- English name：New Dragon Inn / Xin long men ke zhan / Dragon Inn / New Dragon Gate Inn / Sun lung moon hak chan / L’auberge du dragon / To pandoheio tou drakou
- Broadcast time：August 27, 1992
- Starring：梁家辉（Tony Leung Ka Fai）、张曼玉（Maggie Cheung）、林青霞（Brigitte Lin）、甄子丹（Donnie Yen）
- director：李惠民（Raymond Lee）
Introduction
Today,we are going to talk about a film named New Dragon Inn (新龙门客栈xīn lóngmén kèzhàn). A remake of and homage to King Hu’s 1967 swordplay classic. Produced by Tsui Hark (徐克Xú Kè), directed by Raymond Lee Wai-man, with choreography by Ching Siu-tung(程小东Chéng Xiăodōng). It’s an Eastern Western which anticipates Wong Kar-wai’s Ashes of Time, but without the latter’s deliberate slowness. Set in the Ming dynasty (明朝Míngcháo) during a time when eunuchs vied for power at court, the movie features Donnie Yen convincingly playing the chief eunuch Cao Shao-qin. After sadistically torturing the imperial military commander to death before his children, Cao chooses as his next target Zhou Huaian (Tony Leung Ka-fai), another military man. Zhou has organized a group of resistance fighters against the corrupt eunuchs, and Cao uses the deceased commander’s children to bait the trap to ensnare Zhou. other heroes Yen’s character is pitted against include Brigitte Lin as Zhou’s lover and comrade, and Maggie Cheung as the innkeeper who serves up dumplings stuffed with the meat of former complaining customers to newly arrived guests.
Stylishly filmed, the images are drenched in atmosphere, from the rustic and claustrophobic inn to the whipping winds and sands of the desert. Hundreds of horses and extras were used for the scene where Cao catches up to the couple and kids. The latter scenes were shot on location on the Mainland in the Dunhuang Desert and the town of Qingshui. These fight sequences, with twirling and twisting bodies flying through the air amid clouds of sand (courtesy of Ching Siu-tung’s signature wirework), are phenomenal. You’ll be guaranteed to gasp when Yen rises from the buried sands to take on the heroes. It’s a spectacular and surprising entrance, and Yen sustained a serious eye injury while executing the stunt. However, undeterred, he returned to continue filming the confrontation scene, taking on the stunt doubles for Brigitte Lin, Leung Ka-fai, and Maggie Cheung, and choreographing his own movements in this fight. It’s a whirling dervish of a scene. Furthermore, Yen exhibits masterful skill with two-handed straight sword forms, this weapon rarely being seen in films. Yen earlier trained in this style while studying in China.
Plot
In the late Ming Dynasty, eunuchs were in power. Cao Shaoqin of the East Factory forged an imperial edict and killed loyal officials. The chivalrous woman Qiu Moyan, the chivalrous man He Hu and others rescued the descendants of loyal officials and fled to Longmen Inn, where they met with Zhou Huaian, a subordinate of General Yang. Longmen Inn was a black shop in troubled times. The innkeeper Jin Xiangyu used her beauty and coquettishness as bait to kill people and rob goods to accumulate money, but she was sincere to Zhou Huaian. In order to find out the secret passage leading to the outside, Zhou Huaian agreed to marry Jin Xiangyu. On the wedding night, Zhou Huaian and Jin Xiangyu upstairs each had their own thoughts and competed secretly; Qiu Moyan, He Hu and others downstairs fought a life-and-death battle with the East Factory.
In the fierce battle, many people died. Cao Shaoqin rushed to the scene, and Qiu Moyan was shot and injured by arrows. Jin Xiangyu took Zhou Huaian, Qiu Moyan and two children and successfully escaped through the secret passage under the cover of Diao Buyu. When they rushed out of the secret passage, they were discovered by Cao Shaoqin. Jin Xiangyu entrusted the two children to Diao Buyu and asked them to leave. The three of them joined forces to fight against Cao Shaoqin. Qiu Moyan died in the battle. Zhou Huaian, Jin Xiangyu and Diao Buyu defeated Cao Shaoqin together. After recovering from his injuries, Zhou Huaian left Longmen Inn. In the end, Jin Xiangyu set fire to Longmen Inn and left with Zhou Huaian.
Professional evaluation
Positive reviews
1、Although the film was only nominated for the Best Art Design at the 29th Golden Horse Awards, the scenes of the desert, the vast Gobi Desert, the cramped space, and the ingenious passages in the film still left a deep impression on the audience. In terms of the fighting scenes, which are the highlight of martial arts movies, almost every fight scene in New Dragon Inn is like flowing water, showing the martial arts movements neatly and agilely, which is amazing. The Golden Horse Award for “Best Martial Arts Director” is well deserved.
2、The classic version of “New Dragon Inn” is reborn on the big screen. The various connections spanning twenty years have made it an eternal reference point that must be compared.
3、”New Dragon Inn” is a masterpiece of Hong Kong’s new martial arts movies. Jin Xiangyu sings loudly while sitting on the roof with her thighs exposed, and the chef Tartar removes the calf of the Dongchang eunuch until only the bones are left… These scenes are unforgettable for many movie fans, as if they have seen “the best time of Chinese martial arts movies”.
4、Regardless of any hardware upgrades, the most important factor that makes classics last forever is the wonderful story. New Dragon Inn brings out all the advantages of Hong Kong martial arts films at their peak: the vast desert, the gathering of masters, the narrow space, the battle of wits and courage, the love between young men and women, and the country for generations – all the classic symbols of martial arts films are magnified to the extreme.
Negative reviews
1、The old films that have been released one after another on the big screen are hard to escape the suspicion of being “rehashed”. “This type of film is not very new to the audience, and the response in the market will not be very positive. After all, the audience prefers to see innovative films.”
2、At present, the market expectations for the re-screening of old films in China are not too high. “Its target group is mainly martial arts fans, or audiences who have a complex about classic films. For most audiences, if the ticket price is the same, they may choose new films, and the re-screening of old films will not become the mainstream of the market.”
