Record Details
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Once upon a time in China and America

Tsui, Hark, 1950- (film producer.). Situ, Zhuohan, (screenwriter.). Hung, Samo, 1952- (film director.). Li, Jet, 1963- (actor.). Kwan, Rosamund, (actor.). Xiong, Xinxin, (actor.). Chen, Guobang, 1968- (actor.). Wolfe, Jeff, (actor.). Lu, Guanting, (composer (expression)). Gregg, Walter (Cinematographer), (director of photography.). Mak, Chi-Sin, (film editor.). Criterion Collection (Firm), (publisher.). Jet Li, Rosamund Kwan, Xiong Xin Xin, Chan Kwok Pong, Jeff Wolfe. (Cast).

One of the pinnacles of Hong Kong cinema's 1990s golden age, the Once Upon a Time in China series set a new standard for martial-arts spectacle and launched action star Jet Li to international fame. It brings to vivid life the colorful world of China in the late nineteenth century, an era of immense cultural and technological change, as Western imperialism clashed with tradition and public order was upended by the threats of foreign espionage and rising nationalism. Against this turbulent backdrop, one man, the real-life martial-arts master, physician, and folk hero Wong Fei-hung, emerges as a noble protector of Chinese values as the country hurtles toward modernity. Conceived by Hong Kong New Wave leader Tsui Hark, this epic cycle is not only a dazzling showcase for some of the most astonishing action set pieces ever committed to film but also a rousing celebration of Chinese identity, history, and culture. In this final movie of the series, martial arts master Wong Fei-Hung travels to the US to visit a martial arts branch that one of his disciples has set up. Along the way, he encounters a tribe of Native Americans who adopt him into their tribe and enlist his help in battling their enemies.

Blu-ray  - 2021
BLU FIC Once
1 copy / 0 on hold

Available Copies by Location

Location
Community Centre Available
  • Physical Description 1 videodisc (142 min.) : sound, color ; 4 3/4 in.
  • Edition Blu-ray edition.
  • Publisher [United States] : The Criterion Collection, [2021]

Content descriptions

General Note:
Title from container and IMDb.
Originally released by Hong Kong as a motion picture in 1997.
Wide screen.
Special edition features: The making of Once upon a time in China and America: a 1997 program detailing the production of Once upon a time in China and America that features director Sammo Hung, producer Tsui Hark, actor Jet Li and others; behind the scenes; trailer.
Creation/Production Credits Note:
Music, Lo Kung Ting ; cinematography, Walter Gregg ; film editing, Mak Chi Sin ; martial-arts direction. Sammo Hung.
Participant or Performer Note:
Jet Li, Rosamund Kwan, Xiong Xin Xin, Chan Kwok Pong, Jeff Wolfe.
System Details Note:
Blu-ray, region A; DTS-HD Master Audio; wide screen; requires Blu-ray player.
Language Note:
Cantonese or Mandarin dialogue; English subtitles; subtitled for the deaf and hard of hearing (SDH).