A Queen's Ransom (1976) [Hong Kong Version] [w/Commentary]

Director: Shan-Hsi Ting
Starring: Jimmy Wang Yu, Angela Mao, George Lazenby, Chun Hsiung Ko, Judith Brown, Ni Tien

A Queen's Ransom (1976), also known as The International Assassin, is a Hong Kong action-thriller produced by Golden Harvest. Directed by Ting Shan-hsi, the film attempts to capitalize on the popularity of political thrillers like The Day of the Jackal by adding a unique Hong Kong flair. The story is centered on a plot to assassinate Queen Elizabeth II during her state visit to Hong Kong in 1975, utilizing a mix of local and international stars.

The film begins just before a real-life state visit by Queen Elizabeth II to Hong Kong in 1975. A group of international mercenaries, hired by an Irish republican named Morgan (George Lazenby), plan to assassinate the queen. Their plot is tipped off to the Hong Kong police by a bar girl, who overhears one of the hired assassins.

The police begin a race against time to thwart the conspiracy, which involves a multi-ethnic team of killers including a Viet Cong guerrilla (Jimmy Wang Yu) and a Thai boxer (Bolo Yeung). A parallel storyline follows a Burmese princess (Angela Mao) who has fled her country with a fortune in gold to escape political turmoil. The two plotlines eventually converge in a surprising way, adding layers of deception and double-crosses to the narrative.



Audio Commentary by East Asian film expert Frank Djeng (NY Asian Film Festival) and filmmaker Michael Worth (2024)

More in My Blog