Rating summary

Movie		5.0
Video		4.0
Audio		4.0
Extras		3.0
Overall		4.0

The Duel Blu-ray Movie Review

The Duel (also released under the alternate title of Duel of the Iron Fist) is an excellent action epic. Produced by Runme Shaw (The Sword Stained with Royal Blood, The Imperial Swordsman), The Duel is one of the best Shaw Brothers films. The Duel became a huge hit for Shaw Brothers after the explosive popularity of the combination of stars Ti Lung, David Chiang, and director Chang Cheh – who continued to prove to be popular at the box-office. A must-see for Shaw Brothers fans.

Tang Jen Chieh (Ti Lung) is the adopted son of a Triad leader. Tang is struggling with his role in the family and the dangerous roots of the Triad. Tang ends up teaming up with the street-smart “Rambler” (David Chiang) to fight rival Triad gang leader Gan (Chuen Yuen). As the dangers of the Triad cause commotion for everyone involved, Tang continues to fight off enemies as Rambler helps him with the opposition – while taking on Gan. Who will win the duel between sides?

The Duel features a supporting cast of characters including Tang Jen Chieh (Ti Lung), Chiang Nan (David Chiang), Hu-Dieh (Ping Wang), A-Hsiu (Jeanette Yu Wei), Kan Wen-pin (Yuan Chuan), Shen Tien-hung (Chih-Ching Yang), Tang Jen Lin (Ku Feng), Hsiao Mao (Kang-Yeh Cheng), Ling Tzu (Hui Hsia), Liu Shou-yi (Pin Ho), Chao Hai-shan (Ching-Ho Wang), Hsu Li (Hung Liu), Liu Sung (Chung Wang), Wang Hung (Kuang Yu Wang), and Lin Ting-wu (Kang Liu). A sprawling supporting cast helps to round out the production. The epic spectacle is highlighted by some impressively robust action scenes with the supporting players.

The Duel features art direction by Johnson Tsao (Portrait in Crystal, Corpse Mania). The production is fantastic and there is so much to appreciate about the artistic flourishes. The feature-film has great costumes by Chi Li (Disciples of Shaolin, Five Shaolin Masters). The costuming also adds to the film, enhancing the aesthetic of the entire cast of characters.

The action stunts coordinated by Tang Chia (Rendezvous with Death, To Kill a Mastermind) and Cheung-Yan Yuen (Fist of Legend, Iron Monkey) are remarkable. Featuring some of the best action and stunt choreography in any of the Shaw Brothers films. The action scenes with Ti Lung and David Chiang exhilarate. The spectacle is enormous and the action draws one in.

The score composed by Yung-Yu Chen (The Deadly Breaking Sword, Invincible Shaolin) is a beautiful highlight of the filmmaking. Chen has a great grasp of what music can add to a film. The score has elegant grace as well as action-packed rhythm for the spectacle in the choreographed frenzy. An outstanding effort.

The cinematography by Mu-To Kung (Five Deadly Venoms, The Brave Archer) is vibrant and aesthetically pleasing. The visual sensibilities of the filmmaking are top-notch. The cinematography showcases great charm and gusto. The splendor of the visuals adds to the production scope and scale.

Edited by Ting-Hung Kuo (The Boxer from Shantung, The Delightful Forest), The Duel is an exciting and well-edited epic. Kuo balances the spectacle and the drama. The action is so integral to the film that editor Kuo finds the right rhythm to showcase the dueling action.

Written by Kang-Chien Chiu (Boat People, Love Unto Waste), The Duel has a great script. The script has fun characters and a solid storyline. The action spectacle doesn’t overshadow solid characters for the film. Chiu did something remarkably special with the script.

Directed by Cheh Chang (Two Champions of Death, Avenging Warriors of Shaolin), The Duel is one of the best films by master filmmaker Chang. The Duel has an enormous sense of scale. The action holds great gravitas. The spectacle of the film is unmissable. The Duel should be considered essential viewing for Shaw Brothers fans. Chang, Lung, and Chiang created a gem.

The Duel Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Released on Blu-ray by Shout Factory, The Duel is presented in 1080p MPEG-4 AVC encoded high-definition in the original theatrical aspect ratio of 2.35:1 widescreen. The transfer for the film is excellent. The print has solid detail overall. Color reproduction is exceptional. The scan looks quite pleasing. There are no egregious issues with print issues like dirt and debris. A clean and stable scan. The encoding by Shout is well-done.

The Duel Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The release includes a selection of lossless audio options: Mandarin DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 Mono (with English subtitles) and English DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0. The lossless audio encoding is quite pleasing overall. Dialogue is crisp and clear – well-defined and easy to listen to. The soundtrack presentation capably handles the score and is well integrated into the sound design. The sound effects for the action scenes sounds excellent and are reproduced with notable clarity. The English subtitles are free of egregious spelling or grammatical errors.

The Duel Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Audio Commentary by James Mudge

Celestial Trailer (SD, 1:09)

Still Gallery (HD, 1:38)

The Duel Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

The Duel is enormously entertaining and one of the best collaborations between director Chang and stars Ti Lung and David Chiang. The legendary action trio created many of the best Shaw Brothers films together and The Duel is a must-see classic. Fans of high- spectacle martial arts films won't want to miss this one. The release comes with an audio commentary, photo gallery, and trailer. Highly recommended.