A Touch of Zen, that was completed after years in production, was shortened by an hour at the insistence of producer and distributors, but at its premiere in Cannes was still three hours long. With its beautiful long shots linked by almost invisible editing, it is a high light from King Hu’s sizeable oeuvre.
In the 14th century at the time of the Ming dynasty, the young Yang (Hsu Feng) moves into a deserted fortress. She befriends the mother of the young writer Ku. One evening she invites Ku and spends the night with him. In the morning they are startled by a warrior and they only just manage to escape with their lives. Yang explains that she is fleeing from the imperial spies who murdered her father. She is waiting for the right moment to take her revenge. She succeeds in the end with the aid of Buddhist monks.
Film details
Productieland
Taiwan
Jaar
1969
Festivaleditie
IFFR 1995
Lengte
178'
Medium/Formaat
35mm
Taal
Mandarin
Première status
None
Director
King Hu
Producer
Sha Jung-Feng
Screenplay
King Hu
Editing
King Hu
Production company
Union Film Company, International Film Company
Sales / World rights holder
Films Sans Frontières
Cinematography
Hua Hui-ying, Chou Yeh-Hsing
Music
King Ng-tai
Principal cast
Hsu Feng, Shih Chun, Bai Ying, Tien Peng, Roy Chiao, Zhang Bing-yu, Xue Han