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The Sword: Limited Edition – Eureka Video (Blu-ray)

Theatrical Release Date: Hong Kong, 1980
Director: Patrick Tam
Writers: Lau Shing-hon, Clifford Choi, Wong Ying, Patrick Tam, Lo Chi-keung, Lau Tin-chi
Cast: Adam Cheng, Norman Chui, Jade Hsu, Bonnie Ngai, JoJo Chan, Tien Feng, Eddy Ko, Hoi Sang Lee

Release Date: November 18th, 2024 (UK), November 19th, 2024 (USA)
Approximate Running Time: 89 Minutes 8 Seconds
Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1 Widescreen / 1080 Progressive / MPEG-4 AVC
Rating: 15 (UK), NR (USA)
Sound: LPCM Mono Cantonese, LPCM Mono English, LPCM Mono Mandarin
Subtitles: English
Region Coding: Region A,B
Retail Price: £17.99 (UK), $39.95 (USA)

"Believing that he is in possession of a cursed blade, the legendary swordsman Hua Qian Shu (Tien Feng, King Boxer) has retreated from the martial arts world to live in peaceful seclusion. However, his retirement has done nothing to dampen his reputation; a young warrior, Li Mak-jan (Cheng), wishes to challenge the master in order to test his own sword-fighting skill. But as Li searches for the reclusive Hua Qian Shu so that he might face him in combat, he finds himself entangled with old lovers and new rivals. Soon, it becomes apparent that the old master’s sword really might be cursed – and will, perhaps, bring nothing but tragedy to those who seek to wield it." - synopsis provided by the distributor

Video: 4/5

Here’s the information provided about this release's transfer, "1080p HD presentation on Blu-ray from a brand new 2K restoration."

The Sword comes on a 50 GB dual layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 35.8 GB

Feature: 27.7 GB

The source looks great; it is a noticeable improvement over this film’s previous home media releases. Flesh tones look healthy, colors look correct, image clarity and black levels are strong, and compression is solid. That said, there does appear to be some digital filtering of the image that fortunately minor enough that it is never intrusive.

Audio: 4.25/5 (All Audio Tracks)

This release comes with three audio options, a LPCM mono mix in Cantonese, a LPCM mono mix in English, and a LPCM mono mix in Mandarin. All three audio tracks are in great shape; dialog comes through clearly, everything sounds balanced, and action sequences sound robust. Included are removable English subtitles for the Cantonese language track and removable English subtitles for Cantonese text when listening to the English language track.

Extras:

Extras for this release include a theatrical trailer (3 minutes 23 seconds, LPCM mono Cantonese with non-removable English subtitles), an interview with film critic Andrew Heskins (easternKicks) titled Andrew Heskins on The Sword (13 minutes 11 seconds, LPCM stereo English, no subtitles), an interview with martial arts cinema expert Wayne Wong on The Sword and the wuxia genre titled Forging Ahead (17 minutes 58 seconds, LPCM stereo English, no subtitles), an audio commentary with East Asian film expert Frank Djeng (NY Asian Film Festival), an audio commentary with action cinema experts Mike Leeder and Arne Venema, O-card slipcase (limited to 2,000 copies), and a 28-page booklet (limited to 2,000 copies) with cast & crew information, an essay titled Fortune and Glory The Sword and the Hong Kong New Wave written by Leung Wing-Fai, an interview with director Patrick Tam titled A New Language Patrick Tam on The Sword conducted by Arnaud Lanuque, and information about the transfer titled Notes on Viewing.

Summary:

Patrick Tam directed The sword. He is also known for directing Love Massacre, After this our Exile and My Heart Is That Eternal Rose. Besides directing, he worked as an editor on these films: Days of Being Wild, Ashes of Time, and Election.

Swordsmen from all around search for a retired master swordsman wanting to challenge him to a duel.

Wuxia is Chinese cinema’s most celebrated genre; its roots are in literature and date back thousands of years. Though all film genres tend to evolve over the years, Wuxia, like all genres, has its core elements. One of these moments of evolution was Patrick Tam’s The Sword, a film that clearly breaks away from the Wuxia films of the 1960s and 70s. Where most first-time filmmakers working in a specific genre would stay within the already established blueprint, Patrick Tam with The Sword goes against the grain.

Where most first-time filmmakers working in a specific genre would stay within the already established blueprint, Patrick Tam with The Sword goes against the grain. The best comparison for how vastly different The Sword was upon its initial release would be to compare it to Zhang Yimou's Hero, a film that came 22 years later. That said, when it comes to the core elements of Wuxia, The Sword remains true.

There are several moving parts in The Sword. Though the main driving force of the narrative is the quest of a swordsman who wants to be the one who defeats a master swordsman, there are several other subplots. Besides defeating the master swordsman, there are those who want to possess two coveted swords, one of which is cursed. And the other main subplot is a love triangle. All of these intersect throughout and come together in a finale that provides resolution.

Performance-wise, the entire cast is great in their respective roles, especially Jade Hsu’s (To Hell with the Devil) portrayal of Fa Ying-chi, the daughter of the retired master swordsman. Though her character is not the protagonist, Fa Ying-chi is the link that brings all of the subplots together. She delivers an excellent performance where she not only delivers in dramatic moments but also more than holds her own in action sequences. Another performance of note is Eddy Ko (Heroes Shed No Tears), who portrays a skilled assassin whose stealth movements make him formidable.

Anyone familiar with Wuxia films knows what to expect: impressive wire work and characters whose movements defy gravity. That said, the action sequences are phenomenal; their precision is flawless. Though no action sequences are lacking, it is the two duel sequences that stand out as the most memorable moments, especially the latter, a blood-soaked finale where one character is split in half.

From a production standpoint, The Sword is a film where everything falls into place perfectly. Characters are well-defined, and the narrative does a superb job building momentum towards the aforementioned finale. Another strength of the narrative is how it finds a pleasing balance between exposition and action sequences. Also, striking visuals and a lush romantic score reinforce the mood. Ultimately, The Sword is an extraordinary Wuxia where fate and destiny collide.

The Sword gets a solid release from Eureka Video that comes with a strong audio/video presentation and insightful extras, highly recommended.