Criterion Collection
The Blade 4K UHD & Blu-Ray
The Blade 4K UHD & Blu-Ray
SKU:CC3796UHDBDUK
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Among the boldest accomplishments of Hong Kong cinema’s golden age, this uniquely visceral martial-arts movie puts a gritty new spin on the story of the one-armed swordsman, an iconic figure from the moment he was introduced by the Shaw Brothers studio in 1967. Composed in a whirlwind of immersive close-ups and fractured editing, The Blade follows the young sword-maker Ding On (Vincent Zhao), who, after losing an arm in an ambush, transforms himself into a furious avenger. With its intentionally disorienting stylization and starkly brutal tone, The Blade was a rare commercial disappointment for Tsui Hark, but it has since been reclaimed as one of the director’s most radical visions—a tour de force of action expressionism, and a scathing reappraisal of the wuxia genre’s code of masculinity, that achieves a feverish intensity
· Hong Kong
· 1995
· 105 minutes
· Color
· 1.85:1
· Cantonese
· Spine #1305
4K UHD + BLU-RAY SPECIAL EDITION FEATURES
· New 4K digital restoration, with uncompressed monaural soundtrack
· One 4K UHD disc of the film presented in Dolby Vision HDR and one Blu-ray with the film and special features
· New audio commentary featuring Hong Kong cinema expert and producer Frank Djeng
· Action et vérité (2006), a documentary featuring director Tsui Hark, coscreenwriter Koan Hui, and actor Xiong Xin-xin
· New video essay by filmmakers Taylor Ramos and Tony Zhou (Every Frame a Painting)
· New York Asian Film Festival Q&A with Tsui from 2011
· Alternate English-dubbed track
· International-version opening and end credits
· Trailer
· New English subtitle translation
· PLUS: An essay by author Lisa Morton
· New cover by Oliver Barrett
Studio: Criterion Collection
SKU: CC3796UHDBDUK
Barcode: 5061088922375
Region: FREE
Release Date: April 13, 2026
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