The Saviour (1980) Movie Review

Although he has recently become a familiar name the world over thanks to big budget hits like Jet Li’s “Fearless” and Hollywood blockbuster sequels “Bride of Chucky” and “Freddy vs. Jason”, Hong Kong director Ronny Yu actually has a body of work stretching back nearly thirty years. A number of his early efforts from the classic Hong Kong New Wave period are finally starting to become available on DVD, such as his second outing “Saviour”, originally released back in 1980. The film is a resolutely old school and determinedly visceral police thriller guaranteed to please fans dismayed at the rather anaemic state that the genre has found itself in recent years.

The film opens and the viewer is quickly introduced to Inspector Tong (Pai Ying also in “Born Wild”, and a number of Shaw Brothers productions including “The Condemned” and “The Eunuch”), a tough cop whose predilection for shooting suspects frequently lands him in trouble with his badly dubbed Western commanding officer, though who also has a soft side, taking time out to look after a fatherless orphan. He and fellow detective Cheng (the awesome Kent Cheng, one of the most prolific Hong Kong character actors, who appeared in countless films in the 1980s and 90s, and who recently made a return to the screen with “Flash Point” and “Run Papa Run”) are assigned to a grisly case involving a psychopathic murderer who is targeting prostitutes, though their efforts are hampered by the fact that the rich father of the number one suspect uses his influence to protect his obviously guilty son. In a brilliant move, Tong decides to use his girlfriend as bait, persuading her to befriend the maniac and lure him in a trap. Not even he seems particularly surprised when everything goes horribly wrong, leading to a bloody showdown that threatens to claim all of their lives.

It becomes quickly apparent that “Saviour” is basically a Hong Kong take on Clint Eastwood’s “Dirty Harry” with Tong displaying the same kind of violent temperament and disdain for authority, not to mention the same tendency to lose his partners to stray bullets at the drop of a hat. The film is pleasingly tough throughout, with Yu evocatively bringing the seedy side of the city to life, making the most of the winding back alleys, neon lit streets and gaudy whorehouses. He packs in plenty of action and violence right from the first frame, with lots of explosive gun battles and inventive death scenes, and with the killer’s grisly crimes being graphically depicted in all their gory glory. Perhaps more surprisingly, there is also a fair bit of nudity, with most of the prostitute victims disrobing before being murdered, though in his defence, although the film is quite misogynistic at times, with the female character in general getting a pretty rough ride, Yu never plays the sleazier aspects for titillation, using them instead to highlight the reasons behind the madman’s rampage.

To an extent, it is this that really allows the film to stand out, as it spends almost as much time with the killer as it does Tong. This arguably makes the drama far more interesting than it would have been had it simply followed the police investigation, and the film is well plotted, with plenty of twists and turns along the way. Whilst the viewer is left in no doubt that the maniac is a detestable monster, Yu goes to some length to explore his psychosis, working in some effectively disturbing childhood flashbacks and using his odd relationship with his corrupt father for a touch of social commentary. This makes the proceedings surprisingly tense during the latter scenes with the killer and Tong’s girlfriend as the stupid scheme slowly but inevitably goes to hell.

Yu’s direction is excellent, and even this early in his career his talent shines through. The film features some excellent, fluid camera work and some innovative shots that really help to spice up the action scenes and keep things moving at a fast, taut pace. It helps that the film clocks in at just one hour and twenty minutes, with no time wasted on unnecessary subplots or meandering character drama, marking it as a lean, efficient piece of genre entertainment.

As a result, “Saviour” should be enjoyed by all fans of Hong Kong action cinema, and is a throwback in the best possible sense of the word. Well made and exciting, it certainly deserves a new life on DVD and this long awaited release will hopefully help it to find the recognition it deserves.

Ronny Yu (director) / Alfred Cheung (screenplay)
CAST: Pai Ying, Gigi Wong Suk-Yee, Kent Cheng Jak-Si, Ng Man-Hung, Tien Feng, Cheung Kwok-Keung, Patricia Chong Jing-Yee