When John Woo’s The Killer finally showed up in America, Chow Yun-fat became the new face of action. I made a trip over to Dave’s Videodrome in Carrboro, NC to try to find more of Chow’s movies on VHS. While there were a few on the shelves, I have no memory of a box for Hong Kong 1941. Chow, Cecilia Yip (Nomad), Alex Man (Hong Kong, Hong Kong) must deal with the Japanese occupation of Hong Kong during World War II and their emotions for each other. The movie arrives on Blu-ray in June. Here’s the press release from Eureka! Entertainment:
EUREKA ENTERTAINMENT ANNOUNCES
HONG KONG 1941
Chow Yun-fat Delivers a Powerful Performance in this
Gripping and Emotional Masterpiece
6/17/25
Eureka Entertainment is proud to announce the release of HONG KONG 1941, the critically acclaimed masterpiece starring Chow Yun-fat, Cecilia Yip, and Alex Man, presented on Blu-ray from a brand new 4K restoration. Available as part of The Masters of Cinema Series June 17, 2025 in North America. Released 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 1941 follows 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 honoured to present the film on Blu-ray for the first time outside of Asia.
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
• Archival interview with Chow Yun-fat
• Archival interview with Cecilia Yip
• Original theatrical trailer
* All extras subject to change
View the trailer here:
