Paula Hammond - Features EditorOver the last few years, Eureka has been offering fans of Hong Kong cinema lush, new, high-definition releases of everything from kick-ass classics to little-known gems. And this June’s offering is something rather special.
Hong Kong 1941 arrives on blu-ray for the first time outside of Asia, in a new restoration, which proves, once again, that Eureka really know how to deliver when it comes to 4k releases.
Produced by the legendary Sammo Hung, Hong Kong 1941 follows the stories of three Hongkongers, forced to negotiate life under occupation as their homeland falls to the Imperial Japanese Army during World War II. Ha Yuk-nam (Cecilia Yip, Nomad) is a young woman locked in a love triangle with her close friends Yip Kim-fei (Chow Yun-fat) and Wong Hak-keung (Alex Man). As they dream of escape, their complicated personal relationships play out against the background of oppression and brutality.
Director Po-Chih Leong has worked in a variety of genres, from action (Foxbat) to horror (The Island), from comedy (Ping Pong) to the gangster movie Shanghai 1920. However, Hong Kong 1941 is undoubtedly his masterpiece.
A story of loyalty and love, Leong’s film deals with one of the darkest periods in Hong Kong’s history and was nominated for no less than eight awards at the 1985 Hong Kong Film Awards – winning for its breathtaking cinematography by Brian Lai (The Postman Strikes Back). It also launched Chow Yun-fat to stardom two years before his first collaboration with John Woo in A Better Tomorrow.
Empire Magazine wrote: If Michael Bay and the screenwriters of Pearl Harbour ever wanted to learn how to transpose a love triangle over the top of WWII events, they should have looked to this effort from producer Sammo Hung” They’re not wrong. This is a class act, that starts strong and just keeps on delivering.
This critically acclaimed masterpiece comes to blu-ray as part of The Masters of Cinema Series from 16th June, with in a Limited edition release of 2000 copies.
