The Taking of Tiger Mountain Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		4.5
Audio		4.0
Extras		2.0
Overall		3.5

The Taking of Tiger Mountain Blu-ray Movie Review

Zero singing, zero dancing.

Reviewed by Jeffrey Kauffman June 2, 2015

Let’s face it: many of us raised in western countries tend to be a little less than fully informed about the ins and outs of other nations’ histories. Sure, we can probably recite generalities about the Magna Carta or Germany’s “exploits” during the 20th century, but even those with more than a typical amount of knowledge about epochal global events may stutter for a moment or two when asked about China’s emergence from World War II and its ultimate entrance into states operating under the Communist banner. That deficit in learning may be only more acute if one removes such iconic figures as Mao Tse-Tung and Chiang Kai-shek from the picture, which is exactly what The Taking of Tiger Mountain does (literally, if one accepts “picture” as a synonym for “movie”). This Tsui Hark epic is based on an extremely well known and beloved Chinese novel called Tracks in the Snowy Forest, a tome which was not only filmed previously as Taking Tiger Mountain by Strategy, but which was previously adapted into one of China’s famous so-called revolutionary operas (the previous film version, which according to various sources premiered either in the late sixties or early seventies, was evidently based on the opera). The source material is evidently so well known in China, and its operatic and first film versions so popular, that Chinese audiences, in their own version of The Rocky Horror Picture Show “karaoke,” recite lines along with the actors. In an interview with Tsui included on this new Blu-ray as a supplement, the vaunted producer, writer and director talks about how ingrained the property has become for countless Chinese (and evidently even other Asians), and how he wanted to “reinvent” the tale for a new generation. In its Chinese theatrical exhibition, that meant a big budget 3D presentation, something that has been left by the wayside (yet again) in its matriculation to Blu-ray for the American market. (This decision may leave some consumers feeling they were “gifted” with a lump of coal rather than the glittering dimensional present Chinese audiences received when the film premiered on December 23, 2015.) Probably predictably, The Taking of Tiger Mountain was an immediate and outsized hit in China. Westerners without the grounding in both the real history and the fictionalized elements added to the story along the way may not have quite as easy a trek as the Chinese, but the film provides some bracing action sequences and Tsui’s typically impressive visual sweep.

One of Tsui’s additions to the “lore” of Taking Tiger Mountain by Strategy is his addition of bookending segments which take place in contemporary time and which introduce us to a young Chinese national who is traveling from New York City’s Chinatown to China itself in order to visit his grandmother. The point of this exercise is not immediately clear, though a somewhat strange coda appended to the film (the supposedly final bookend, as it were, though Tsui then indulges in another additional coda) seeks to bring the “moral” of the story into today’s world, showing that the sacrifices of mid-century Chinese fighters laid the groundwork for the prosperity of future generations.

The bulk of the film actually takes place in 1946, as China recovers from not just the “general” horrors of World War II, but more saliently (at least in terms of the plot mechanics) from the invasions it has suffered at the hands of Japan over the many previous years. The northeastern quadrant of the country is beset with rampant chaos caused by the end of World War II and the defeat of the Japanese, with roving gangs of bandits having replaced the Japanese as the oppressive force making the lives of everyday citizens miserable. One particularly nasty gang is headed by the nefarious Hawk (Tony Leung, wearing prosthetic makeup which makes him look eerily similar to a somewhat taller version of Danny DeVito’s Penguin in Batman Returns). Hawk and his minions have assumed control of a gigantic fortress built atop the titular Tiger Mountain, a fortress which is not just seemingly impenetrable but which is stocked to its veritable gills with all sorts of weaponry and ammunition (including, rather incredibly, tanks).

Meanwhile a ragtag bunch of fighters with the People’s Liberation Army is attempting to help ordinary folks do supposedly “simple” things like find enough food to eat. A top secret operative known to many as 203, but whose real name is Shao Jianbo (Lin Gengxin) has been tasked with, well, taking Tiger Mountain’s Hawk controlled armory. A convenient series of plot machinations soon affords him the opportunity when one of three “advance maps” falls into his possession, and one of his underlings, Yang Zirong (Zhang Hanyu) asks to go undercover, where he’ll journey to Tiger Mountain and infiltrate Hawk’s gang, with the map as an offering of sorts. (Both Shao Jianbo and Yang Zirong are actual historical figures.)

Things tip a bit more over into relatively accessible territory once Yang arrives at Tiger Mountain. He’s approached by one of Hawk’s concubines, Qinglian (Yu Nan), who (in one of the film’s patent artificialities) turns out to be the kidnapped mother of a little boy who has been taken in and protected by 203 and his group. Together Yang and Qinglian strategize on how to defeat the huge forces of Hawk when they (along with 203) are severely outnumbered, in a kind of Far Eastern version of 300. (Needless to say, The Taking of Tiger Mountain does not share 300’s apocalyptic ending for its heroes.)

Tsui’s typically hyperbolic visual sense informs virtually every frame of this film, something that makes the lack of a 3D Blu-ray release all the more puzzling. Theatrical exhibitions of The Taking of Tiger Mountain received some dazzling responses to the 3D imagery, and it’s obvious that Tsui and cinematographer Choi Sung-fai designed much of the film with 3D in mind (take a gander at screenshots 8 and 10). Even in a “flat” presentation, though, the visual sweep of The Taking of Tiger Mountain is undeniable, and that allure may help to bridge the gap for those who “don’t know much about history.”

The Taking of Tiger Mountain Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

The Taking of Tiger Mountain is presented on Blu-ray courtesy of Well Go USA with an AVC encoded 1080p transfer in 1.85:1. According to the IMDb, this was shot digitally with Red Epic cameras (with a 5K dual strip source format providing for its ultimate 3D presentation). Things are generally exceedingly crisp and well defined throughout the presentation, with close-ups offering abundant detail and fine detail (see screenshot 16). Colors are accurate looking and nicely suffused, though Tsui and cinematographer Choi Sung-fai have (probably predictably) chosen to pretty aggressively color grade various sequences, once again in the seemingly inescapable blue and yellow tones that have become so ubiquitous. These sequences have moderately less fine detail but still continue to offer overall sharpness and precision. Artificial grain seems to have been added to help improve depth and texture, but it doesn't look particularly natural and acquires glints of color occasionally that can appear to add a slightly odd, pixellated appearance at times. CGI is a bit variable, with some shots looking pretty soft (see screenshot 4), at least relative to the bulk of this outing.

The Taking of Tiger Mountain Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Perhaps because so much time is spent building the elements of intrigue between the bandits and the "good guys" (and gals), The Taking of Tiger Mountain's lossless DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 mix is perhaps not quite as boisterous as some might expect. That said, when the film erupts into its bristling action sequences, immersion is excellent and both placement and impact of sound effects is quite impressive. Quieter dialogue scenes also sound fine and are frequently accompanied by more subtle but still effective ambient environmental sounds. A decent score also provides a bed of sonic activity which spreads quite nicely around the surround channels. Fidelity is excellent and dynamic range extremely wide on this problem free track.

The Taking of Tiger Mountain Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Interviews: (1080i; 21:10)

  Tsui Hark, Director

  Tony Ka Fai Leung, Hawk

  Zhang Hanyu, Yang

  Tong Liya, Little Dove

  Lin Gengxin, Captain 203

• Trailer (1080p; 1:48)

Note: As is typically the case with Well Go USA releases, the supplements have been authored to follow one another automatically. While the interviews are accessible "individually," what that means is the interview will start from whomever is selected but then continue playing on through the rest of the supplements. Additional trailers are authored to follow this film's trailer.

The Taking of Tiger Mountain Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

It's really kind of a shame that so many recent Chinese releases, including at least a couple by Tsui Hark himself, have not managed to rustle up enough interest stateside to "qualify" for a 3D Blu-ray offering. That seems especially unfortunate with regard to the visually impressive work done on The Taking of Tiger Mountain. That qualm aside, the film presents certain obstacles for western viewers not familiar with the "actual" history and/or context, at least in the early going, when Tsui plops down a huge gaggle of characters in various situations without really ever taking time to properly "introduce" everyone. Once the film segues to its longer section within the Tiger Mountain fortress, things become more accessible, easily split between heroes and villains. Probably too long for its own good (clocking in at close to two and a half hours) and spending too much time on setup with too little on payoff, the film still is often quite fascinating and as with many Tsui films visually quite lustrous. The fact that it's not actually operatic may serve as mere "icing on the cake" for those not particularly well attuned (pun intended) to the "joys" of Chinese musical theater. Technical merits are generally very strong, and The Taking of Tiger Mountain comes Recommended.