After one of its lead actors (cherub-faced action icon Alexander Fu Sheng) unexpectedly died midway through production, fight-choreographer-turned-master-director Lau Kar-leung (The 36th Chamber of Shaolin) retooled his latest film, The 8 Diagram Pole Fighter, as the ultimate action spectacular in tribute to his young star. Loosely based upon the legendary Yang dynasty chronicled in Chinese folklore, the film starts as a family patriarch and all but two of his sons are brutally wiped out in a bloody battle with a rival family. One surviving son (Fu Sheng) returns to his mother and two sisters, driven mad with grief; the other (Gordon Liu) escapes and joins a nearby monastery while in hiding. Once he learns his sister (Kara Hui) has been captured by their enemies, however, the warrior-turned-monk realizes he must renounce his peaceful ideals in order to mount a rescue mission and avenge his family. One of Shaw Brothers’ final all-star martial arts epics before they ceased filmmaking altogether, The 8 Diagram Pole Fighter is often regarded as Lau’s masterpiece, as elegiac and suffused with anguish as it is thrillingly violent (not least in its bone-crunching, teeth-smashing climax).
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Video Quality
The 8 Diagram Pole Fighter comes to Blu-Ray with a gorgeous 1080p master derived from a 2K scan of the original camera negative. This new release stands as one of the strongest Shaw Brothers titles Arrow Video has released thus far with consistent color saturation and clarity throughout. The travels along the countryside really pop off the screen with its bright daytime palette. There are numerous moments of fine detail that will have you marveling at the intricate facets of the production design and costumes. There are only a couple of brief shots that present as a bit soft, likely an issue with the source elements available, but mostly the things remain remarkably clear. There is next to nothing in the way of wear and tear, and the film does not exhibit any chunky compression artifacts. The anamorphic framing can look slightly squeezed, and some of the darker moments give way to a small amount of crush. Arrow Video has done a fabulous job bringing this one to audiences.
Audio Quality
This Blu-Ray presents the film with a DTS-HD 1.0 Master Audio Mono track in Cantonese, Mandarin and English which all handle the material quite capably. Of the three tracks, the Cantonese seems to have the best overall presentation, while the English track fares the worst. The score mostly maintains a pleasing fidelity, but admittedly there are instances of harsh age related wear and tear at the highest amplitudes. Dialogue is mostly clear and easily distinguishable throughout the film, and the exaggerated sounds of fighting flow out with a vengeance. The film employs some hard-hitting sound effects in the mix that radiate out with clarity. This release does have optional English subtitles provided. Arrow Video has once again put their best foot forward to try to provide a stable presentation.
Special Features
The first pressing of the Arrow Video Blu-Ray of The 8 Diagram Pole Fighter includes a 24-page booklet featuring the essay “Wolves At The Door” by author Terrence J. Brady. This piece provides a great analysis of the film, performers and the behind the scenes details in a thoughtfully written style. The on-disc special features are as follows:
- Audio Commentary: Jonathan Clements, author of A Brief History of China, delivers a deeply informative commentary track in which he discusses the Yang dynasty chronicled in Chinese folklore, the hints at larger stories within the Yang legacy, the allusions to the theatrical productions of the story, the place this film occupies within the Shaw Brothers filmography, the careers of some of the performers involved, tragedies during the production, clarifying details on some historical points and more. This is a must-listen for those with even a small affection for the film, as you get to understand the film on a much deeper level.
- Tony Rayns On The 8 Diagram Pole Fighter: A new 23-minute appreciation piece from the film critic and historian in which he discusses the work of director Lau Kar-leung, the themes that spoke to him most, the death of Alexander Fu Sheng, the audience response to the film, the ties to Chinese history, the film as a tribute to its fallen star and more.
- Interview with Gordon Liu: A 20-minute archival interview with the lead actor (“Fifth Brother”) conducted in 2004 in which he talks about his experiences making The 8 Diagram Pole Fighter, the loss of Alexander Fu Sheng, the historical nature of the picture, the superstitions around filming tragedies, how the story had to evolve after the tragedy, the scenes that stick with him the most and more.
- Interview with Lily Li: A 33-minute archival interview with the actress (“Dowager She”) conducted in 2004 in which she discusses her work with director Lau Kar-leung, her initial struggle with martial arts, portraying a character much older than her actual age, memories of working on the film, what she had to learn for her performance, the legacy of the film and more.
- Interview with Yeung Ching-ching: A 32-minute archival interview with the actress (“Ninth Sister”) conducted in 2004 in which she discusses her early life and experiences with martial arts, her memories of Alexander Fu Sheng, the differences between working in television and film, and much more.
- A Tribute To Fu Sheng: A six-minute tribute to the career of Alexander Fu Sheng which played before certain showings of the film. This is presented from a German telecine, which was the only source that could be located for this release.
- Alternate Opening Credits: A four-minute alternate opening credits billed as The Invincible Pole Fighters.
- Trailer Gallery: This disc provides the Theatrical Trailer (4:15) and the Digital Reissue Trailer (1:09).
- Image Gallery: A collection of stills, behind-the-scenes photos and marketing material is provided here.
Final Thoughts
The 8 Diagram Pole Fighter is a film that has been marred by tragedy since its debut, which is especially a shame considering it is one of the best Shaw Brothers features I have seen to date. The story starts out with a bang as it utilizes historical conflicts to amplify the drama. From there, the narrative is endlessly engaging as it leads up to one of the most wonderfully brutal finales I have had the pleasure of seeing in some time. Arrow Video has released a Blu-Ray featuring a terrific A/V presentation and a great assortment of worthwhile features. If you are only going to seek out a handful of Shaw Brothers titles, make sure this one is near the top of the list. Highly Recommended
The 8 Diagram Pole Fighter is currently available to purchase on Blu-Ray.
Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the Blu-Ray.
Disclaimer: Arrow Video has supplied a copy of this set free of charge for review purposes. All opinions in this review are the honest reactions of the author.
Dillon is most comfortable sitting around in a theatre all day watching both big budget and independent movies.