Hard Boiled 4K premiere at London East Asia Film Festival

It was such a joy was to experience the new restoration of Hard Boiled on the big screen at the opening gala of this year’s London East Asia Film Festival. First unveiled in Cannes recently as part of their Classics strand, this hugely influential piece of action cinema looked stunning, presented in 4K on the big screen at Odeon Luxe Leicester Square.

Shot by action maestro John Woo at the peak of his powers, flying high off a winning streak which included A Better Tomorrow I & II, The Killer and Bullet in the Head, and just a year or so before breaking Hollywood with Hard Target, it shows a master filmmaker operating at the highest level of his craft.

Such an occasion has, of course, been made possible with the recent acquisition of the Golden Princess movie library by Shout! Studios in North America, securing worldwide rights to a vast catalogue spanning 156 highly sought-after classics from the golden age. By extension, a deal was closed between Shout! and Arrow Films for UK releases, very exciting news for fans, promising the best versions of these films to date, not to mention a wealth of bonus materials.

Experiencing Hard Boiled on the big screen was a treat and this stacked cast, headlined by Chow Yun Fat and Tony Leung, exude the style and charisma we’ve come to love from our eastern cinema heroes. What felt particularly special was being there among so many friends; established filmmakers, critics, veterans, newbies, all of whom were brought together experiencing what many consider to be the pinnacle of Hong Kong action cinema. Trust me when I say the ripple effect of this film is still felt today.

As visceral as I remember it, this restoration serves as a crucial recap on how the meticulous care in this “bullet ballet”, as it would come to be known, set a benchmark around the world. The legendary hospital finale deserves a study in its own right, a collaboration of visual storytelling, physical performances, action choreography, stunts, camera work, production design and practical FX. Revisiting the film in all its renewed glory, there's no doubt why it holds iconic status. Often imitated, never surpassed.

The London East Asia Film Festival was established in 2015 as a non-profit arts organisation to champion the growing collaboration and diversity in East Asian filmmaking. Celebrating 10 years this year, LEAFF champions this collaboration with a philosophy marking a shift in the cinematic landscape of East Asia, transcending cultural and cinematic borders with diverse film programming from over 13 countries. Thank you to LEAFF for giving us the opportunity to see this on the big screen.