I’ve never had this much fun in the cinema as much as I had while watching Jackie Chan’s ‘Police Story’ at the BFI: British Film Institute in the section of “Swordsmen, Gangsters and Ghosts” this entire month of July as part of “A Century of Chinese Cinema”.

For me it was a roller coaster ride through old memories, and to be honest, among all the hustle and bustle of the movie with Kung Fu fights and gun shots, I shed a few tears too. This was the first time ever that I watched Jackie Chan talking in Cantonese. It was infact more fun to hear Jackie Chan speaking in Cantonese rather than watching him fight. Jackie Chan is no doubt the soul of Kung Fu films.

Acclaimed Shaw Brothers Director Chu Yuen

Included with Jacke Chan was another big name who was an acclaimed Shaw Brothers director Chu Yuen. Among his works, the most celebrated is the film ‘Murder Plot’ (1979), for which he got the Best Action Film Award in 25^th Asian Film Festival. Brigitte Lin, the biggest super star of the Chinese Cinema gave a well satisfying comedy performance along with another upcoming super star Maggie Cheung. Brigitte Lin and Maggie Cheung also did their share of stunts in the film, bringing women into the spotlight of doing action sequences. Jackie Chan I think must be credited with bringing the female leads in the modern Hong Kong films and making them do the stunts along with him.

Brigitte Lin with Jackie Chan

The cinematography of this film done by Yiu-Tsou Cheung is the most incredible that I have seen in an action movie. The detailed and well planned fighting choreography and stunt sequences need an equally professional cinematographer to execute each and every scene with perfection, and that is what Yiu-Tsung Cheung did. Yiu-Tsung Cheung made a very hard job look very easy.

Maggie Cheung with Jackie Chan

Directed by Jackie Chan, the film shows Detective Sargeant Chan (Jackie Chan), trying to capture a gang boss (Chu Yuen) in the act, but after failing to do so gets hold of his trusted secretary Selina (Brigitte Linn) as a witness and starts safeguarding her only to get into trouble with his girlfriend (Maggie Cheung). From there ensues a nonstop series of slapstick comedy and incredibly executed action sequences

Jackie Chan doing his own stunt

The dangerous action scenes of the cars ploughing through shanty houses, Jackie hanging for his life from a bus and incredibly choreographed fighting sequences earned this filim 2 awards of Best Picture and Best Action Choreography in the Hong Kong Film Award 1986.

Director: Jackie Chan

Producer:   Raymond Chow, Leonard Ho

Writer: Jackie Chan

Cinematographer: Yiu-Tsou Cheung

Starring: Jackie Chan, Maggie Cheung, Brigitte Lin, Yuen Chor

Genre: Action, Comedy, Thriller Crime

Country: Hong Kong

Lanuage: Cantonese

Release Date:  14 December 1985 (Hong Kong)

Run Time: 90 Min