A Touch of Zen
Where the DNA of A Touch of Zen travels
Films that shaped it
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Hu himself acknowledged a debt to Kurosawa, particularly for 'Seven Samurai' (1954).
Films it shaped
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When I think of influences, one of the main influences I have is Wong Kar-wai. His ability to make period pieces feel so immediate. Also, his framing is just really distinct and specific and always feels beautiful. In 'Ashes of Time,' 'In the Mood for Love,' 'Happy Together,' 'Chungking Express,' he has this way of creating a distinct visual language that I'm just so envious of.
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I learned a great deal from King Hu’s films, especially his wuxia work like A Touch of Zen.
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Jenkins replied that he watched [The Assassin] with his cinematographer James Laxton, and they studied how Hou would break a scene into four or five different shots. The director was particularly fascinated by the way Hou used foregrounds and midgrounds to create depth and frame characters.
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Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon Atlas note
We looked at a lot of martial arts films. We looked at a lot of Hong Kong action films, King Hu films. I mean, Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon is a giant one, which is kind of combining that stuff with more emotional, slower storytelling.
