The maestro of cinematic mayhem John Woo showed his lighter side with this 1977 slapstick comedy about a pair of jewellery thieves who team up to steal a tycoon's precious diamonds. Ricky Hui and Richard Ng are the criminals who start off as enemies only join forces in a bid to help a young woman retrieve her family's jewels from Rich Chen.

A broad slapstick comedy, here John Woo ventured into territory that will be distinctly unfamiliar to his many UK fans. A box office smash in Hong Kong, the Pilferers' Progress is a great example of Hong Kong comedy at its frenetic and crazy best, and proves that Woo is much more than simply a master of operatic bloodshed.

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