King Hu's DRAGON INN
Details
DRAGON INN (1967)
4K Restoration!
Directed by: King Hu
Starring: Polly Shang-kuan, Shih Chun, Pai Ying, Hsu Feng, Tsao Chien
This screening is presented by Proctors & NYC's Subway Cinema as part of a series titled Flying Sword Heroes: Gravity-Defying Tales from Taiwan. This series will run from August 14-24 and all screenings are FREE of charge (tickets must be reserved online or at the Proctors box office).
Dragon Inn - King Hu’s razor-sharp, wuxia landmark that turned the lonely desert inn into a blood-soaked waiting room for destiny - marked the first time Hu fully incorporated the aesthetics and movement of Beijing Opera into his filmmaking, shaping a signature cinematic style, and setting the box office on fire in Taiwan and Hong Kong. When a power-mad eunuch executes a loyal general, the general’s kids become next on the chopping block. But not so fast—mysterious heroes start arriving at the remote Dragon Inn, where the wine flows cheap and the blades fly cheaper. Is that traveling swordsman just here for a drink, or to slice through a dozen assassins before dessert? (Spoiler: It’s both.)
With vast landscapes, balletic swordplay, and more tension than a teapot full of gunpowder, Dragon Inn redefined the martial arts movie, inspiring generations of filmmakers (Tsui Hark has been behind two separate reimaginings). And while the film’s prologue subtly frames its narrative as a timeless allegory - one of resistance against authoritarian rule, where forces of freedom challenge oppression - the result is pure pulp entertainment: arrows zing, doors slam, identities shift, and the body count climbs like a mountain monk on Red Bull. Not rated. 111 minutes.
Saturday, August 16 at 7pm
(also Saturday, August 23 at 2pm)
King Hu's DRAGON INN