The Film: Every ten years a duel between the leading Chinese and Japanese swordsmen takes place. At one time, for both sides, it was a matter of pride to show the superior fighting ability taught in each country. But, this time, as the fickle feuding between the two countries comes to a boil, for the duelists, the duel becomes much more than National dignity; it becomes a matter of personal honor, and of life or death.

The two men could not contrast more. On the Chinese side you have Po Ching Wang (Damian Lau- Last Hurrah for Chivalry, Zu Warriors), a mellow swordsman, who takes pride in his fighting skill but not the results, the injuries, the combative way of life. On the Japanese side, there is the stern and proud Hashimoto (Norman Chu- Returnof the Deadly Blade, Tiger on a Beat) who takes fighting as a deadly serious and formal way of life, abiding by the rules of "Don't pity your opponent- Fight fearlessly- and Death, be it yours or your opponents, is the only honor."

The two meet where the duel has taken place for generations, the Holy Sword House, and strike up an odd bond. After looking at the cave where the previous fighters names are etched, they stand in the graveyard of the fallen duelists, where Po observes that Death is the only real winner- a fighters life is a futile struggle of constant challenges until the day you are defeated, death your only relief. Hashimoto agrees, but does not see the struggle as futile; he sees it as destiny, the action of proving oneself (and ones teachers), and the ultimate glory of being a fighter, death being a reward, not a relief. Hampering the duel, are the appearances of Japanese ninjas, who attack the Chinese fighters converging on the location to watch the duel, and even attempt to assassinate Po. For Hashimoto, it is a serious blow, his own countrymen defiling the duel. But, as Po begins to see hints of betrayal in the bitter lord of Holy Sword House, it may not just be the Japanese alone that are backstabbing. Both men find themselves clashing with much more than each other, but with the limits of their loyalty to their countries, to themselves and their personal ethics. Eventually the two converge on an isolated, rocky, seaside cliff, fighter against fighter, man against man, nationality and background becoming meaningless. As the waves crash and seas mist envelops them, the two men clash in one of the greatest finales in Hong Kong action.

What really makes Duel to the Death (1982) great is its culture clash and philosophy of fighting storyline which serves as an ideal backdrop to the wild, fantasy-laced, action. It strays from the usual HK classic action themes of revenge, government feuding, or master-teacher relationships, and adds different motivational meat for the characters to chew on. And, even without the good story, the action scenes themselves are bursting with imagination, energy, and an eye-popping freshness that still seems new today, some twenty years later. It is, in every sense of the word, a Hong Kong classic.

The Man behind it: Duel to the Death director, Ching Siu Tung, is a Hong Kong visionary. He may not have the reputation and notoriety of Tsui Hark, John Woo, or Wong Kar Wai, but in the realm of HK fantasy and action choreography he was a director who took things a step further. He inherited the mantle of over the top action from Chang Cheh and pushed the gore and gravity defying limits. Ching Siu Tung's camera can often be just as alive and frantic as any living creature in front of it, yet, it can also be serene and simple framing a well composed image (In the only interview I've ever read with him, he complained how in HK he was chided for taking too long to set up shots). He directs action scenes like a funhouse proprietor, you never know what is just around the corner- a character is stabbed only to explode, a character is cut in two only to reveal another person behind him, a 12 foot tall ninja breaks apart in to six men, falling leaves become a hail of throwing stars. At his best, Ching Siu Tung is unpredictable, always keeping you guessing, and usually at a mile a minute pace that leaves you dazzled. Duel to the Death is a precursor to the work he would do in the late 80's early 90's with the Chinese Ghost Story Trilogy, Swordsman 2, East is Red and as action choreographer on Heroic Trio, Executioners, and Comet Butterfly and Sword, films which helped spawn and continue the new wave revolution of Hong Kong fantasy.

The DVD: MegsStar (US import by Tai Seng)

Picture- Letterboxed, showing some signs of wear, speckles, washed out with low contrast. Overall when compared to video the sharpness and color are great. Still, it is a budget print of a twenty year old HK film, one that needs some care and better treatment.

Sound- Little fuzzy but decent 5.1 Dolby Digital, Mandarin, Cantonese, and English dub audio. Subtitle Options- Simplified and Traditional Chinese, English and Japanese.

Extras- About the Film Synopsis. Cast and Crew list with Ching Siu Tung Bio. 9 Chapters. Trailers for the film, as well as Magnificent Butcher, Last Hurrah for Chivalry, Heroes Shed no Tears, and Naked Killer.

***Its pretty interesting to watch the film both with the English dub and English subs and see the disparity between the two, how easily different dialogue translation can change the film. For instance, consider how a character speaks, "You cant kill us all." in the subtitles, but says, "A Zen monk feels no pain." in the English dub?!? And, oddly enough, I own a Tai Seng subbed video of Duel to the Death, with completely different subs, making yet again, a different interpretation. I guess the best advice as far as languages, the English dub makes the story easy to follow, but watching it in Cantonese with English Subs gives you a better sense of the mood/tone of the film and characters.***