THE PLOT THUS FAR
Lu, Shen Lian, and Yichuan. Three sworn brothers, and deadly Jinyiwei Secret Police of the Imperial Guard. The new Emperor’s first mission – find and annihilate the corrupt fugitive Eunuch Wei and his followers. But one mistake reveals the truth – the three men are pawns in a deadly game, unleashing a chain of secrets, conspiracies, and lethal consequences.
WHAT WE THOUGHT
“Brotherhood of Blades” is about a trio of Imperial Guardsmen having to break their bond to protect the new Emperor. The majority of the film was shot in studio, but it made the most of what the Chinese Film Industry had to offer. If you’re expecting something like Zhang Yimou, then you’re out of luck. Looking past that, we get a film that plays a lot with identity and station in life. The action does kick it up a notch, but there are huge examinations at the role of societal pressure in a masculine society.
I have been watching a ton of Asian historical drama recently. I have to say that I appreciate this toned down approach rather than staging yet another expensive costume drama. I wasn’t a big fan of the way the movie ended, but I appreciated how it never totally let the Emperor off the hook. If society is flawed and it forces good men to do bad things, then the responsibility starts from the top on down. I’d love to see a follow-up to this film, but I’m not sure if we’re ever going to get one.
The Blu-Ray comes with a new English dub track and a trailer as the special features. The A/V Quality is quite stunning for a foreign release. The 1080p transfer pops in a way that I haven’t seen a WellGo USA release do in some time. Plus, the DTS-HD 5.1 track is equally strong. In the end, I’d recommend a purchase.
RELEASE DATE: 02/10/2015