Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		4.0
Audio		3.5
Extras		5.0
Overall		4.0

The Valiant Ones Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Jeffrey Kauffman June 12, 2024

Tony Rayns gives another interesting history lesson on a supplement included on this disc, but if part of that lesson surrounds the intrigue of late Ming Dynasty machinations embroiled with interloping Japanese, Rayns also perhaps intentionally discusses another bit of "warfare", albeit this time in the Hong Kong vs. Taiwan film industries, and specifically with regard to some Hong Kong rivalry between Shaw Brothers and Golden Harvest vis a vis the "career trajectory" of director King Hu. As Rayns (and, in passing, also commentator Frank Djeng) gets into, Hu was first hired by the Shaw Brothers in Hong Kong as a set decorator, but soon matriculated to other "roles", including rather appropriately with regard to that particular term as an actor. He apprenticed under Li Han-Hsiang, eventually earning the right to direct his own features, which resulted in Come Drink with Me (the link points to a nicely appointed Blu-ray release from Arrow, one which also includes more "edumacation" via a Tony Rayns commentary track). When the success of Come Drink With Me didn't lead to "proper" recognition of Hu by the folks at Shaw Brothers, Hu simply up and left the fold, following Li Han-Hsiang to Taiwan, where Hu's Dragon Inn and A Touch of Zen were shot. Dragon Inn was something of a cash cow and box office bonanza, but A Touch of Zen was initially not a huge success, until it suddenly invited reappraisal when it perhaps unexpectedly won the Technical Grand Prize at Cannes (along with being in the running for the Palme D'Or). All of this left Hu with a perhaps enviable reputation but still not a lot of opportunities, which ultimately led to a two film deal back in Hong Kong with Golden Harvest, then seen as a kind of "upstart" that was suddenly challenging the mighty Shaw Brothers. Rather interestingly in terms of the nuts and bolts of how these deals are made, Golden Harvest retained rights for The Fate of Lee Khan, while Hu was granted ownership of The Valiant Ones, a decision which according to Rayns did lead to some occasional cash infusions for Hu in the ensuing years.

All of the above information, along with a veritable glut of additional background contextual data about Hu offered in some of the other supplements on this disc, may admittedly not aid in any "understanding" of the film, which frankly may not need a bunch of explanation in any case since its narrative is so relatively straightforward. But it does offer some sense of Hu at a crossroads of sorts, and at least in some ways, while perhaps obviously made for "mass market consumption", The Valiant Ones may be a kind of quasi-personal statement by Hu, at least insofar as he almost willfully offers an epic sweep and visual virtuosity that might seem to be a thumb in the eye of the powers that be (and/or were) at Shaw Brothers, or even frankly Golden Harvest.

The story is rather like some of the above linked films, involving a good deal of court intrigue as Japanese (or Japanese-Chinese "hybrid") pirates wreak havoc along the Chinese coast in the waning days of the Ming Dynasty. (Among these bad guys is a very young Sammo Hung.) What is kind of fun in this enterprise is that a married couple, Wu Ji- yuan (Pai Ying) and Wu Ro-shi (Hsu Feng), are enlisted to aid in the martial arts mayhem. Hu's place in the history of wuxia films is covered in some detail in those aforementioned supplements, but one of the interesting things about his particular production is that while, yes, it offers some spectacular fight scenes, you can almost feel Hu attempting to reach into more of a "generalized" historical epic idiom that might not have to rely quite so much on smackdowns every ten minutes or so. As such, The Valiant Ones is one of the more gorgeously scenic films in Hu's output.

The Valiant Ones Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Note: Eureka! sent a check disc for purposes of this 1080 review, along with a retail final version of their simultaneously released 4K UHD version. I'm assuming that the reprinted verbiage from the 4K release matches what's found on the 1080 release.

The Valiant Ones is presented on Blu-ray courtesy of Eureka! Entertainment's Masters of Cinema imprint with an AVC encoded 2160p transfer in 2.35:1. The back cover of this release offers "digital restoration of the original negatives gifted by director King Hu to the Hong Kong Film Archive", while a prefatory text card before the feature presentation offers a bit more information, as follows:

In 1996, director King Hu gifted the 35mm original negative and soundtrack negative of The Valiant Ones to the Hong Kong Film Archive for permanent preservation.

The materials had numerous instances of damage, including loose splices and torn sprocket holes. The colour dyes in the emulsion of the original negative had also faded. However, the picture quality was considered to be in overall good condition.

The elements were painstakingly cleaned and repaired, and the colours graded digitally based on a 35mm print that had been colour timed using the original timing sheets.

In 2017, the Archive performed a 4K digital scan on the original negative and soundtrack negative.

In 2020, Italy's L'Immagine Ritrovata Asia laboratory was used to complete a 4K digital restoration. The restoration project included the careful removal of scratches, spots and instances of flickering, as well as digital colour grading. Background noise in the audio was also reduced.

Considering some of the foregoing verbiage, the results here are at times near miraculous, especially with regard to an often lustrous palette and lack of any really substantial age related wear and tear. The film's palette is presented gorgeously a lot of the time, and reds and blues in particular are incredibly vibrant. Hu tendency toward midrange and wide shots may admittedly deprive some moments from consistent fine detail, but overall things look excellent a lot of the time, and patterns and fabric textures on the luxe costumes and sets typically resolve well. There are some very noticeable ebbs and flows with regard to densities and clarity levels in particular, though having now watched the film in both 1080 and 4K UHD, the 1080 version probably offers an at least relatively less heterogeneous appearance. Grain is rather heavy at times, especially in opticals, but resolves without any major issues.

The Valiant Ones Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The Valiant Ones features LPCM Mono audio in the original Mandarin. The track definitely shows some boxiness and a bit of brightness bordering on brashness in the highest frequencies (most noticeable in some of the score), but there are no really pervasive signs of damage. Some of the cool percussive scoring combined with sound effects are very effective and resonate decently, if again in a somewhat boxy manner. Dialogue is rendered cleanly and clearly throughout. Optional English subtitles are available.

The Valiant Ones Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Audio Commentary by Frank Djeng


• Tony Rayns on The Valiant Ones (HD; 23:58) also addresses a number of related subjects like King Hu and the rivalry between Shaw Brothers and Golden Harvest.


• Tsar of all Wuxia (HD; 21:44) is another interesting piece by David Cairns which focuses on Hu.


• The Life of a Lucky Stuntman (HD; 20:54) is an interview with Billy Chan. Subtitled in English.


• My Father and I (HD; 25:50) is an interview with Ng Ming-choi, son of King Hu. Subtitled in English.


• Memories of Hu (HD; 26:15) is an archival 2003 interview with Roger Garcia. While not titled the same way as the two supplements below, this is another piece by Frédéric Ambroisine.


• Frédéric Ambroisine 2003 Interview with Hsu Feng (HD; 16:54) is subtitled in English, though Ambroisine asks questions in English.


• Frédéric Ambroisine 2016 Interview with Ng Ming-choi (HD; 4:18) follows suit with regard to subtitles and quesitons in English.

A nicely appointed insert booklet contains an interesting essay by Jonathan Clements. Packaging features a slipcover.

The Valiant Ones Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

As is discussed in some of the supplements included on this release, The Valiant Ones is often considered to be Hu's last "real" wuxia film, and as such it may be appropriately elegiac but it's also rather breathtakingly gorgeous. Whatever career challenges Hu may have been facing at this particular juncture in his long and varied career don't ever really show on screen. Technical merits are somewhat variable, though arguably less noticeably in this 1080 version than Eureka's 4K UHD release, but are still generally solid. The supplements are exceptional. Recommended.