Hong Kong Film Archive screens "The Valiant Ones"

Early Treasures: Celebrating UNESCO's World Day for Audiovisual Heritage
Presented by:  Hong Kong Film Archive

Introduction

Preserving the heritage of Hong Kong cinema has always been a major goal of the Hong Kong Film Archive. In support of the World Day for Audiovisual Heritage, we are presenting one of the Archive's priced titles, The Valiant Ones (1975).

In 2005, the United Nations Education, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) designated October 27 of every year as the World Day for Audiovisual Heritage. It is an important part of a global effort to raise awareness of audiovisual documents as an integral part of national identities, the fragility of these documents and the urgent need to protect them.

Film Screening: The Valiant Ones

Dir / Scr: King Hu
Cast: Hsu Feng, Bai Ying, Roy Chiao, Wu Jiaxiang
1975 / Colour / 35mm / Mandarin / Chi & Eng Subtitles / 107min

After the success of A Touch of Zen (1971), King Hu returned to Hong Kong to work on two wuxia films: The Fate of Lee Khan (1973) and The Valiant Ones (1975), which took on totally different approaches. The former centres around the studio setting of an inn, while latter tries out another aesthetic treatment by using mostly location shooting around deserted islands or the countryside. The plot is simple: central Government sends a bunch of officials to clean up invading Japanese pirates, prompting a series of tactics, conspiracies and strategic workings to surface. Besides a tragic plot that gradually reveals treachery, cunning traps and tricky scheming, the film is a must-see if you are keen on martial arts choreography that creatively deploy editing skills like jump cuts, rhythmic portrayal of action and unusual camera perspectives. This is a film that carries not only the signature of King Hu, but also his belief that the righteous fighters will leave their marks in history.

This screening is showing a brand new copy that just went through wet-gate printing this year. Special thanks to Mr Raymond Chow who has sponsored the printing process of this film.

Screening Schedule

Date: 27/10 (Sat)
Time: 14:00
Venue: Cinema, Hong Kong Film Archive

Website: http://www.lcsd.gov.hk/ce/CulturalService/filmprog/english/2012et/2012et...