By the time the 1980’s came around in Hong Kong, the film industry had been changing. Chang Cheh’s style of filmmaking had become outdated and Shaw Brothers was forced to conform in order to stay current. Though very upbeat films had become the norm, Patrick Yuen Ho-Chuen (director of The Fighting Fool) had very likely surprised audiences with What Price Honesty. Despite an unappealing English title, What Price Honesty was one of the few films at the time to say “screw conformity” and proceeded to become one of the darkest movies to come from the 80’s or even from Hong Kong in general. Also, with a script co-written by the enormously prolific Ni Kuang and action choreographed by Yuen Cheung-Yan, it'd be hard to imagine anything bad to come from them.
What Price Honesty follows three young police officers; He Zhong Heng (Jason Pai Piao), Luo Zhang (Sun Chien), and Ying Hao (Danny Lee). The three very quickly realize that their fellow officers are all corrupt and money-hungry. They see these officers let criminals go if they have money and keep the goods that are stolen. On the other hand, these three are zealous and only want to be righteous, but it becomes increasingly harder when everyone’s against them.
What Price Honesty follows three young police officers; He Zhong Heng (Jason Pai Piao), Luo Zhang (Sun Chien), and Ying Hao (Danny Lee). The three very quickly realize that their fellow officers are all corrupt and money-hungry. They see these officers let criminals go if they have money and keep the goods that are stolen. On the other hand, these three are zealous and only want to be righteous, but it becomes increasingly harder when everyone’s against them.
When they try to arrest a dangerous criminal (Lo Lieh), Ying Hao is killed in the process only to have the criminal be set free anyway. When the authorities notice He Zhong Heng’s rebellious attitude and see him as a potential threat, they frame him for murder and have him arrested. With the help of Luo Zhang, the two try to go above the law and uphold justice. And since this is a martial arts film, it makes sense that this film features some incredible fight scenes. Yuen Cheung-Yan (brother of Yuen Woo-Ping) does a great job as action choreographer and presents many exciting sword fights.
But the action is not what this movie’s usually known for. Though the fight scenes are great, this movie mainly focuses on its exceptional characters and story. It'd make sense to comment on the acting in this film too. Pai Piao does a great job as our persistent protagonist, but I was surprised that Sun Chien was able to do a terrific job in this movie. It might've been one of the first times that I really got to see him focus on acting as opposed to kicking (though both are entertaining to watch). Our three main characters are all quite relatable and we want to see them succeed, but as the film continues, it becomes more and more clear that we aren’t going to get a very happy ending. It becomes very frustrating, as the viewer, to see these characters have to deal with such trials.
But the action is not what this movie’s usually known for. Though the fight scenes are great, this movie mainly focuses on its exceptional characters and story. It'd make sense to comment on the acting in this film too. Pai Piao does a great job as our persistent protagonist, but I was surprised that Sun Chien was able to do a terrific job in this movie. It might've been one of the first times that I really got to see him focus on acting as opposed to kicking (though both are entertaining to watch). Our three main characters are all quite relatable and we want to see them succeed, but as the film continues, it becomes more and more clear that we aren’t going to get a very happy ending. It becomes very frustrating, as the viewer, to see these characters have to deal with such trials.
Our main antagonists are about as evil and ruthless as they get. It's also a surprise that there are actually some really smart villains in this movie. A few of them have cheesy visual cues (Even Lo Lieh sports an eye-patch for half of the film), but theses villains are still clever and powerful. There are many serious and sometimes very graphic moments in this movie that leave a lasting impact. There is a brief torture scene, many sword fights, and even an attempted rape scene. One of the main villains does something very shocking and unexpected in the ending of this movie. It's one of those "all hell breaks loose" kind of endings.
The protagonists who deal with a lot of hardship never seem to get a break and always have to deal with others in their society. Though this movie has an extremely bleak and grim mood throughout, it’s still incredibly engrossing. It’s both encouraging and distressing to see Pai Piao trying to rebel, but I feel like the message of the movie is that though we see a lot of corruption in our government these days, there isn’t much that we can do about it. How delightful.
The protagonists who deal with a lot of hardship never seem to get a break and always have to deal with others in their society. Though this movie has an extremely bleak and grim mood throughout, it’s still incredibly engrossing. It’s both encouraging and distressing to see Pai Piao trying to rebel, but I feel like the message of the movie is that though we see a lot of corruption in our government these days, there isn’t much that we can do about it. How delightful.
What Price Honesty is one of those movies that’s just as engrossing as it is hard to watch. There are many intense and unsettling moments throughout and it kind of feels like if Ringo Lam directed a Shaw Brothers film. It has the cheesy sets and martial arts, but it also has a grim mood and it leaves you feeling troubled long after the final frame. It’d be hard to consider the ending satisfying, but it’s somehow fitting. What Price Honesty is not for the faint of heart, but for everyone else, it’s a thrilling and bleak ride that should leave a lasting memory, either good or bad. It’s a tremendously unnerving film and easily another hidden Shaw Brothers gem. Did I mention the ending?
Images from HK Cinemagic and Cool Ass Cinema
Images from HK Cinemagic and Cool Ass Cinema