Last Hurrah for Chivalry
Last Hurrah for Chivalry is a 1979 Hong Kong wuxia film written and directed by John Woo, and produced by Raymond Chow. It stars Damian Lau, Wei Pai, Bonnie Ngai, Lau Kong, and Lee Hoi-sang. The film is cited as a thematic precursor to Woo's better-known heroic bloodshed films. It was released theatrically in Hong Kong by Golden Harvest on 11 November 1979.
Plot
Kao Pang, the son and heir of a great deceased warrior, prepares for his wedding at his opulent hillside estate. Kao admits to his men that his bride is a prostitute that he bought for 1000 tang; the men note that Kao has focused on scholarship instead of martial virtue, and suggest that his scholarship has focused on skill in the bedroom. The wedding is interrupted by an attack by Pak Chung-tong, the enemy of Kao’s father. He and his men have come to reclaim the estate that Kao’s father took from him in battle. In the middle of the melee, the bride turns on Kao, and reveals that Pak paid her 2000 tang to betray Kao. As a result, the battle goes poorly and Kao is forced to flee with his last remaining servant, leaving control of the estate to Pak.Kao swears revenge, but his servant convinces him he will need help. Kao first asks a grandmaster for a magic sword to aid in his revenge, but the grandmaster denies the request, saying Kao's character is lacking. Next Kao seeks for a warrior who he can hire to defeat Pak for him, and finds Chang San, who has mostly given up combat to care for his sister and their ailing mother. Kao charms Chang into helping him, by buying expensive medicines for his mother, and later by paying her funeral expenses.
Chang climbs the wall of a courtyard to enjoy the music performed by the courtesan Sau Sau. There he meets Tsing Yi, a drunken wandering mercenary, who is in a one-sided relationship with the courtesan. The two join forces and develop a bond of brotherhood. They scout the estate of Pak to identify his most dangerous henchmen, and then launch their attack, defeating the henchmen in turn and finally defeating Pak. After their victory, Tsing puts his sword to Chang’s throat and tells him Kao offered 500 tang to kill him. Later, Kao’s family servant sees Chang’s lifeless body.
Kao ransacks the grandmaster’s home for the magic sword and finds it hidden behind a mirror. He kills the grandmaster, then lies to his servant that the grandmaster’s death was suicide. The servant confronts Kao for his poor character, and Kao kills him as well.
Tsing comes to collect the price from Kao, and Kao gives him a bag. Tsing suspects a trap, and discards the bag, which is filled with venomous snakes. Chang emerges from hiding, and the three do battle. The magic sword allows Kao to fly into the sky and disappear, and then unleash a devastating falling attack. The third time Kao tries this attack, Tsing pushes Chang aside and lifts his sword to the sky. Kao and Tsing simultaneously impale each other, leaving Chang the only survivor.
Production
intended the film as a tribute to both his mentor, Chang Cheh, and to director Akira Kurosawa, whom Woo admired greatly. The latter includes the use of transitional wipes and slow motion action sequences. The main character Tsing Yi is inspired by the real-life assassin Jing Ke, who is historically remembered for his failed assassination attempt of Qin Shi Huang. The year the film was released is also the same year John Woo met Tsui Hark.The film was veteran Shaw Brothers actor Wei Pak's first Golden Harvest production, since his departure from Venom Mob group and the company.
In addition, Woo's frequent collaborator from the 70s Fung Hak-on served as a stunt co-ordinator, along with assistance of Alan Chui Chung-San in the choreography and stunt doubling department for Damian Lau and Wei Pai. Both choreographers also previously starred in Woo's feature length debut film, The Young Dragons in 1974.