From the Collection: Last Hurrah for Chivalry

Last Hurrah for Chivalry, one of the first feature films from action maestro John Woo, just recently got added to the Criterion Collection. The good folks at Criterion sent me a copy of the film to check out.

Before he became known as the master of the bullet-riddled heroic tragedy, John Woo sharpened his trademark themes and kinetic action choreography with 1979’s Last Hurrah for Chivalry. Unaware they are caught in a deadly game of deception, a pair of rambunctious swordsmen (Wai Pak and Damian Lau) join forces to help a nobleman (Lau Kong) in his quest for vengeance. 

The film pays homage to Woo’s mentor, martial-arts innovator Chang Cheh, Woo delivers both bravura swordplay set pieces and a bloodstained interrogation of the meaning of brotherhood and honor in a world in which loyalty is bought and sold.

Here’s what the disc includes:

• 2K digital restoration, with 5.1 surround DTS-HD Master Audio and uncompressed monaural soundtracks

• Alternate English-dubbed tracks

• Audio interview with director John Woo

• New interview with Grady Hendrix, author of These Fists Break Bricks

• Trailer

• New English subtitle translation

• PLUS: An essay by scholar Aaron Han Joon Magnan-Park

Known for his explosive and hyper-stylized action, John Woo became one of the marquee action-movie directors in the 80s and 90s with films like The Killer, Hard Boiled, Broken Arrow, and Face/Off. Watching Last Hurrah for Chivalry you can see that Woo always had an eye for stylish filmmaking. This wuxia epic is an absolute stunner. From the opening party fight throughout the entire movie, I was blown away by how eye-popping everything was. The colors, the sets, the costumes, and the hair and makeup are all gorgeous. The fight sequences are amazing and where Woo really shines. There are several of them in the film, some featuring only two men and some featuring what felt like thirty men trying to kill two. They are violent, bloody, impressively choreographed, and feel like they each had their own story within each fight.

I also loved the plot and the story of the film. It started off as a pretty standard revenge movie but turned into something way more interesting and fun. Coupled with all the exhilarating fight scenes, the film is full of twists that I did not see coming. Each character has their own motive and is willing to turn their back on a friend to get what they want.  As the film continues, the film ends up being more than just an action-revenge movie, but one about honor and friendship. Last Hurrah for Chivalry is a beautiful movie in every aspect.

You can pick up a copy of Last Hurrah for Chivalry at the Criterion website or anywhere Criterion Collection movies are sold.

From the Collection is an analysis piece of non-new-release movies, whether seen on DVD, streaming, or in a theater, and includes a brief history of the film, a review of the film, and content about the experience of seeing the film and/or the contents of the film’s DVD.

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