Dragon Inn 4K 1967

Several good people defending themselves in a tavern. Evil eunuchs attacking the heroes. Exciting battles. Colorful flowers. Richness of each frame despite the modest plot. The final battle is characterized by a strange confrontation: several heroes literally destroy one eunuch, who puts up a very worthy fight.

So, we have both a simple story and one of the most worthy examples of the genre. The film is very well made. But as I watched, I was afraid to voice my assumptions. Fortunately, my little son, passing by the screen, put everything in its place: “Dad, are those Indians?” And indeed, they are. Close-ups preceding the duel, camera angles, meaningful pauses before the final battle, wide-brimmed hats... And there are many other points. A very serious interweaving of elements from Westerns.

At the same time, there are no direct references to famous Westerns here. Hu camouflaged everything, making the picture itself much more interesting precisely because of the interweaving of Western aesthetics into the film. However, I rank this film lower than King Hu's previous work, “Let's Go Drink with Me.” To my taste, this film is too long, which does not correspond to the plot. And the plot here is not very interesting. The main thing is the visual aesthetics of the fights (of which there will be plenty) and the historical period.