Nobody shoots action scenes like John Woo. The man’s got enough high-caliber masterpieces under his belt to cement him as one of the greats, with Hard Boiled, The Killer, and A Better Tomorrow all helping put Hong Kong—and Woo himself—at the forefront of top-tier action pictures. These films, along with some of his English-language features (mainly the John Travolta and Nic Cage-starring Face-Off, which is too gloriously absurd to miss) showed a filmmaker to whom no stunt is too large, no death count is too high, and no shootout too extravagant. Beyond all these blood-and-bullet ballets, before any of them graced the retinas of action junkies worldwide, Woo’s martial arts flick Last Hurrah for Chivalry proved the director to be damn good at his job. It’s a lean, mean action picture that’s technically impressive, boasting one gloriously-shot sequence after another, tied together with many off the themes pivotal in Woo’s work.

One of the filmmaker’s few historical pieces (two of his most recent movies, Red Cliff and The Crossing are lavishly-costumed epics that are definitely worth a watch), Chivalry was partially meant as a tribute to wuxia master—and Woo’s cinematic mentor—Chang Cheh. Woo had worked with Chang as an assistant director on a string of hits, including the Shawscope kung-fu flick Boxer from Shantung, and such experience is made apparent in Woo’s early films. While a direct comparison between Chang’s boundary-pushing violence and Woo’s own seems inevitable, Woo’s ability to turn violence into something operatic is a skill few share. Woo’s catalogue feels like a logical continuation of Chang’s filmic inventions, but it’s also one that’s as, if not more, impactful on the state of action cinema.

'Last Hurrah for Chivalry' Set the Tone for John Woo's Later Films

Damian Lau as Tsing Yi and Pai Wei as Chang Saam in Last Hurrah for Chivalry
Image via Golden Harvest

Last Hurrah for Chivalry boasts plenty of the same prowess that would later place many of Woo’s later flicks in such a place of reverence. From its opening scene, the film sets up elaborate one elaborate action sequence after another and threads them through a twisty, treacherous plot. On his wedding day, Kao Peng’s (Lau Kong) estate is attacked by the villainous Pak (Hoi Sang Lee), who seeks revenge for a generation-old feud between the two men’s fathers. The festivities are quickly broken up once violence erupts. Assassins scale the building and Pak’s many henchmen leap into a murderous rampage. Kao Peng and his loyalists brandish their swords and fight back while all falls into bedlam. It’s all gloriously chaotic, with the frame filled from end to end with action, brining to mind the teahouse opening scene of Hard Boiled.

RELATED: 10 Wild John Woo Action Scenes That Prove He's a Legend

From there, the flick only continues to serve up pristine action as the plot slowly unravels. Seeking revenge against Pak, Kao Peng sets out to find a swordsman skilled enough to face Pak in battle. Enter Chang (Wai Pak), a former master warrior who has abandoned his sword for a quiet life and Tsing Yi, nicknamed “Green” (Damian Lau), a drunken assassin with no allegiance to anybody. There’s also the glory-starved swordsman named Destiny (Fung Hak-on)— “If anyone touches my sword, he’ll meet his destiny,” he quips. Who will prove to be the greatest warrior of the lot will only be revealed in time. The only thing that’s certain is that their skills will be put to the test.

'Last Hurrah for Chivalry' Is Dense with Action Sequences

Of course, since it’s a Woo film, the action sequences take up a hefty portion of the film. A raid of Pak’s headquarters towards the end throws the characters into one fight after another, showcasing some infectious choreography and slick slow-motion shots. Near the center of the film, a four-minute-long blood-drenched swordfight in the countryside is one of the most masterfully shot you’ll see in any wuxia. Set against a lush green forest backdrop, Chang and Destiny trade blows, leaping over each other and brawling in the dirt like barbarians. Woo’s camera, meanwhile moves with a beautiful fluidity, capturing the battle with an uncommon grace.

It's Themes are What Make 'Last Hurrah for Chivalry' Stand Out

Hoi Sang Lee as Pak Chung Tong in Last Hurrah for Chivalry
Image via Golden Harvest

What makes Last Hurrah for Chivalry a true standout, though, is its investment in the themes that pervade Woo’s later work—friendship, honor, loyalty, and (of course) chivalry. At the center of the film, Green and Chang form a strong bond over their mutual appreciation for each other’s skills. Once the bond strengthens into a solid friendship, the two men are forced to reflect on their own sense of honor and loyalty. What does it mean for them to be friends? What does it require of them?

Chang passes his days without much indulgence into the violence that once made up his career. Instead, he flexes only when necessary, to whoop some street thug that was picking on a group of kids. He beats up his sister’s beau to protect and maintain her honor, comically begging the question of whether or not Chang is ironically and unintentionally dishonoring his family as a consequence. Meanwhile, Green succumbs to his alcoholism to quell his nerves before an assassination. He’s on an aimless path of destruction and violence that’ll surely lead him nowhere. When he rescues a criminal from police custody, he later kills the same criminal for not paying him.

The film’s final act allows for a redemptive act for both characters. Chang vows to avenge Kao Peng due his loyalty towards anybody that he would consider a friend. While initially hesitant to help, an act of kindness from Kao Peng convinces Chang to return the favor. On the other hand, Green doesn’t seek redemption. He doesn’t have much interest in it. Instead, redemption presents itself to him, and he steps up to the job to prove that people can change for the better.

Woo’s protagonists tend to be flawed, deeply emotional figures whose moral ambiguity is outweighed by their terrific skill, and Green proves to be the perfect archetype for Woo. The apparent meaninglessness of his vocation is deeply rooted in an all-pervading loneliness that keeps him separated from others. He closes himself off as protection, and he hardens himself towards the world to get by. Like in Hard Boiled or The Killer, the protagonists in Last Hurrah for Chivalry become unlikely friends that quickly form a passionate bond. Woo’s characters often abandon their selfishness in the name of loyalty and friendship. Green and Chang do exactly this. In a moment of supreme vulnerability, Chang admits to his friend, “I never take precautions against my friends.” “That’s why we’re both losers,” Green replies, a bit cynically.

Friendship and loyalty serve such a vital role in Woo’s greatest work, and in Last Hurrah for Chivalry, friendship is the crux of the film’s greater meaning. Without friendship, the world is a cruel, treacherous, and unsympathetic place. With it—and with empathy and kindness—it’s something so much more, something greater, something worth fighting for. As the friendship between Green and Chang blossoms, the two men find a purpose greater than themselves. If they still have an affinity for killing, well that’s their business, but now their intention isn’t rooted in a meaningless financial gain. One fights to aid the other because that’s friends do. One can’t sit idly by while the other charges blindly into danger. Over a heartbreaking freeze-frame over the film’s final shot, a sweet and sentimental song croons: “I am grateful that we met/while devastating mutual enemies with our swords”.

Last Hurrah for Chivalry not only shows Woo at the start of his mastery, but it also serves as a great transitional point between tradition and modernity. Woo’s style begins here, with a glamorized approach to violence and an emotionally resonant script. While the 21st Century has offered a plethora of excellent wuxia revival films (Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, House of Flying Daggers, and Shadow, just to name a few), much of the ’80s and ‘90s saw Hong Kong turning their focus on the kind of cop-and-gangster films that Woo pioneered.

In an interview, Woo stated that “In some sense, I’m shooting a modern wuxia film”. It’s true. Watch Last Hurrah for Chivalry, and you’ll see it. Trade swords for guns and it would fit right beside A Better Tomorrow and The Killer. It’s a formula that would be transposed to a contemporary setting to some genuinely marvelous results. Except everything that makes Woo so great is already here. With Chivalry, John Woo scored an early hit that’s too often overlooked and under-appreciated. It’s a film of tremendous skill and promise, and a masterpiece in its own right.