Yeoh and Rothrock - Girls with guns! Oh, yes, Madam!
"Yes, Madam" AKA "Police Assassins" is a ground-breaking 1985 Hong Kong film staring two stalwarts of martial arts filmmaking. Michelle Yeoh and Cynthia Rothrock who were in their 20's at the time, portray police detectives from different worlds: Yeoh from Hong Kong and Rothrock from Scotland Yard.
In a buddy-cop teaming that smacks of brilliance, the dark-haired beauty (who was a former Miss World Malaysia) and the perky, blond American (a karate forms champion at the time) team up to bring down a bad guy, Mr. Tin (James Tien) who is seeking a microfilm document that will prove he is guilty of murder and conspiracy.
Okay, another not-so-complicated story but one which reaps bounties of fun.
The film was produced by legendary filmmaker Sammo Hung (what isn't in Southeast Asia?) and it's fast, furious and, as mentioned, fun, which is a hallmark of a lot of Hong Kong films made by Hung and his producing partners. As is his habit, Hung also has a small part playing the "old man" (sifu) to three losers who are trying to get enough money to get him to a proper home by various illicit means which becomes dangerous as Mr. Tin and their efforts become intertwined.
"Yes, Madam" refers to Michelle Yeoh's title as police captain (like the Brits who call their female DCI's 'Mum' - as in The Queen Mum.) In the opening scene, she single-handedly stops an armored car robbery by kicking, punching and shooting all the bad guys. In a few cuts you can see it's not Yeoh doing all the stunt work but she always did in subsequent films using her ballet training and physical prowess to great effect. This was her first major role as a lead actress and it rocketed her to the stratosphere of film where she still thrives today as a legit actress and martial arts actress. She's had major roles in "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon" "Tomorrow Never Dies" "Memoirs of a Geisha" and as the voice of Soothsayer in "Kung Fu Panda II."
"Yes, Madam" was also Rothrock's big break. This, her third film but first major role, showed her martial arts prowess - and her natural beauty (and kickin' bod) did the rest to make her a go-to action girl when someone needed the real deal. After "Yes, Madam" Rothrock did several more Hong Kong actioners before becoming the American equivalent of Bruce Willis or Sly Stallone. It's led to a film career of 50+ features plus hundreds of public appearances all over the world.
I found out first hand what a rabid fan base Rothrock has. One of the films I wrote, "Fast Getaway II" features Rothrock in a bad girl role that continues from the first Fast Getaway film. The film company wanted to feature other actors so I wrote her part to reflect that. The film is fun and actioney but Rothrock's fans took me to task for leaving her in a hotel room for a great portion of the film; although she did have a martial arts fight with her lover in the room in their underwear - that should count for something, right? See the clip HERE.
Yeoh and Rothrock are inspired casting. Before "Lethal Weapon" these two characters were the Riggs and Murtaugh of Asia. One blond, one dark haired; one Asian, one Caucasian; both with differing approaches to police work. Rothrock's character prefers beating confessions out of suspects while Yeoh "Madam" is a kindler, gentler police woman. According to Wikipedia, the producers were looking for an actor to play opposite Yeoh but wanted a male martial artist. They contacted a demonstration team that included Rothrock and were so impressed by her stunning forms (and form!) they hired her, changed the role, and the rest is Hong Kong film history.
Their styles, martial arts-wise, were also different with Rothrock's power and precision being her hallmark and Yeoh's lithe grace showing her dancing and acrobatics skills. Although neither at the time was necessarily a martial arts expert, both had mad skills that made their physical acting wholly believable. Both have continued their training since this movie and I wouldn't want to face either in a ring.
Hong Kong films like this, with female leads in action roles, are truly ground-breaking. Western filmmakers didn't dip into this well of physical talent often enough in the 70's and 80's. You had your Ripleys ("Alien") and your Princess Leias ("Star Wars") and the occasional "B" movie that featured the revenge-oriented girl or perhaps a black widow, but it was rare indeed to see women this gorgeous and this talented in martial skills on any screen in any venue.
The flexibility in Hong Kong filmmaking is something to be admired and still lacking in our Western world. To cast two waifish, beautiful women in traditionally male roles would have been unthinkable; and, for the most part, still is. Name a female action star of Yeoh or Rothrock's stature - you really can't without starting with these two who have been reflecting those roles since the early 80's.
This film shows a lot of what made Hong Kong moviemaking such a force. Even though there are a lot of jokey fight scenes, they are brilliantly choreographed. 
One in particular in a tiny apartment shows the ingenuity of the filmmakers utilizing simply everything they could to create some awesome moments. I'm always so impressed with these men and women who not only create these scenes but who have to act in them. They are backbreaking at times and I can well imagine that a good medic on set is a necessity as the stunt men and women hurl themselves into space to land on objects that have no yield. If you've ever watched a Jackie Chan film and stayed through the end credits, you can see outtakes of poor Jackie missing things, falling wrong, and even occasionally breaking a bone as he, like the industry he helped grow, lands on unbendable objects to entertain us.
Although "Yes, Madam" launched seven other "In The Line Of Duty" films (two more with Yeoh) I'd love to see Rothrock and Yeoh revisits these roles today. Everything else is being rebooted - this would be a great one to re-imagine. with these two reprising their roles years later. Perhaps this time on American soil. But please have Sammo Hung involved since he seems to be the glue that holds a lot of these funny actioners together.
Women in martial arts films has opened the door to women in MMA these days. Lisa King (the Black Widow) fights real bouts with other tough women. There is no doubt that without the influence of these films, female fighters wouldn't exist. Attitudes were changed, options explored because women like Yeoh and Rothrock showed that they were capable of holding their own, at least on the screen, with the bad boys of martial arts. Like scifi films that inspired young men and women to become scientists and then go on to make real the wonders they had read about and saw, imagining female fighters on screen has led to them becoming real in the ring.
I had to special order "Yes, Madam" from a vendor on Ebay - it's not widely available. But with over a hundred films between them, Yeoh and Rothrock are everywhere to be found. In fact, Amazon has tons of free offerings for all Hong Kong films if you have Amazon Prime. But even if not, $1.99-$2.99 is cheap to experience these wonderful examples of a genre of film that we, as Americans, still don't do well - the exception, perhaps, being "Rush Hour (the first one.)
Here is a link to the ending fight scene in "Yes, Madam" which just leaves you breathless! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tz-4WIFhA6U - it was almost thirty years ago and still nothing like it has been seen on American cinema screens.
Simply amazing.
