The Warlord | 大軍閥 | Draai Gwhan Frat

Michael Hui an army general is made a puppet Warlord by the Russians after helping them out. Given such a post without any qualifications, his pompus grandiouse self and limited skills are put to test in a series of events which he handles.

The film is Michael Hui's first and this sattire is well suited for his antics. The movie is collection of different events in his rule highlighting his complex persona. It offers a lot of satire on the period and Chinese society and attitudes. The acting notwithstanding, the plot is a bit distracted and don't intergrate well. Scandal by the same artists is a more slick film with all these elements.

The direction is all over the place, the initial parts have good pacing and focus but as the movie drags on the focus is lost and some things are rushed and other unimportant pieces are dwelled on for too long.

The troupe is the standard fare for this time, where they have appeared in multiple films together. Together the cast have portrayed various roles each. This film is no different and they excel. Michael Hui stands out in his first introduction role. Its quite amazing that his comic talents are evident right from the start.

As with other Shaw Brothers films, this has the amazing sets and details. Some scenes are surprisingly barren though, but overall its great. Also the film being was shot in their version of Cinemascope.

For what its worth, this is the first Michael Hui film and has some interesting takes on the sensibilities of the time. A better film to watch would be Scandal and this as a followup if you liked that one.

Overall, a good film to watch if you like satire and that too old ones. The comedy is good but sometimes veers off in its efforts to portray the politics.