Acclaimed war drama Hong Kong 1941 on Eureka Blu-ray in June
8 April 2025
Eureka Entertainment has announced the release of Hong Kong 1941 (Dang doi lai ming, 1984), the critically acclaimed masterpiece starring Chow Yun-fat, Cecilia Yip and Alex Man, presented on Blu-ray from a brand new 4K restoration. It wil be available as part of The Masters of Cinema series in June in the UK and North America in a Limited edition of 2000 copies exclusively featuring an O-card slipcase and collector’s booklet.
A versatile British-Chinese filmmaker whose career has spanned nearly fifty years, Po-Chih Leong has worked in a variety of genres, from action in Foxbat to horror in The Island, comedy in Ping Pong and the gangster movie in Shanghai 1920, which was nominated for Best Feature at the Chicago International Film Festival. His masterpiece, though, is Hong Kong 1941 – an affecting war drama starring Cecilia Yip (Nomad), Alex Man (Rich and Famous) and Chow Yun-fat (The Killer) in his breakout role.
Produced by Sammo Hung, Hong Kong 1941follows three Hongkongers forced to negotiate life under occupation as their homeland falls to the Imperial Japanese Army during World War II. Ha Yuk-nam (Yip) is a young woman locked in a love triangle with her close friends Yip Kim-fei (Chow) and Wong Hak-keung (Man). As they dream of escape, their complicated personal relationships play out against the background of oppression and brutality that was brought to Hong Kong by Japanese rule between 1941 and 1945.
A story of loyalty and love, Leong’s film deals with one of the darkest periods in Hong Kong’s history and was nominated for no less than eight awards at the 1985 Hong Kong Film Awards – winning for its breathtaking cinematography by Brian Lai (The Postman Strikes Back). It also launched Chow Yun-fat to stardom two years before his first collaboration with John Woo in A Better Tomorrow. The Masters of Cinema series is presenting the film on Blu-ray for the first time outside of Asia.
Hong Kong 1941 will be released on Blu-ray by Eureka Entertainment as part of the Masters of Cinema series on 16 June 2025 in the UK and 17 June 2025 in North America, at the RRP of £22.99 for the UK release and $39.95 for the North American release.
LIMITED EDITION BLU-RAY SPECIAL FEATURES:
Limited edition of 2000 copies
Limited edition O-card slipcase featuring new artwork by Time Tomorrow
Limited edition collector’s booklet featuring new writing on Hong Kong 1941 and Po-Chih Leong by Gary Bettinson, editor of Asian Cinema journal
Presented in 1080p HD from a brand new 4K restoration
Original Cantonese mono audio track
Optional English dub
Optional English subtitles, newly translated for this release
New audio commentary by East Asian film expert Frank Djeng (NY Asian Film Festival)
Hong Kong 1984 – new video essay by Tony Rayns on the contemporary impact of Hong Kong 1941
