MFAH Film Emperors Treasures: Dragon Inn

Museum of Fine Arts, Houston presents the Emperors’ Treasures series. Complementing the exhibition Emperors’ Treasures: Chinese Art from the National Palace Museum, Taipei, this film series brings to the big screen sparkling digital restorations of two classics of the wuxia (martial arts) genre by legendary filmmaker King Hu, as well as Ang Lee’s extraordinary Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon.

Dragon Inn

Director King Hu
Released 1967
Language in Mandarin with English subtitles
Country Taiwan
Running Time 111 minutes
Format DCP, Color
Website http://www.janusfilms.com/

During the Ming dynasty, the emperor’s minister of defense is framed by a powerful court eunuch and executed, and his family is pursued by secret police.

In the ensuing chase, a mysterious band of strangers begins to gather at the remote Dragon Gate Inn, where paths (and swords) will cross.

Hu encouraged his martial arts choreographers to draw from the alternately fluid and rhythmic movements of Chinese opera. Rather than resorting to fast or slow motion, footage printed backward, animation, or other early special-effects techniques, the filmmaker relied as much as possible on the actual skills of his performers and on the magic of editing.

Read about the influence of Dragon Inn.

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