Exiled Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		4.5
Video		4.5
Audio		5.0
Extras		4.5
Overall		4.5

Exiled Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov September 19, 2022

Johnnie To's "Exiled" (2006) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Chameleon Films. The supplemental features on the release include exclusive new audio commentaries by Hong Kong cinema expert Frank Djeng; archival program with actress Josie Ho; archival program with composer Dave Klotz; making of featurette; vintage publicity materials; and more. In Cantonese, with optional English subtitles for the main feature. Region-Free.

The men who knew how to kill

Note: The text below was initially used for our review of Mega Star's out-of-print release of Exiled in 2008.

Somewhere in Macao. Two assassins, both pros, are sent to take out a target whose name is Mr. Wo (Nick Cheung). The assassins are Blaze (Anthony Wong) and Fat (Lam Set). Two other assassins, Cat (Roy Cheung) and Tai (Francis Ng), are sent to protect the target. They all turn up in front of the target's house at the same time. When the target eventually appears, a bullet storm clouds the sky. Shortly after, exhausted by the intense shootout, the assassins drop their guns and begin repairing the house they have just destroyed. It turns out that the assassins and their target know each other well -- years ago, they grew up together, joined the same gang, and then parted ways.

In the meantime, big boss Fay (Simon Yam), the man who wants Mr.Wo killed, is informed about the truce. Slightly annoyed but not surprised by the development, he dispatches a new posse of assassins to bring him Mr. Wo’s head.

Even though there aren’t any disclaimers by Johnnie To, it is quite clear where the inspiration for his film Exiled came from -- the classic Italian spaghetti westerns. Indeed, long, continuous shots, large panoramic vistas, extreme close-ups, highly-stylized action scenes, and an exotic soundtrack that could have been created by the great maestro Ennio Morricone make it absolutely impossible not to compare what To has done to the work of Sergio Leone.

Thematically, Exiled quickly heads down a familiar path, but it is impossible to write that it lacks originality. To routinely crafts unique situations where the main protagonists also engage each other in some quite unconventional ways. This is precisely how they identify their opponents and then proceed to eliminate them as well. As a result, even though their end destination is easy to predict, their behavior isn't and neither is the action that flourishes because of it.

The chemistry between the leads is outstanding. It makes the blending of the graphic killings and light humor very effective and ultimately gives the film its identity. It is a special one, too. Because of the complex action choreography and stylish camerawork, it almost feels like To directed a violent symphony with multiple, unusually long acts.

Exiled Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Presented in an aspect ratio of 2.35:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, Exiled arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Chameleon Films.

The only other release of Exile that I have in my library is this release from Hong Kong distributors Mega Star, which I believe has been out of print for quite some time. It was one of the very first Hong Kong releases that I received.

This brand new release is sourced from the same master that was used to produce the original release. I like this master a lot, though a brand new one would have been appreciated as well. I did some direct comparisons with the original release and I did not see any meaningful discrepancies. I think that the new release has a very nice encode, which might be the one and only improvement it offers in the video department. Delineation, clarity, and depth are usually very good, but Exiled is a highly stylized film that features a great deal of colored lighting and even what appear to be color filters, which means that it is not very easy to evaluate. In some darker footage, for instance, the blacks are very prominent and from time to time it appears that they begin to crush, but I am not at all convinced that this isn't an intended appearance. Why? Because the brown tint shifts many primaries and nuances. Highlights are difficult to evaluate for the same reason. There are no traces of problematic digital corrections. However, a brand new master will likely make the surface of the visuals slightly more attractive. Image stability is excellent. The entire film looks spotless as well. All in all, I think that Exiled looks very nice in high-definition, and the only way it could potentially look dramatically better is if it was released on 4K Blu-ray. (Note: The back of my release has a Region-B logo. However, the release is playable on North American players).

Exiled Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

There are two audio tracks on this Blu-ray release: Cantonese DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 and Cantonese LPCM 2.0. Optional English subtitles are provided for the main feature.

I revisited the film with the DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track. It is an outstanding lossless track that produces some pretty incredible contrasts and opens up the action sequences really well. I have a different audio system now and pulled up the other Blu-ray release to test the DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1 track on it, but I could not spot any obvious discrepancies in the action sequences. Admittedly, I did not spend a lot of time on these comparisons, but my impression is that earlier the DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 did a tremendous job handling the film's very active soundtrack. The English translation is excellent. On the other release, there are a few minor errors, so this is an obvious improvement in the audio department.

Exiled Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Commentary One - in this exclusive new audio commentary was recorded by Hong Kong cinema expert Frank Djeng. There is plenty of factual information about the production of Exiled and its box office performance in Hong Kong, some of the key themes that run through it, its unique visual appearance and style, Johnnie To's career, the great cast of the film, etc. Exiled is one of my favorite Johnnie To films, so I listened to the entire commentary and enjoyed it a lot.

• Commentary Two - this is a supplemental commentary by Frank Djeng that explores in greater detail the themes, dialog, and stylistic appearance of Exiled.

• Interview with co-composer Dave Klotz - in this program, Dave Klotz recalls his initial encounter with Guy Zerafa and discusses the latter's fondness of "cowboy composing", their professional relationship, and collaboration on Exiled. In English, not subtitled. (21 min).

• Exiled Dreams - The Cult Career of Josie Ho - in this program, actress Josie Ho recalls her initial impression of Johnnie To and how he invited her to play the character of Jin in Exiled, and discusses the director's working methods and how he managed the personalities of the entire cast. Mrs. Ho also discusses the evolution of her career. In English, not subtitled. (14 min).

• "The Weight of Honor" - this exclusive new video essay by Wild Flicks. In English, not subtitled. (7 min).

• The Making of Exiled - this archival program features clips from interviews with Johnnie To and cast members addressing their collaboration on Exiled as well as raw footage from the production of the film. In Cantonese, with English subtitles. In English, not subtitled. (13 min).

• Promotional Materials -
  
  1. Hong Kong Trailer One. In Cantonese, with English subtitles. (2 min).
  2. Hong Kong Trailer Two. In Cantonese, with English subtitles. (3 min).
  3. U.S. Trailer. (3 min). In Cantonese and English text, with English subtitles. (3 min).
  4. Photo Gallery - a collection of original publicity materials for Exiled.

• Booklet - 20-page illustrated booklet featuring Stephen Teo's essay "We'll Meet Again in the Jianghu: Johnnie To's Exiled", Dylan Cheung's essay "A Little Hard Work Never Killed Anybody: The Working-Class Underworld of Johnnie To's Exiled", and technical credits.

• Cover - reversible ratings-free cover for Exiled.

Exiled Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Australian film lovers and collectors will have another very serious local boutique label to keep an eye on. It is called Chameleon Films. I have its first three Blu-ray releases and really like how they are designed and what they offer. I rushed to revisit Johnnie To's Exiled, a tremendous neo-western with a noirish personality, which is an old favorite of mine. This film has such an incredible style that it almost feels like To conceived it as a violent symphony with multiple, unusually long acts. The back cover of my Blu-ray release has a Region-B logo, but it is Region-Free. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.