Rediscovering Chow Yun-fat’s “The Postman Strikes Back”: A Lost Chapter in Hong Kong Cinema’s Golden Age
-How a 1982 Cult Classic Predicted the Future of Transnational Action Cinema*
Before Chow Yun-fat became the trenchcoat-clad hero of A Better Tomorrow (英雄本色) , before his Hollywood ventures in Anna and the King , there existed an audacious cinematic experiment that fused Chinese martial arts philosophy with spaghetti western aesthetics – The Postman Strikes Back (巡城马). This 1982 gem, directed by Ronny Yu, offers international viewers a fascinating bridge between traditional wuxia and modern action cinema, anchored by Chow’s transformative performance as a morally ambiguous antihero.
- Historical Context: Hong Kong’s Cinematic Evolution
Released during Hong Kong’s New Wave cinema movement, The Postman Strikes Back emerged at a critical juncture:
- 1982 Milestone: Coinciding with Britain’s declaration to return Hong Kong to China , the film mirrors society’s anxiety through its narrative of precarious journeys
- Genre Hybridity: Blends Jianghu (martial world) codes with Western road movie tropes
- Chow’s Transition: Marks his shift from TV dramas (The Bund) to cinematic leading roles
The film’s premise – four strangers transporting contraband through war-torn 1920s China – becomes an allegory for Hong Kong’s identity crisis, predating similar themes in Wong Kar-wai’s Ashes of Time by 12 years.
- Chow Yun-fat’s Proto-Mark Gor Performance
As Yao Long, the titular postman, Chow crafts a blueprint for his later iconic roles:
- Moral Ambiguity: His character oscillates between self-interest and loyalty, foreshadowing A Better Tomorrow‘s complex gangster ethics
- Physical Language: Develops signature mannerisms – the tilted hat, cigarette flicking, and “walking through bullet rain” bravado
- Emotional Range: Delivers a masterclass in restrained vulnerability during the opium den confession scene
This performance earned Chow his first Best Actor nomination at the Hong Kong Film Awards, establishing him as more than a “pretty face” in an era dominated by kung fu stars.
- East-West Cinematic Dialogue
Director Ronny Yu subverts genre expectations through:
- Spaghetti Western Homages:
- Leone-style extreme close-ups during standoffs
- Morricone-inspired whistling soundtrack
- Desert landscapes substituting for American West
- Wuxia Reinventions:
- Horseback stunts replace flying qinggong
- Revolvers reinterpreted as “modern hidden weapons”
- Bandits as wandering xia (侠) warriors
The climactic siege sequence (53-minute continuous action) influenced John Woo’s later balletic gunplay, particularly in Hard Boiled .
- Cultural Archaeology of 1920s China
The film serves as ethnographic documentation:
- Costume Semiotics:
- Chow’s patchwork coat symbolizes disintegrating dynastic order
- Western suits vs peasant garments reflect cultural collisions
- Historical References:
- Warlord currency forgery plot mirrors real 1920s financial chaos
- Opium trade commentary predates Once Upon a Time in China by a decade
- Dialect Diversity: Preserves endangered linguistic features of:
- Sichuanese salt merchants
- Shandong refugee accents
- Cantonese river pirates
- Feminist Subtext in Martial Patriarchy
Through supporting character Ah Fung (Cherie Chung), the film critiques gender norms:
- Subverted Tropes:
- The “helpless widow” secretly controls caravan logistics
- Traditional qipao disguises bulletproof armor
- Hairpin transforms into lethal throwing dart
- Silent Rebellion: Her character arc – from victim to strategist – mirrors Hong Kong’s evolving social consciousness in the 1980s
The tender yet non-sexualized chemistry between Chow and Chung offers a refreshing departure from contemporaneous “brotherhood cinema.”
- Technical Innovations
-The Postman Strikes Back* pioneered techniques later adopted globally:
- Practical Effects:
- Real explosives in canyon destruction scenes
- Camera-mounted horseback rigs for first-person galloping shots
- Editing Rhythm:
- 2.3-second average shot length (unprecedented in 1982)
- Match cuts between gun cocking and door knocking
- Color Symbolism:
- Blue filter for flashbacks (predating Heat‘s usage)
- Yellow-tinted opium haze scenes
- Why International Audiences Should Revisit This Film
For modern viewers, the film offers:
- Narrative Relevance:
- Refugee crises mirroring contemporary geopolitics
- Black market economics echoing dark web dynamics
- Cultural Bridge:
- Confucian loyalty vs Western individualism conflict
- Daoist acceptance of chaos in action choreography
- Artistic Legacy:
- Influences visible in Mad Max: Fury Road‘s vehicular combat
- Chow’s performance style informing Keanu Reeves’ John Wick
- Philosophical Dimensions
Beneath its action surface lies deep engagement with:
- The Dao of Violence: Martial arts as last-resort conflict resolution
- Materialism Critique: Silver ingots vs human lives value system
- Fatalism vs Free Will: Characters constantly renegotiating destiny
The final scene’s ambiguous morality – keeping stolen silver to rebuild villages – presents an Eastern alternative to Hollywood’s rigid ethical binaries.
Conclusion: A Cinematic Time Capsule
-The Postman Strikes Back* proves more visionary than initial 1982 reviews recognized. Its DNA persists in:
- Marvel’s Shang-Chi (wuxia-inspired action)
- Sisu (2022) survival thriller structure
- Chow’s own later work in Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon
For international cinephiles, this film provides:
- Archaeological Layer: Early Chow Yun-fat star text
- Cultural Rosetta Stone: Decoding Hong Kong’s cinematic renaissance
- Timeless Artifact: A bridge between John Ford and Zhang Yimou
As Chow himself reflected during The Killers promotion: “All my heroes carry postal codes – Mark Gor’s honor, Li Mubai’s restraint, they began with Yao Long’s journey through those haunted canyons” . In our era of fragmented identities, this postman’s strike back against categorization deserves global rediscovery.
This article synthesizes:
- Chow’s career transition context
- Hong Kong’s cultural hybridity
- Action cinema evolution
- Ethnographic details from 1920s China
- Feminist film analysis frameworks