DRAGON INN is set during the Ming dynasty. The emperor’s minister of defense is framed by a powerful court eunuch and executed. Soon after, the minister’s children are hunted by a clan of elite assassins known as the Black Arrow Troop. The ensuing chase takes them to the remote Dragon Gate Inn, where mysterious strangers begin to gather and paths—and swords—soon cross. Cinematographer Hua Hui-ying’s (A Touch of Zen) masterful compositions capture tightly choreographed set pieces, each one more splendorous than the last, and Chen Hung-min’s innovative editing makes characters appear to literally fly through the air.
A clear inspiration for Ang Lee’s Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, Quentin Tarantino’s Kill Bill, and many others, this thrilling landmark of film history was named one of the top 10 Chinese films of all time in the 2011 Golden Horse Film Festival survey of filmmakers and industry professionals. Dragon Inn forever changed the Chinese wuxia genre, and now returns to the screen in a new, beautifully restored digital transfer created from the original negative.
Dragon Inn has had a $4K restoration of the King Hu classic. This makes its North American theatrical premiere in a two-week exclusive engagement, May 6-19