John Woo's Last Hurrah For Chivalry DVD Martial Arts Kung Fu Damian Lau, Pai Wei

In the Chinese wu hsia (martial chivalry) genre, sword-swinging heroes are often referred to as "altruists," and it's that aspect of the legend that gets a workout in this 1978 John Woo effort. Kao (Lau Kong), the duplicitous pivotal character, has purchased a beautiful wife for 1,000 taels of gold; alas, his rival, the prodigious fighter Pei, has paid her 2,000 taels to kill him. The moral is that when loyalty can be purchased, it no longer exists. The central action unfolds against this backdrop of a cynical, mercenary world. Kao selects a couple of fighters as soldiers in his quest for revenge, but being rare and noble souls they won't fight for money alone. Only after Kao, in a calculated move, helps Chang's dying mother will the fighters agree to take the case. Starring: Damian Lau, Pai Wei, Chiu-hua Wei, Kong Lau, Hark-On Fung. 106 minutes. Cantonese. English dubbed. Dragon Dynasty