. That time because the eyes and ears of spies push them to do their work boldly in secret and quickly.
It’s that bold and quick work that is the driving narrative force of the film. One so strong that by the time The Valiant Ones reaches its epic conclusion one will be as breathless as its heroes.
The Transfer
Before the film begins there is a script regarding the restoration:
In 1996, director King Hu gifted the 35mm original negative and soundtrack negative of The Valiant Ones to the Hong Kong Film Archive for permanent preservation. The materials had numerous instances of damage, including loose splices and torn sprocket holes. The colour dyes in the emulsion of the original negative had also faded. However, the picture quality was considered to be in overall good condition. The elements were painstakingly cleaned and repaired, and the colours graded digitally based on a 35mm print that had been colour-timed using the original timing sheets. In 2017, the Archive performed a 4K digital scan on the original negative and soundtrack negative. In 2020, Italy’s L’mmagine Ritrovata Asia laboratory was used to complete a 4K digital restoration. The restoration project included the careful removal of scratches, spots and instances of flickering; as well as digital colour grading. Background noise in the audio was also reduced.
The 4K digital restoration of the original negatives gifted by director King Hu to the Hong Kong Film Archive in Dolby Vision HDR is a miracle. Having watched the film three times I can concur with absolute certainty this is one of the best 4K UHDs this reviewer has seen. The image almost perfectly mimics a freshly struck fine-grain archival print. There isn’t a real way to convey just how wonderfully chemical the image looks, like a 35mm print. The transfer retaining that beautiful grain, the image sharpness, and the depth of field that anamorphic lenses can sometimes be imperfectly rendered, are all here and magnificently amplified in the best way possible.
The Extras
They include the following;
Brand new audio commentary by Asian film expert Frank Djeng (NY Asian Film Festival)
Tony Rayns on The Valiant Ones
Tsar of all the Wuxia
The Life of a Lucky Stuntman
My Father and I
Memories of Hu
Archival 2003 interview with actress Hsu Feng
Archival 2016 interview with actor Ng Ming-choi
The all-new audio commentary by Asian film expert Frank Djeng (NY Asian Film Festival) begins with his bondafides before diving into the film. Djeng begins the track by discussing how this was King Hu’s final Wuxa title. Some of the other details include the Literal Translation of the Cantonese title and the various titles; the releases and the box office success of the film; the setting and historical/political context that the film takes place in; how the film was essentially lost for 20 years but the Hong Kong Archival found a print; the various islands around Hong Kong that Hu used to film the feature – and other films that used the islands similarly to this film as Pirate’s hideouts; the directorial and editorial style of the film and how this differs from not just other martial arts films at the time but also King Hu’s films; how costume design helped with visual geography of who is fighting whom at what time; the work of cinematographer Ching-Chu Chen – both here and throughout his career; the life and career of lead actor Roy Chiao; the deal that King Hu made with Golden Harvest to make this film and The Fate of Lee Khan – a larger discussion of the differences between the two and the similarities and he filmed both back-to-back; a larger discussion about the inventive action and character work throughout the film – the fight choreography by Sammo Hung; a larger discussion of the actual facts vs fiction of the real life events that the film charts; a larger discussion of the various historical figures in the film; discussion throughout the commentary track about the various actors and their work here and throughout their career – keep your notes app open you’ll want to write some of the films down; and much more. Djeng delivers an informative commentary track that will add a wonderful layer of context to this already impressive film.
Tony Rayns on The Valiant Ones (23:58) – is an all-new interview with critic and Asian film expert Rayns opens with an account of King Hu’s early life in the Hong Kong film industry and his rise to a film director, moving to Taiwan, and eventually making a deal to make The Valiant Ones. Ryans goes into detail on the development of the story; the casting; the production; the themes within the film; and much more. The interview feels like a companion piece to Djen’s commentary track.
Tsar of all the Wuxia (21:44) – in this all-new video essay by David Cairns dives into the life and work of director King Hu. Beginning with Hu’s early life during WWII and his being stranded in Hong Kong to his work as an actor evolved to assistant directing and eventually directing his own work and much more. Carins essay is wonderfully edited using not just clips of films but various stills, art, and personal photographs.
The Life of a Lucky Stuntman (20:54) – this all-new interview with stuntman Billy Chan opens with a discussion of his time in the Bejing opera and the lessons learned. Chan goes on to discuss his life as a freelance stuntman; how he got the job on The Valiant Ones; working with King Hu – including how Hu used his own hand-drawn storyboards for action; and much more. In Chinese with English Subtitles.
My Father and I (25:50) – the all-new interview with actor Ng Ming-choi opens with what kind of man and director King Hu was. Some of the other details include his close personal relationship to King Hu; working with Sammo Hung and their bond with Hu during the time on set; what King Hu was like as a director with actors, on set – including his want to always adhere to his visuals created in his storyboards; the production schedule which was quite long (3 years to film both films, which he was in, back-to-back); the reasons why it took so long to produce the films; the filming locations; the time and complexity of shooting the finale; and much more. In Chinese with English Subtitles.
Memories of Hu (26:15) – Archival 2003 interview with Roger Garcia (Hong Kong International Film Festival Society) by Frédéric Ambroisine filmed at the Busan International Film Festival. The archival interviews dives into King Hu’s career and the personal touchstones that the director imbued into those films. The discussion goes into not just this film but Dragon Inn, A Touch of Zen, and other later-era Hu films, his retirement in Pasadena California, and their personal and professional relationship through the years – including some truly interesting unrealized projects that Hu developed in his later years.
Frédéric Ambroisine 2003 interview with Hsu Feng (16:54) – the archival interview with why Hsu Feng became an actor. Some of the details include how her collaboration with Hu differed from other famous Taiwanese and Hong Kong Directors; her transition to producing and what influenced her choice to do so; the work and stress of a producer and how it differed from her life as an actor; her work on Farewell my Concubine; and much more. In Chinese and English with English Subtitles.
Frédéric Ambroisine 2016 interview with actor Ng Ming-choi (4:18) – in this brief interview Ng Ming-choi discusses why King Hu is his “dad” and what made him a great director and mentor through the work in The Valiant One and other films; what separated Hu from other directors and the artistry he brought to Wuxia films and Hong Kong films in general; and much more. In Chinese with English Subtitles.
The Final Thought
Eureka has outdone themselves with their 4K UHD of The Valiant Ones, which is one of the best sets of 2024. Highest Possible Recommendations!!!
Director King Hu’s masterful historical action drama The Valiant Ones makes its way to US shores in an amazing 4K UHD from Eureka Entertainment with a jaw dropping restoration.
The Film
There are few works more impressive than that of director King Hu. The director gave artistry to the Wuxia genre in films like The Dragon Inn and A Touch of Zen. The Valiant Ones is as impressive as both though with a lean economical style that neither had. More of a politically tinged action thriller as was the case with The Dragon Inn – though The Valiant Ones is more cynically minded.
In order to stop the raiding by Japanese pirates that has become increasingly more rampant the Ming-era government hires a skilled group of mercenaries to put an end to it. As the group led by a mysterious Commander (Roy Chiao) begins to make headways toward their ultimate goal, they find corruption and bureaucracy at every turn. Can this group of valiant fighters outsmart not just the Japanese pirates but the Army and Government Officials being paid off.
There is a refinement to all director King Hu’s films. Even when the director is attempting what equates to a Dirty Dozen / Wild Bunch (both films the erudite director would have seen) riff there is an artistry and visual aplomb that is at play.
The Valiant One is so visually astute a picture that Hu boldly begins the film without any character introductions. Rather the director (and screenwriter of the picture) allows the characters to develop through action and essentially on the run. This hurried style of storytelling adds to the tense nature of the film. There is no time for our heroes to gather and consort with one another. That time because the eyes and ears of spies push them to do their work boldly in secret and quickly.
It’s that bold and quick work that is the driving narrative force of the film. One so strong that by the time The Valiant Ones reaches its epic conclusion one will be as breathless as its heroes.
The Transfer
Before the film begins there is a script regarding the restoration:
In 1996, director King Hu gifted the 35mm original negative and soundtrack negative of The Valiant Ones to the Hong Kong Film Archive for permanent preservation. The materials had numerous instances of damage, including loose splices and torn sprocket holes. The colour dyes in the emulsion of the original negative had also faded. However, the picture quality was considered to be in overall good condition. The elements were painstakingly cleaned and repaired, and the colours graded digitally based on a 35mm print that had been colour-timed using the original timing sheets. In 2017, the Archive performed a 4K digital scan on the original negative and soundtrack negative. In 2020, Italy’s L’mmagine Ritrovata Asia laboratory was used to complete a 4K digital restoration. The restoration project included the careful removal of scratches, spots and instances of flickering; as well as digital colour grading. Background noise in the audio was also reduced.
The 4K digital restoration of the original negatives gifted by director King Hu to the Hong Kong Film Archive in Dolby Vision HDR is a miracle. Having watched the film three times I can concur with absolute certainty this is one of the best 4K UHDs this reviewer has seen. The image almost perfectly mimics a freshly struck fine-grain archival print. There isn’t a real way to convey just how wonderfully chemical the image looks, like a 35mm print. The transfer retaining that beautiful grain, the image sharpness, and the depth of field that anamorphic lenses can sometimes be imperfectly rendered, are all here and magnificently amplified in the best way possible.
The Extras
They include the following;
The all-new audio commentary by Asian film expert Frank Djeng (NY Asian Film Festival) begins with his bondafides before diving into the film. Djeng begins the track by discussing how this was King Hu’s final Wuxa title. Some of the other details include the Literal Translation of the Cantonese title and the various titles; the releases and the box office success of the film; the setting and historical/political context that the film takes place in; how the film was essentially lost for 20 years but the Hong Kong Archival found a print; the various islands around Hong Kong that Hu used to film the feature – and other films that used the islands similarly to this film as Pirate’s hideouts; the directorial and editorial style of the film and how this differs from not just other martial arts films at the time but also King Hu’s films; how costume design helped with visual geography of who is fighting whom at what time; the work of cinematographer Ching-Chu Chen – both here and throughout his career; the life and career of lead actor Roy Chiao; the deal that King Hu made with Golden Harvest to make this film and The Fate of Lee Khan – a larger discussion of the differences between the two and the similarities and he filmed both back-to-back; a larger discussion about the inventive action and character work throughout the film – the fight choreography by Sammo Hung; a larger discussion of the actual facts vs fiction of the real life events that the film charts; a larger discussion of the various historical figures in the film; discussion throughout the commentary track about the various actors and their work here and throughout their career – keep your notes app open you’ll want to write some of the films down; and much more. Djeng delivers an informative commentary track that will add a wonderful layer of context to this already impressive film.
Tony Rayns on The Valiant Ones (23:58) – is an all-new interview with critic and Asian film expert Rayns opens with an account of King Hu’s early life in the Hong Kong film industry and his rise to a film director, moving to Taiwan, and eventually making a deal to make The Valiant Ones. Ryans goes into detail on the development of the story; the casting; the production; the themes within the film; and much more. The interview feels like a companion piece to Djen’s commentary track.
Tsar of all the Wuxia (21:44) – in this all-new video essay by David Cairns dives into the life and work of director King Hu. Beginning with Hu’s early life during WWII and his being stranded in Hong Kong to his work as an actor evolved to assistant directing and eventually directing his own work and much more. Carins essay is wonderfully edited using not just clips of films but various stills, art, and personal photographs.
The Life of a Lucky Stuntman (20:54) – this all-new interview with stuntman Billy Chan opens with a discussion of his time in the Bejing opera and the lessons learned. Chan goes on to discuss his life as a freelance stuntman; how he got the job on The Valiant Ones; working with King Hu – including how Hu used his own hand-drawn storyboards for action; and much more. In Chinese with English Subtitles.
My Father and I (25:50) – the all-new interview with actor Ng Ming-choi opens with what kind of man and director King Hu was. Some of the other details include his close personal relationship to King Hu; working with Sammo Hung and their bond with Hu during the time on set; what King Hu was like as a director with actors, on set – including his want to always adhere to his visuals created in his storyboards; the production schedule which was quite long (3 years to film both films, which he was in, back-to-back); the reasons why it took so long to produce the films; the filming locations; the time and complexity of shooting the finale; and much more. In Chinese with English Subtitles.
Memories of Hu (26:15) – Archival 2003 interview with Roger Garcia (Hong Kong International Film Festival Society) by Frédéric Ambroisine filmed at the Busan International Film Festival. The archival interviews dives into King Hu’s career and the personal touchstones that the director imbued into those films. The discussion goes into not just this film but Dragon Inn, A Touch of Zen, and other later-era Hu films, his retirement in Pasadena California, and their personal and professional relationship through the years – including some truly interesting unrealized projects that Hu developed in his later years.
Frédéric Ambroisine 2003 interview with Hsu Feng (16:54) – the archival interview with why Hsu Feng became an actor. Some of the details include how her collaboration with Hu differed from other famous Taiwanese and Hong Kong Directors; her transition to producing and what influenced her choice to do so; the work and stress of a producer and how it differed from her life as an actor; her work on Farewell my Concubine; and much more. In Chinese and English with English Subtitles.
Frédéric Ambroisine 2016 interview with actor Ng Ming-choi (4:18) – in this brief interview Ng Ming-choi discusses why King Hu is his “dad” and what made him a great director and mentor through the work in The Valiant One and other films; what separated Hu from other directors and the artistry he brought to Wuxia films and Hong Kong films in general; and much more. In Chinese with English Subtitles.
The Final Thought
Eureka has outdone themselves with their 4K UHD of The Valiant Ones, which is one of the best sets of 2024. Highest Possible Recommendations!!!
Eureka Films’ 4K UHD Edition of The Valiant Ones is out now.
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