Compared are the Regular Version (French DVD by Metropolitan and the Taiwanese Version (Taiwanese Laserdisc by ERA Home Video) .


- 18 differences
- Length difference: 56.2 sec



Fong Sai Yuk aka The Legend starring Jet Li is cut in the US (comparison). The Uncut Version is available in Hong Kong (English subtitles but bad picture quality) or in France (good picture quality but original audio with optional French subtitles only), for instance.

As for the following comparison: Similar to numerous Asian movies, the ones with Jet Li in particular, a longer version has been released in Taiwan. And in fact, most of the additional footage are fight scenes even though it does seem as if these scenes were cut for censorship reasons. In one scene for instance, the dummy is pretty obvious. The other additional footage is not exactly spectacular either plus a few scenes are missing in the Taiwanese Version as well. Last but not least, the soundtrack differs every now and then. All in all, the Taiwanese Version is rather for die-hard fans.



Time index refers to
Regular Version (French DVD in PAL) / Taiwanese Version (Taiwanese Laserdisc in NTSC)

The French DVD contains an additional Metropolitan logo at the very beginning of the movie.
Not considered as length difference.

+ 11.5 sec

Subsequent to an identical company logo, the opening credits differ. Only the Regular Version contains translated English credits & there are a few additional ones as well.

Regular Version (French DVD) 17.5 sec longer

Regular Version	Taiwanese Version

01:40 / 01:15-01:17

In the nightmare sequence, the woman lifts her leg equipped with a stabbing weapon which then gets chopped off right in front of the emperor's eyes.

2.6 sec

15:09 / 15:21-15:25

Miu Tsui Fa a little longer & Gwailo from the off that he intends to buy some drugs. She then repeats herself.
(Dialog also in the Regular Version - prior and subsequent to that shot.)

3.7 sec

Alternate Frames Per Second
20:13-20:29 / 20:42-20:47

When Miu Tsui Fa falls into some kind of trance and starts making dance moves all because of her husband's poetry, the Regular Version contains the scene in slow motion while this is not the case in the Taiwanese Version. Also, the Taiwanese Version lacks the score.

Regular Version 10.7 sec longer
Screenshots to illustrate the scene

Regular Version longer
21:52-21:53 / 22:14

In the Regular Version, the shot of Fong's father showing up plant pot starts a little earlier.

+ 1.1 sec



Regular Version longer
40:36-40:38 / 41:45

The shot of Lui starts earlier in the Regular Version...

+ 1.9 sec

40:40 / 41:47-41:49

...and it is longer in the Taiwanese Version.

Unfortunately, there is a slight incoherence in the Taiwanese Version resulting from that. To be more specific, Lui lowers his arm a second time in the identically equal subsequent shot resp. he is standing a little further in the back.

1.9 sec

49:25 / 50:57-50:58

Miu earlier in the front of the wall: At the beginning of the shot, she lowers her arms.

1.4 sec

Alternate / Regular Version longer
65:56-65:57 / 68:11-68:12

Odd: After Fong shakes the wrong girl and looks aside, the Taiwanese Version cuts to Ting Ting for a moment. The Regular Version does not but there is a conspicuous color change at this very moment resp. the footage probably originates from several sources.

Taiwanese Version 0.2 sec longer

Regular Version	Taiwanese Version

Regular Version longer
66:08-66:10 / 68:25

The shot of Fong and Ting Ting feeding rice to each other starts earlier in the Regular Version...

+ 1.4 sec

Regular Version longer
66:21-66:26 / 68:36

...and the shot is longer as well.

+ 4.8 sec

Alternate Frames Per Second
75:29-75:30 / 78:03-78:05

Fong hitting a guy on the head with a rope is basically identically equal, except the Taiwanese Version contains that scene in slow motion. As a result, it looks a little more brutal.

Taiwanese Version 0.7 sec longer
Screenshot to illustrate the scene

75:45 / 78:21

Additional shot of another one of the assailants getting hit with Fong's burning rope. It is (even more than in the similar shots before and afterwards) pretty obvious that those are not actual people though which is most likely the explanation for cutting it from the Regular Version.

0.4 sec

95:40 / 99:07-99:09

Further additional shot of the people helping to hold the rope which keeps his father from being executed.

1.5 sec

95:41 / 99:10-99:16

Further close-up of the people helping.

6.1 sec

95:46 / 99:21-99:26

A few people are on their way to Fong's father.

4.8 sec

97:37 / 101:22-101:27

When Chan (Adam Cheng) and the governor (Vincent Zhao) are facing each other, the Taiwanese Version contains additional reaction shots & the camera circles around them. The Regular Version is back in the game when the camera gets to the governor.

5 sec

Alternate / Regular Version longer
99:42-101:36 / 103:37-104:4

The ending is different.

The Regular Version pans to Lui who states he still had the list with names on him. He calls Fong's name and tosses the list in his direction. Then the end credits on white paper.

The Taiwanese Version on the other hand contains a freeze frame of the previous shot of Fong and Ting Ting riding off when the end credits are rolling.

Regular Version 47.2 sec longer