Shanghai Blues | Blu-ray (Vinegar Syndrome)
Later this month, Vinegar Syndrome/Film Movement is releasing the 4K Ultra HD + Blu-ray for Shanghai Blues, a 1984 classic from Tsui Hark (The Raid, Dangerous Encounters of the First Kind).
The film will presented in a New 4K restoration, supervised from the original negative by Tsui Hark with L’Immagine Ritrovata and the soundtrack remixed by One Cool Sound.
Beginning against the backdrop of the Second Sino-Japanese War, the inimitable Tsui’s kinetic, ultra-stylish screwball comedy/historical romance/backstage musical—beautifully restored for the occasion of its 40th anniversary—is one of the most zestily entertaining and exuberantly colorful works of 1980s Hong Kong cinema. Kenny Bee’s nightclub clown and would-be songwriter meets-cute with chanteuse Sylvia Chang under a bridge during a 1937 bombing raid and the two make plans to find each other 10 years later, only to have their reunion in devastated postwar Shanghai elaborately and often hilariously complicated by intervening fate. An incredibly tender and terribly funny film, with Cantopop diva Sally Yeh giving a particularly inspired turn as Chang’s scatterbrained roommate.
Features:
- 2-disc Set: 4K Ultra HD / Region A Blu-ray
- Interviews with director/producer Tsui Hark and film coordinator O Sing Pui
- Commentary by Hong Kong film expert Frank Djeng
- 16-page booklet with essay by film writer John Charles
- English subtitles
Watch the Trailer below:
I keep confusing this movie for Peking Opera Blues even though that came out 2 years later. (And often shares the same title as this one!)
Is Tsui Hark mellowing out about his previous films? In the past he’s been very critical of his own work and always finds something to dislike about them. It’s great to see that he’s involved in the restoration here.
Although Shanghai Blues is set the 30s Shanghai during the Japanese invasion and Peking Opera Blues is set after the fall of the Qing Dynasty around 1911, they both are screwball comedies as well as Sally yeh starring in both. Apparently a 3rd movie in this “loose trilogy” was planned but never made. Plus they are more niche and harder to find than Tsui’s martial arts masterpeices so its easy to mix the two if you havent seen them in a while.
As for mellowing in old age….probably. He hasn’t made a half decent movie since Seven Swords which is 20 years ago now. If he’s still being cirtical of his own work, he should have burnt the negatives for his contribution to the Lake Changjin movies.
I have to watch Shanghai Blues, but calling Peking Opera Blues a screwball comedy dismisses everything else about it. The movie was a perfect example of the genre mixing that only Hong Kong could do. One moment the movie is a serious drama, then its’s light hearted, then it’s screwball, and theres even moments of action and near tragedy.
If Shanghai Blues is similar in that regard, it gives me something to look forward to.
No one is dismissing anything about Peking Opera Blues – calling it a screwball comedy is only negative in your head. Next time I’ll call it a historical action adventure comedy with sprinkles of political intrigue and allegory about the then upcoming 1997 handover if that helps.
PS who’s you’re number 1 fan who keeps downvoting all your comments LOL
That’s like Paul McCartney saying his new songs are better than stuff he’s done with the Beatles. lol Peak Tsui Hark is Dangerous Encounters of the First Kind and KNOCK OFF lol
He hasn’t made a half decent movie “since Seven Swords”
I really like his Detective Dee trilogy (loved the third one).
And I can’t wait to see his latest one, if it entertains me for two hours without boring me, that would be already nice.
P.S.: One scene from Shanghai blues has been edited out of the movie, but you can watch it in the bonus ((cf. French Blu-Ray from Spectrum Films).
That’s the opera “Darlie toothpaste scene?
The “black face” scene. On Tsui Hark’s demand.
It’ll probably be the same on the Vinegar syndrome release.