When Johnnie To pays tribute to Akira Kurosawa
Party animal and notorious alcoholic, manager of a club that is crumbling under debt, Sze-To was in a former life a great judo champion. One evening arrives Tony, a young and enthusiastic judoka who wishes to challenge the ex-prodigy. The next day, it's the turn of Mona, an apprentice singer who has decided to perform in her club. These two newcomers will give Sze-To renewed energy and hope to face Kong, the opponent he should have fought two years ago, before giving up judo...
With Judo (Throw Down) , the very prolific director Johnnie To signs a captivating work at the crossroads of genres, between martial arts film, urban thriller and dramatic comedy. The Hong Kong filmmaker pays tribute here to Akira Kurosawa's first film, The Legend of Great Judo (1943). With the humanism and visual mastery that characterize the latter's work, Johnnie To delivers a touching fable about a man's courage and determination to regain his self-esteem. To be discovered for the first time on Blu-ray™ in its sublime 4K restoration!
JUDO by Johnnie To
(2004 - Colors - 96 mn - VOST + VF)
New 4K Restoration
Available on Blu-ray & DVD.
Limited Blu-ray edition with slim digipack and slipcase.
SUPPLEMENTS (IN HD) *
. INTERVIEW WITH JOHNNIE TO (40 mins)
Director Johnnie To looks back on the story and characters of Judo , discusses key scenes from the film, and talks about his aesthetic choices, his direction of actors, and the influence of Kurosawa's cinema.
. MAKING-OF (11 mins)
A dive into the heart of the shooting of Judo in the company of the director and the main actors of the film.
. ORIGINAL TRAILER
*in HD on the Blu-ray Disc™ version
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BD 50 • HIGH DEFINITION MASTER • 1080/23.98p • AVC ENCODING
Original Version / French Version DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 • French Subtitles Format 2.35 respected • Colors • Length of Film: 96 mins
DVD 9 • NEW RESTORED MASTER • PAL • MPEG-2 ENCODING
Original Version / French Version Dolby Digital 5.1 • French Subtitles
2.35 format respected • 16/9 compatible 4/3 • Colors • Film length: 92 mins
Released January 27, 2021
Also available in the JANUARY MONTHLY PACK
