Written by Ni Kuang, Chang Cheh and Chin Shu-mei, The Delightful Forest is actually a restaurant in a small town. It is also a place where gambling and prostitution is accepted. But, wuxia fans know it as the movie in which Ti Lung steals the show as Wu Song, a lone warrior who believes wine makes him stronger, all while Ennio Morricone’s Once Upon A Time In The West theme gets recycled!
Wu Song is an admirable man, always taking responsibility for his actions, so when he is captured for killing the two people who plotted against and killed his brother in the opening few minutes of the movie, he accepts the punishment. It is really, really hard not to like Lung’s dedication to the character. He’s fearless without being obnoxious and bold without announcing himself. It works to create an unforgettable character who finds himself in an ever increasing situation that is full of danger as he agrees to cleanse a restaurant and hand it back to its original owner.
And it is all because a kindly officer Shih En (Tien Ching) sees another path for Wu Song, making his stay at the prison as comfortable as possible, as long as Song will help him get rid of a local thug Door God Chiang Chung (Chu Mu), who has the support from the Meng officials and military trainers in a place called Delightful Forest, where he has an interest in a gambling ring.
But Chiang Chang is as wily as he is resourceful and plans and plots against Wu Song, targeting him for a frame job which will get him sent back to prison.
Co-directed by Chang Cheh and Pao Hsueh-li and full of great moments with a broadsword, The Delightful Forest is the Shaw Brothers attempt to get a bit more hand-to-hand fighting scenes in the typical wuxia, while at the same time keeping their hero tied and bound. It proves to be quite entertaining as Cheh keeps coming up with different ways for Lung to fight while still being trapped in a pillory.
It’s great fun for us - as the choreography is amazing - and plenty enough for Ti Lung who gets to display his Wing Chun style of martial arts throughout this action flick. This situation for the star proves to be brutal in the best moments as it leads to a stunning and epically violent showdown between Lung and Chang, where no amount of cleaning is going to get the red out of those walls.
The Delightful Forest is now on blu-ray thanks to the efforts of Shout Factory, who include the film in their second spectacular box set comprising 12 classic martial arts films from the famous Shaw Brothers' library. The set also features some of their greatest stars Cheng Pei-pei (Come Drink With Me), Lo Lieh (King Boxer), Sammo Hung (Wheels On Meals), David Chiang (The Boxer From Shantung), and Lung himself. Many of these films are debuting for the first time on Blu-ray.
The Delightful Forest is the exiled martial arts film you never knew you needed.
Home Video Distributor: Shout Factory
Available on Blu-ray - August 15, 2023
Screen Formats: 2.35:1
Subtitles: English
Audio: Mandarin: DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 Mono; English: DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 Mono
Discs: Blu-ray Disc; 12-disc set
Region Encoding: Locked to Region A
Video
Presented in a 2.35:1 aspect ratio, The Delightful Forest, gets its hands bloody and never once rinses its fists as beauty is birthed in this same blood, all with its audience in mind. The poetry on display comes through in the village at the center of this school rivalry film, the crispness of the interiors and the haunting exteriors in which some barren hills become a playground full of blood, and the sudden violence which echoes throughout the film, including its big finale. Black levels are strong throughout, bringing out nice details in both the loud and quiet moments of this epic adventure. The tracking shots are glorious to behold in 1080p.
Audio
The audio is presented in a clean lossless Mandarin mono audio, an alternate Mandarin soundtrack, and original English dubbed audio are also included.
Supplements:
Get ready for some exciting thrills and chills as heroes meet villains in a duel to the death!
Commentary:
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There are two new commentaries. See below for the details!
Special Features:
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NEW Audio Commentary With Cult Film Critic Ian Jane
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NEW Audio Commentary With Film Historian Brian Bankston (Cool Ass Cinema Blog)
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Celestial Trailer
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Composite Blu-ray Grade
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MPAA Rating: R.
Runtime: 93 mins
Director: Cheh Chang; Hsueh-Li Pao
Writer: Cheh Chang; Shu-Mei Chin; Kuang Ni
Cast: Lung Ti; Mu Chu; Ching Tien
Genre: Action | Drama
Tagline:
Memorable Movie Quote:
Distributor: Shaw Brothers
Official Site:
Release Date:
DVD/Blu-ray Release Date: September 20, 1972
Synopsis: The legendary hero Wu Sung (Ti Lung) was sent to the prison in Meng province after murdering his sister-in-law and her lover. There he was acquainted with the prison officer Shih En (Tien Ching), who saved Wu from the baton punishment required for new prisoners. Wu found out that Shih's restaurant "Delightful Forest" was taken by Chiang Chung (Chu Mu)...
