If there was anything that one might consider an "art house" martial arts film, Circle Of Iron (a.k.a. The Silent Flute) would definitely be a prime example. Originally penned by the one-two-three combo of James Coburn, Stirling Silliphant, and a then virtually unknown Bruce Lee, it languished in limbo for years, never reaching its lofty goal of being the "martial arts film to end all martial arts films." Finally, five years after Bruce Lee’s suspected murder, the movie was finally produced, with David Carradine (himself fresh off of TV’s Kung Fu) replacing the late Lee in multiple roles, in a gauntlet to be run by a "Seeker." Twenty-six years later, Blue Underground continues its winning streak of releasing nil-seen (but much-appreciated) rarities to a public rife with slavering cinematic lunatics eager for another fix of guilty pleasures as only Blue Underground can present them.

After a lovely sunrise, the viewer is thrown immediately into a martial arts contest overseen by a sullen monk (Roddy McDowall), hoping to find a "Seeker" to track down the enigmatic Zetan (Christopher Lee) and relieve him of his "Book of Enlightenment." Our "hero," the arrogant Cord (Jeff Cooper and his rockin’ ‘do), believes that he is the only man fit for such a perilous journey, even after he is disqualified from the contest for his brutality against his opponent. Refusing to take "no" for an answer, he follows the selected Seeker (annoying him so much that the chosen man breaks his oath of silence) like a greasy puppy. Cord meets a blind man (David Carradine) who, despite his "handicap," shows no difficulty in dispatching a group of attackers with his flute in a flurry of whistling bamboo. Desperate to learn the secrets of the blind master, Cord tries to absorb as many chestnuts of wisdom as he can, as vague as they may be. With sly Confucian bits like "Tie two birds together. Though they may have four wings, they cannot fly," Cord quickly becomes frustrated. When the Seeker is murdered, he passes the mantle on to Cord, who then runs the gauntlet, using the teachings of the blind man to defeat fearsome foes like the primal Monkey Man (Carradine), the sheik Changsha (Carradine again), even Death itself (guess who?)!

Where Circle Of Iron truly sets itself apart from other films of its ilk is in its depth and originality. Taking place in an ancient country that is equal parts ancient China, Conan’s Cimmeria, Shangri-La, and a mystically charged Persia, it escapes many of the usual "chop-socky" trappings of other period films while still maintaining a very ancient feel (due in no small part to the decision to film on location in Israel). Characters are colorful and varied, from the cocky Cord, to a man attempting to dissolve his genitals in a vat of oil (played by a lovably remorseful Eli Wallach), to Death being represented as a frighteningly feral "panther man" instead of the usual decrepit Grim Reaper cliche. Even better, Cord himself learns not just through obvious combat situations (defeat the monkey’s ego, and you defeat the monkey) or more obvious lapses in his judgment (breaking his vow of celibacy to bed one of Changsha‘s wives), but through the actions of the sage blind man. From oddly helpful acts like re-assembling a broken wall, to violently lashing out against a handsome young boy, every action is driven by logic, representing the Taoist principles of Bruce Lee with amazing clarity.

On the subject of clarity, once again Blue Underground’s attention to detail and quality pays off beautifully. The anamorphic print is nearly flawless, with virtually no print damage and vibrant colors that practically leap off of the screen. From the fiery reds to the cool blues, Blue Underground has once again proven themselves to be the masters of restoration. Audio, a mono mix, was a little too "bright" for my tastes, but dialogue was clear and the sweeping, epic score sounded simply wonderful. Extras include an interview with the always-enthusiastic Carradine, who made me smile when he referred to Jeff Cooper as a "young stud," or did a comically animated pantomime of the four characters he played in the movie, a trailer, an essay from authors Davis Miller and Klae Moore, trailers, advertising flats, posters, and stills. Blue Underground also managed to track down the original screenplay, which they replicated in an Adobe .PDF file, preserving not only Silliphant’s beautifully descriptive text, but the charming look of the typewritten document itself. Badass!

Circle Of Iron is a wonderful rarity: a martial arts film that rises above its inherent potential for extreme simplicity to deliver a stunningly epic, deeply philosophical film. It’s a blend of Milius’ Conan The Barbarian, Enter The Dragon, and Lost Horizon that comes highly recommended to everyone, especially Blue Underground’s primary demographic: adventurous filmgoers.