Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		5.0
Audio		5.0
Extras		4.5
Overall		4.5

The Bride with White Hair Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov November 14, 2020

Ronny Yu's "The Bride with White Hair" (1993) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Eureka Entertainment. The supplemental features on the disc include new interviews with composer Richard Yuen, actor Joe Tay, and screenwriter Jason Lam Kee-To; new audio commentary by critic Frank Djeng; and more. Also included with the release is a limited edition collector's booklet featuring new writing by James Oliver. In Cantonese or Mandarin, with optional English subtitles for the main feature. Region-B "locked".

Doomed lovers

I am convinced that somewhere there is an interview with Ronny Yu in which he acknowledges that Tsui Hark and his early films have had a major impact on his creative style. In The Bride with White Hair the evidence that there is a connection between the two directors is practically everywhere and impossible to ignore. Consider the sequence where Lien Ni-Chang has an encounter with the lonely swordsman in the dark forest and then suddenly jumps up ten, maybe even fifteen feet and begins pursuing him between the giant trees. It is a high-speed chase that would fit perfectly in Zu Warriors from the Magic Mountain. Now take a closer look at the big clash between the Siamese demon and the lonely swordsman. Does the flashy mayhem remind you of the crazy action from Zu: Warriors of the Magic Mountain? Of course, it does, because it is every bit as unhinged. There is movement everywhere and colored lights erupting from all kinds of different directions, which is exactly how Tsui Hark does period action.

What about the characterizations? Once again, the similarities are everywhere. You see mythical characters that look human but have supernatural powers, and these are exactly the type of characters that routinely emerge in Tsui Hark’s films. A coincidence? I don’t think so. Then there are the strange creatures that come from the ‘other side’ and threaten to disrupt an old order that has served humanity in the ‘real world’ for ages. In Tsui Hark’s films they are bigger and meaner, but they are all related.

Now, a much-needed clarification. While there are many obvious similarities, Ronny Yu isn’t working with the same blueprint Tsui Hark does. In The Bride with White Hair the period action for instance is used to enhance the tragic romantic relationship between Lien Ni-Chang and the lonely swordsman, so the flashy visuals have a different type of intensity. They look contained and have a specific purpose in the evolving narrative, which makes it easy for Ronny Yu to stay focused on the main characters. In Tsui Hark’s films the action is routinely far more important than the predicaments of their characters. This is the exact reason why so many of Tsui Hark’s films, and especially the early ones, often look borderline chaotic -- he is much better at doing great action than telling a great story.

I also noticed that Ronnie Yu brought Richard Yuen to score The Bride with White Hair. I guarantee this wasn’t a random choice either. A year before The Bride with White Hair was released, Richard Yuen worked with Tsui Hark on the second film in the Once Upon a Time in China trilogy. The soundtracks Richard Yuen delivered for these films blend traditional Chinese and contemporary harmonies in pretty much the exact same manner. The only notable difference is that the soundtrack for The Bride with White Hair is 'softer', meaning calmer and more lyrical, and just like the action it supports the evolving narrative. (This almost never happens in Tsui Hark’s films, because in them the action is the narrative).

The main reason why The Bride with White Hair can’t be dismissed as a copycat, however, is actually the most obvious one. It is the special chemistry between Brigitte Lin and Leslie Cheung. Simply put, the two look really, really good when they are together before the camera and their connection is what ultimately gives the film its identity. Yes, there isn’t a shortage of pretty visuals, quite a few of which actually have top-notch sets and decors, but these two actors are the reason why everything else comes together and the film works as intended.

Leslie Cheung recorded the song that is heard during the final credits. However, even though it was well-liked at the time it was not promoted and sold as a single.

*If you enjoy what The Bride with White Hair has to offer consider viewing Su Chao-Bin's more recent film Reign of Assassins, which blends period action and romance in pretty much the same manner. It was produced by John Woo.

The Bride with White Hair Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Presented in an aspect ratio of 2.35:1, encoded with MPEG-4 and granted a 1080p transfer, The Bride with White Hair arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Eureka Entertainment.

The release is sourced from a recent 4K restoration, which according to the press materials I was sent was exclusively color graded by the folks at Eureka Entertainment with the approval of director Ronny Yu. I don't have older releases of this film in my library and cannot offer any meaningful comments on the grading job, but I was quite impressed by what I saw on my system. The color scheme looks very nicely balanced and the variety of supporting nuances work really well with its period ambience. By the way, this isn't as simple and easy as it may sound because very large portions of the film are quite dark, so to have these types of nuances is actually a rather tricky business. There are a few sequences where particular stylistic choices overemphasize light and/or shadow and can even crate color crushing, but I assume that they are recreated accurately. (You can see an example in screencapture #17). There are no traces of problematic digital adjustments. Some density fluctuations are present so grain could appear over/underexposed, but the visuals have a strong organic appearance. Image stability is excellent. Lastly, there are no distracting age-related imperfections to report in our review. (Note: This is a Region-B "locked" Blu-ray release. Therefore, you must have a native Region-B or Region-Free player in order to access its content).

The Bride with White Hair Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

There are four standard audio tracks on this Blu-ray release: Cantonese: LPCM 2.0, Cantonese: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1, English: LPCM 2.0 and Mandarin: DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0. Optional English subtitles are provided for the main feature. When turned on, they appear inside the image frame.

I wish to quickly address the subtitles that were created for this release. They are outstanding. A lot of boutique labels use different types of subtitles for their releases and I routinely find them disappointing. Not only are they too small, but the saturation levels of the white text is problematic. I used my projector to view this release and the subtitles could not have been any better -- the size and saturation levels were perfect. I hope they will become the standard on all future Eureka Entertainment releases.

I used the Cantonese LPCM 2.0 track and did not test the remaining audio tracks. I did not feel the need to do it because I thought the quality of the audio was simply superb. Clarity, sharpness, depth, and balance were as good as expected them to be, at times even better. Indeed, there is quite a bit of interesting action throughout the film so there isn't a shortage of material where the audio can impress. If you can, plan to see the film when you can turn up the volume of your system quite a bit more than usual. There are no encoding anomalies to report in our review.

The Bride with White Hair Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Ronny Yu - in this new program, director Ronny Yu and former producer/critic Frank Djeng (Tai Seng Entertainment) discuss the production of The Bride with White Hair, the period in which the film emerged, some of the stylistic influences that can be recognized in the film, the evolution of the director's career, etc. In English, not subtitled. (41 min).

• Richard Yen - in this new program, composer Richard Yuen discusses his background and career, his professional relationship director Ronny Yu, and involvement with The Bride with White Hair. Mr. Yuen also discusses some of his idols and the films they scored. In English, not subtitled. (24 min).

• Joe Tay - in this new program, actor Joe Tay/Cheng King-Kei recalls how he was cast to play his character in The Bride with White Hair, his interactions with Ronny Yu and Leslie Cheung, his performance and why it was impossible for him to improvise, etc. In Cantonese, with English subtitles. (22 min).

• Jason Lam Kee-To - in this new program, screenwriter Jason Lam Kee-To discusses his contribution to The Bride with White Hair and discusses his work with Ronny Yu and how the screenplay evolved as production of the film began. (Some very particular changes were made during the adaptation of Yusheng Liang's novel). In Cantonese, with English subtitles. (57 min).

• Making Of - an archival featurette with clips from vintage interviews and raw footage from the shooting of the film. In Cantonese, with printed English subtitles. (12 min).

• Audio Commentary One - in this new audio commentary, Frank Djeng discusses in great detail the production and visual style of The Bride with White Hair, its reception, the period in which the film emerged and the evolution of the martial arts genre, etc. This film was also the first project he worked on when he was hired to promote Hong Kong films on behalf of Tai Seng Entertainment.

• Audio Commentary Two - in this archival audio commentary was recorded by Ronny Yu. The bulk of the information addresses the film's conception and the director's personal take on the original material that inspired it. In English.

• Booklet - limited edition collector's booklet featuring new writing by James Oliver.

• Slipcase - limited edition O-Card slipcase featuring new artwork by Darren Wheeling.

The Bride with White Hair Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

The Bride with White Hair was a big and risky experiment for Ronny Yu because it was his first foray into the world of period action cinema. In an archival audio commentary that is included on this release, the director mentions that at the time he wanted the film to look very different but resemble an opera. I think that this is pretty much what he and his team delivered -- the film does have a very stylish operatic period appearance and overflows with old-fashioned melodramatic overtones. But it also has plenty of very stylish action, and whether the director realizes it or not, in terms of quality it is extremely similar to what Tsui Hark does in his period action extravaganzas. On the other hand, it is the special connection between Brigitte Lin and Leslie Cheung that gives the film its identity, not the action. The two look simply terrific together and ultimately make the film work as intended. Eureka Entertainment's release is sourced from a very beautiful new 4K master. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.