Every Man for Himself

Sha Yung (Wang Sha) and Shuang La (Lin Hui-huang), a sly duo with some kung fu skills, make their living through clever schemes. After accumulating a sum of money through less-than-honest means, they venture into the “consultancy” business, which proves to be a thriving enterprise. Their path crosses with Ah Ying (Yang Tsing-tsing), who disguises herself as a man. Upon learning that she is being pursued by her widowed stepmother, Hua (Lo Wan-yin), and Hua’s lover, who conspired to harm Ying’s father, Sha Yung and Shuang La extend their sympathy. Hua employs a professional assassin to attack Ying’s hideout . The two resourceful con-artists assist Yang to resist the assault. Eventually, they capture Hua and her partner in crime, setting the stage for a reckoning with justice.

Our read · Every Man for Himself (1980) reads as a sombre, measured, inventive drama · comeback · prostitution entry — measured in intensity, intimate in scope, cold in temperature, nihilistic in outlook, with a strong directorial signature. Hand-scored on twelve axes of taste — mood, pacing, weirdness, hope, stakes, humour, reality, density, warmth, auteur, intensity, and era — with a derived palette drawn from its dominant cinematography.