He was tired of seeing American stars like Sylvester Stallone and Arnold Schwarzenegger rely on squibs and stunt doubles. Chan’s mission with was simple: Show them reality.
Chan plays , a dedicated Hong Kong policeman. He is tasked with protecting Selina Fong (Brigitte Lin), the secretary of a dangerous drug lord, Chu Tao (Chor Yuen). After Ka-Kui successfully orchestrates a massive bust in a shantytown (the opening sequence), the drug lord escapes. To get revenge, Chu Tao frames Ka-Kui for the murder of a fellow officer. jackie chan movie police story 1
But the real hell was the finale. The climax involves Jackie tackling a villain through a glass panel. That’s not sugar glass. Due to budget constraints, they used real glass. When Jackie slid down the pole and crashed through the panels, the shards embedded deeply into his flesh. He finished the take, walked to the director's monitor, and promptly collapsed from blood loss. The shot you see in the film is that take. While chasing a bus, Jackie uses a sun umbrella to try and grab the rear ladder. The umbrella snaps. He then throws his body at the traffic-choked road, sliding on his back for twenty feet under the moving bus. No mats. No stunt double. Just asphalt and courage. Jackie Chan: The Masochistic Auteur What separates Police Story 1 from every other action film is the director's philosophy. Jackie directed this film himself. He believed that if a stunt didn't almost kill him, it wasn't worth filming. He was tired of seeing American stars like
In the commentary track, Jackie admits he dislocated his pelvis during the mall fight. He popped it back in himself and continued shooting. He broke several fingers, suffered spinal damage from the shantytown slide, and was effectively a walking bruise for six months. He is tasked with protecting Selina Fong (Brigitte
Inspired by the Keystone Kops and silent era greats like Buster Keaton, Chan decided to film a contemporary cop thriller where the stunts had no nets, no CGI, and no second chances. The result is a film that feels less like a movie and more like a documentary of a man trying to kill himself for your entertainment. The narrative of the Jackie Chan movie Police Story 1 is lean, mean, and exists primarily to set up the next bone-breaking stunt.
Furthermore, the treatment of female characters (specifically May, Jackie’s long-suffering girlfriend played by Maggie Cheung) is problematic by today’s standards. May is subjected to constant humiliation and danger, mostly for comedic relief. Maggie Cheung, a future Cannes Best Actress winner, spends most of the film screaming and falling down. It’s a stark contrast to the feminist tones of modern action.