Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		4.0
Audio		3.5
Extras		3.0
Overall		4.0

The Sword Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Jeffrey Kauffman January 21, 2025

Most film fans would probably associate the term "new wave" with the memorable movement in French cinema spearheaded by such icons as Jean-Luc Godard and François Truffaut, among many others, but as some of the supplements on this disc get into, Hong Kong had its own version of Nouvelle Vague, and many of the assorted experts gathered together on this disc for both interviews and commentaries state overtly that The Sword should probably rightfully be seen as a certain kind of "landmark" in the history of that particular industry, at least within the confines of what is generally thought of as a wuxia film. As some of the supplements get into, director Patrick Tam invests the film with some interesting stylistic flourishes, but the film may be seen as a departure from "tradition" insofar as it concentrates on the inner life and motivations of a character who, as the fun commentary by Mike Leeder and Arne Venema gets into, is the very model of a modern (?) obsessive type. That focal fighter is named Lee Mak-yin (Adam Cheng), but kind of interestingly The Sword actually begins with another fighter named Fa Chin-shu (Tien Feng), who is warned that his distinctive sword may actually be cursed and that he should seriously consider getting rid of it. Yeah, like that's going to happen.

The story soon segues to Mak-yin, who wants to find the now reclusive Chin-shu in order to challenge him to a duel, thereby proving his (Mak-yin) facility with a sword. Of course any number of intrigues intervene, beginning with a "meet cute" with a female sword slinger named Fa Ying-chi (Jade Hsu, younger sister of Feng Hsu, which is covered in detail in some of the supplements). What might seem like a perfect set up for romance for these two is itself interrupted with the arrival of Yin Siu-yu (Chi-Chi Chen), an old flame of Mak-yin's and one with whom he's obviously still smitten. When Siu-yu's jealous husband Lin Wan (Norman Chui) gets wind of a perhaps nascent rebirth of a love affair, things get really complicated.

Some of the supplements mention how a fairly miniscule budget may have played into a perceived lack of tropes like amazing wire work and the like, but there is some nice fight choreography here (including at least a few moments that were obviously aided by wires). Probably more viscerally effective, though, are some of the really interesting grading and lighting choices Tam employs, which approach near Bava-esque levels in the climax. As some of the supplements also address, Tam was actually sent to the United States for a while, ostensibly to learn editing (he may have spent more time just watching films at Berkeley), and some of the cutting choices in the "architecture" of the presentation are also quite interesting.

The Sword Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

The Sword is presented on Blu-ray courtesy of Eureka! Entertainment with an AVC encoded 1080p transfer in 2.39:1. As usual, Eureka doesn't provide a ton of technical information, with their insert booklet only giving perhaps unnecessary "viewing notes" and calibration advice, though in this particular case, at least the back cover states this presentation was culled from a new 2K restoration. Things look great here a lot of the time, though there are some variances in densities, color timing (even within scenes and seemingly divorced from any stylistic intentions), clarity and grain structure. The bulk of the presentation offers a really nicely robust palette that pops extremely well in terms of the variety of tones used for costumes and sets. In the more brightly lit moments fine detail is also excellent. Things can be a bit more variant at times in some of the less fulsomely lit material, some of which can look pretty fuzzy and noticeably less detailed.

The Sword Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The Sword offers Cantonese, English and Mandarin options all delivered via LPCM 2.0 Mono tracks. Toggling between can reveal noticeable differences in amplitude, and I'd probably argue that overall the Mandarin track provides the most energetic rendition of a soundtrack that offers some interesting quasi-electronic "scoring" effects, along with some of the typically hyperbolic sound effects that can accompany wuxia battle scenes. All three tracks provide generally secure fidelity, though to my ears the Cantonese was a little anemic sounding at times. Dialogue is rendered cleanly and clearly throughout. Optional English subtitles are available.

The Sword Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Audio Commentary by Frank Djeng


• Audio Commentary by Mike Leeder & Arne Venema


• Forging Ahead (HD; 17:58) is an interesting analysis of the film and its place in wuxia film history courtesy of Wayne Wong. This might have benefited from optional English subtitles.


• Andrew Heskins Interview (HD; 13:11) is another really worthwhile look at the film, with admittedly a bit of duplication of info in the commentaries and the Wong piece.

Additionally, Eureka provides a nicely appointed insert booklet with an interesting essay by Leung Wing-Fai and a transcribed interview from 2013 with Patrick Tam, along with the usual cast and crew info, and those all important "viewing notes". Packaging features a slipcover.

The Sword Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

The back cover of this release states that The Sword serves as a "love letter to wuxia" from Patrick Tam (whose first feature this was, after a celebrated tenure as a very busy television director). That "love letter" may have, to quote a certain epigram often offered at American weddings at least, "something old, something new, something borrowed and something blue" (or some other deeply saturated color). There's a really captivating "combo platter" here of well worn tropes and newer approaches like an emphasis on interior lives that keeps The Sword consistently engaging. Technical merits are generally solid and the supplements include two nice commentaries and two interesting interviews. Recommended.