This probably isn’t the first time that you’ve heard this, but John Woo is awesome. Not only does he combine excellent storytelling, meaningful themes, and amazing shootouts together, but also he’s awesome! He’s made some extraordinary films like The Killer and Hard Boiled. He also directed some movie called A Better Tomorrow or something. You’ve probably never heard of it. Anyway, early in his career, he had initially become known for directing some martial arts films, some comedies (it’s been rumored that he co-directed a few scenes from The Private Eyes), and even a Chinese opera (Princess Chang Ping). Right from the start, he proved that he was a talented director, but these films didn’t have some of the features of some his later-greater films. Last Hurrah For Chivalry was one of the first films that he directed that was a great preview of what he later had to offer.
Kao Pang (Lau Kong) is a powerful, young scholar whose birthday party of sabotaged by his rival, Pak Chung Tong (Lee Hoi-Sang). Many people die in result and Kao Pang is hungry for revenge. Kao Pang is badly wounded, so he finds a young fighter, Chang San (Wei Pai), and tries to become his friend in order to trick Chang into getting revenge for him. Chang San teams up with a noble drunkard, Tsang Yi (Damian Lau), when they raid Pak’s base. The two become very good friends in the process and do what they can to help one another. It later turns out that Kao Pang wants to betray them both and kills whoever he can get more power.
Kao Pang (Lau Kong) is a powerful, young scholar whose birthday party of sabotaged by his rival, Pak Chung Tong (Lee Hoi-Sang). Many people die in result and Kao Pang is hungry for revenge. Kao Pang is badly wounded, so he finds a young fighter, Chang San (Wei Pai), and tries to become his friend in order to trick Chang into getting revenge for him. Chang San teams up with a noble drunkard, Tsang Yi (Damian Lau), when they raid Pak’s base. The two become very good friends in the process and do what they can to help one another. It later turns out that Kao Pang wants to betray them both and kills whoever he can get more power.
It should be clear from the first few minutes of the movie that you’re in for a treat. There’s a battle scene within the first ten minutes featuring all kinds of weapons. The action choreographed by Fung Hak-On is quite impressive, but it’s not the best of the genre. But the sword fights are so frequent and so engrossing to watch. Actually, some of these fights are more brutal than usual. But then again, John Woo directed it. The action highlight is probably the scene in which the two main leads infiltrate Pak Chung Tong’s base. There are many creative battles including one between a man who practices the sleeping sword. It’s a scene that’s both funny and dark, which is why I love it.
But still, the characters are probably the most noteworthy thing about this film. Sure, Kao Pang is as evil as villains get and our two leads are as contrived as they get, but it’s a John Woo movie, so that’s expected. Wei Pai does a great job as usual and swordplay genre staple, Damian Lau, is terrific as a kindhearted drunk. The bond between our characters is quite touching. Even before Kao Pang goes evil, you start to sympathize with him. When he is evil, you almost feel bad. Lau Kong is very good as Kao Pang and it really seems like he’s gone insane with power.
But still, the characters are probably the most noteworthy thing about this film. Sure, Kao Pang is as evil as villains get and our two leads are as contrived as they get, but it’s a John Woo movie, so that’s expected. Wei Pai does a great job as usual and swordplay genre staple, Damian Lau, is terrific as a kindhearted drunk. The bond between our characters is quite touching. Even before Kao Pang goes evil, you start to sympathize with him. When he is evil, you almost feel bad. Lau Kong is very good as Kao Pang and it really seems like he’s gone insane with power.
I keep talking about how this movie represents a John Woo movie. And like a lot of his other films, he includes themes about the importance of loyalty and brotherhood. The fight scenes are definitely very exciting, but they’re exciting because we want to see our characters come out okay. They struggle to fight for each other and the action is almost a bit emotional at times. This is something John Woo excels at. He packs his action scenes with an emotional drive that keeps us interested.
I honestly didn’t really care for this movie the first time I saw it because I mainly saw it as just a really long fight fest. But after repeated viewings, I started to appreciate the characters and story. Last Hurrah For Chivalry is one of those very unique swordplay films from the late 70’s that has a lot of heart.
I honestly didn’t really care for this movie the first time I saw it because I mainly saw it as just a really long fight fest. But after repeated viewings, I started to appreciate the characters and story. Last Hurrah For Chivalry is one of those very unique swordplay films from the late 70’s that has a lot of heart.
Despite most of this movie just being a bunch of brutal fight scenes, this movie’s ending still remains incredibly poignant. Last Hurrah For Chivalry has a dark atmosphere, a powerful story, and it foreshadows John Woo’s later works. Simply put, if you’re looking for an introduction to either John Woo or swordplay wuxia, then this film suffices in spades.
Images from HKMDb, Vintage Ninja, DVD Beaver, and So Good Reviews
Images from HKMDb, Vintage Ninja, DVD Beaver, and So Good Reviews