City on Fire – Ringo Lam's Influential Noir in 4K

Reducing City on Fire solely to the film that influenced Reservoir Dogs means overlooking its true value. Ringo Lam's work is first and foremost a tense and disillusioned noir, where the crime genre becomes an ideal ground to explore the weight of choices and the price of deception.

At the center of the story is an undercover agent portrayed by an extraordinary Chow Yun-fat, forced to live a double existence that becomes increasingly difficult to sustain. Infiltrating the criminal gang ultimately blurs the line between duty and personal loyalty, turning every relationship into a potential betrayal.

At the Roots of Hong Kong Crime

Lam foregoes the virtuosity typical of much Hong Kong production of the era, opting instead for a drier, more realistic approach. Shootouts are few but intense, while tension arises primarily from the continuous precarious balance in which the protagonists operate. The Hong Kong depicted by the director is gritty, nervous, and devoid of truly positive figures, a context in which violence appears as an inevitable consequence.

The central part sometimes loses pace and some supporting characters remain in the background, but the film regains its full strength in the last half hour. But it's what happens next that truly makes the difference, elevating a good crime film to one of its author's most representative works.

Almost forty years after its release, City on Fire retains its impact, a tough and engaging thriller that continues to be a benchmark for Hong Kong action cinema, a work that has stood the test of time without losing its power, well beyond its fame as an inspiration for Tarantino.

With City on Fire, Italy's Legends Collection enriches its catalog dedicated to great Asian cinema, confirming an editorial line that focuses on reference restorations and collectible Home Video products. The label offers a new 4K master for Ringo Lam's classic, derived from the original negatives, available in Ultra HD with Dolby Vision and HDR-10 alongside its 1080p Blu-ray counterpart on BD-50.

Original aspect ratio 1.85:1 (3840 x 2160/23.97p), HEVC encoding on a BD-66 dual layer disc. With this video quality, it probably wasn't even seen this well when it first premiered in theaters, boasting an impressive level of detail and precision even in the background. Particulars stand out, blacks are deep, and there's a sense of maximum respect for the work of cinematographer Andrew Lau. The spectacle truly comes alive, especially on large screens.

On the audio front, the original Cantonese track is available in DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 and 7.1 at 24 bit, accompanied by English audio, with optional Italian and English subtitles. The original 2-channel track, the 7.1 increases immersion with an interesting mix and a more substantial soundstage presence, enhancing music, dialogue, and effects.

The Most Comprehensive Extras Package Dedicated to the Film

The edition also pays great attention to its presentation. The numbered rigid slipcase (1,000 copies) features an exclusive artwork signed by Graham Humphreys and is accompanied by an amaray box with the original poster, 6x collector cards, a double-sided poster, and a substantial 100-page bilingual booklet in Italian and English curated by Giona Nazzaro and Emanuele "Emakotov" Massetti. Inside, there's an unpublished textual interview with Ringo Lam conducted in 1994 by Mike Leeder, offering an intimate look at the director and the film's genesis.

The special features are among the richest elements of the edition. A new exclusive audio commentary recorded by Mike Leeder himself is joined by a second commentary track with film historians Frank Djeng and F.J. De Santo. Also included is a selection of in-depth analyses by leading figures such as Kim Newman, Grady Hendrix, and Ric Meyers, who examine the role of City on Fire within Hong Kong action cinema and its influence on cinema beyond its borders. Last but not least is the exclusive featurette with Mike Leeder (34') by Eugenio Ercolani. As usual, there's also a fun easter egg.

There are also interviews dedicated to the protagonists and collaborators of the film, including Tommy Sham, Andrew Lau, and Roy Cheung, who recount the production process, the production context, and the contributions of the various figures involved. Completing the package is Fans on Fire, an Italian documentary that takes viewers through the film's iconic locations, gathering testimonials, curiosities, and the perspective of the international community of fans who have helped keep its cult status alive over the years. Except for the trailers, Italian subtitles are included.

The edition is priced at 64.99 euros, with free shipping within the European Union.