Armour of God (1986), originally titled Lung hing foo dai, is a Hong Kong action-adventure film directed by Jackie Chan and Eric Tsang, with Chan starring as Jackie, better known as Asian Hawk, a former musician turned international treasure hunter. After stealing an ancient sword from an African tribe, Jackie becomes involved in a dangerous search for the legendary Armour of God when his former bandmate Alan (Alan Tam) asks for help rescuing his kidnapped girlfriend Lorelei (Rosamund Kwan). With assistance from May Bannon (Lola Forner), the daughter of a wealthy collector, their journey takes them across Europe and eventually to a secluded monastery controlled by a mysterious religious cult. Combining the spirit of Indiana Jones with Chan’s distinctive mixture of martial arts, elaborate stunts and physical comedy, Armour of God became one of his most successful films of the 1980s. It is also remembered for one of the most serious accidents of his career, when a seemingly straightforward jump from a wall to a tree branch went disastrously wrong, leaving him with a fractured skull and requiring emergency surgery. Footage of the accident was later included in the film’s closing credits.
Armour of God (1986) was filmed across several European and North African countries, with a particularly substantial part of the production taking place in what was then Yugoslavia, in cooperation with the Zagreb-based company Jadran Film. Zagreb itself supplied some of the film’s most entertaining action sequences, particularly the extended chase involving Jackie’s specially modified Mitsubishi Colt and a gang of pursuing motorcyclists and off-road vehicles. The pursuit winds through the narrow streets of the Upper Town, past Nova Ves and the busy Dolac Market, where one of the chase’s spectacular jumps takes place. The sequence continues towards the Sava River, with the then-unfinished Croatian Radio Television building in Trnje visible in the background. Additional vehicle action was filmed at the historic bridge in Brežice, across the border in present-day Slovenia. The town also supplied an important interior location: the richly decorated Knight’s Hall at Brežice Castle was used for the fashion show sequence set in Vienna. Other Austrian locations included Graz and Vienna itself, while additional filming took place in France, Spain and Morocco. Medieval architecture became particularly important during the later part of the adventure. In Croatia, the hilltop town of Motovun contributed its old stone passageways and fortified entrance, while the ruins of Samobor Castle were used for the opening treasure-hunting sequence. It was here that Chan suffered his near-fatal injury when a tree branch broke during a stunt, sending him several metres onto the rocks below. Across the Slovenian border, Predjama Castle near Postojna provided one of the film’s most spectacular settings. Built directly into the mouth of a towering cave, the medieval fortress became part of the cult’s hideout and the climactic confrontation between Jackie and the Grand Wizard. Both the castle interiors and the surrounding cliffs were used for action scenes, including dangerous rope descents along the rock face. Nearby Postojna Cave supplied additional underground filming. By combining these real fortifications and natural cave systems with locations across several countries, the production gave Asian Hawk’s adventure an impressive geographical scale, with many of its most memorable sequences performed against genuine European architecture rather than purpose-built studio scenery.
Brežice Castle
Brežice Castle has appeared in Armour of God and Rosencrantz & Guildenstern Are Dead, with both making extensive use of its historic Knights’ Hall.
Predjama Castle
Predjama Castle has appeared in Armour of God and The Witcher, with both taking advantage of its combination of medieval architecture and natural caves.