On June 16, 2025, Eureka is releasing the Blu-ray (Region A/B) for Po-Chih Leong’s 1984 film, Hong Kong 1941, which stars Cecilia Yip (Nomad), Alex Man (Rich and Famous) and Chow Yun-fat (The Killer) in his breakout role.
A versatile British-Chinese filmmaker whose career has spanned nearly fifty years, Po-Chih Leong has worked in a variety of genres, from action in Foxbat to horror in The Island, comedy in Ping Pong and the gangster movie in Shanghai 1920, which was nominated for Best Feature at the Chicago International Film Festival. His masterpiece, though, is Hong Kong 1941.
Produced by Sammo Hung, Hong Kong 1941 follows three Hongkongers forced to negotiate life under occupation as their homeland falls to the Imperial Japanese Army during World War II. Ha Yuk-nam (Yip) is a young woman locked in a love triangle with her close friends Yip Kim-fei (Chow) and Wong Hak-keung (Man). As they dream of escape, their complicated personal relationships play out against the background of oppression and brutality that was brought to Hong Kong by Japanese rule between 1941 and 1945.
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. The Masters of Cinema series is honoured to present the film on Blu-ray for the first time outside of Asia.
Features:
- Limited Edition [2000 copies]
- Limited edition O-card slipcase featuring new artwork by Time Tomorrow
- Limited edition collector’s booklet featuring new writing on Hong Kong 1941 and Po-Chih Leong by Gary Bettinson, editor of Asian Cinema journal
- Presented in 1080p HD from a brand new 4K restoration
- Original Cantonese mono audio track
- Optional English dub
- Optional English subtitles, newly translated for this release
- New audio commentary by East Asian film expert Frank Djeng (NY Asian Film Festival)
- Hong Kong 1984 – new video essay by Tony Rayns on the contemporary impact of Hong Kong 1941
- Archival interview with Chow Yun-fat
- Archival interview with Cecilia Yip
- Original theatrical trailer
This title will soon be available at The Goodie Emporium, a U.S.-based online store that currently has many Import Shaw Brothers/Golden Harvest/martial arts DVD/Blu-ray movies in-stock – with New titles being added regularly!
Watch the Trailer below:
Now that’s a good HK title!
I usually don’t like new covers (specially the artsy fartsy ones), but I find this one pretty good!
By the same director I also like The wisdom of crocodiles a lot.