Main Cast: Chow Yun-Fat, Leslie Cheung, Ti Lung, Young Pao I
Release Year: 1986
Country: HK
Run Time: 95 minutes
Plot
John Woo established himself as one of Hong Kong's premiere action directors with this ultra-hip, ultra-violent action classic. The film centers around the complex relationship between two brothers: Sung Tse-kit (Leslie Cheung) is a recent graduate of the police academy while Tse-ho (Ti Lung) runs a massive counterfeiting ring along with his gangland associate, Mark Lee (Chow Yun-fat). Tension between the two brothers comes to a head when their father is murdered after a crime deal goes sour and Tse-ho lands in jail after being double-crossed. In perhaps the most influential scene in Hong Kong cinema in the 1980s, Mark avenges his friend by staging a dinner table assassination. As Mark tries to shoot his way out of the restaurant, pulling a series of hidden pistols from potted plants and alcoves, he gets horribly injured. With both founding members of the counterfeiting syndicate incapacitated, the operation falls into the hands of Shing (Waise Lee Chi-hung), Tse-ho's former underling who has little of his boss' élan or experience. When Tse-ho gets out of jail, he reunites with his now-crippled comrade, Mark, to take out Shing and to protect Tse-kit whose life is in danger for investigating their former subordinate. ~ Jonathan Crow, All Movie Guide
Review
The film that launched a thousand action spectaculars, A Better Tomorrow established John Woo as Hong Kong's preeminent action director and started the Hong Kong gangster flick boom of the 1980s. Reworking themes of loyalty and self-sacrifice found in Italian spaghetti westerns, Jean-Pierre Melville films, and early martial arts movies, Woo envisions a criminal world where violence is the only way of life and honor and brotherhood means everything. Woo's flamboyant style and sheer bravura earned him acclaim from both the press and the public. His elegant tracking shots, staccato edits, and slow-motion pyrotechnics introduced a new level of emotional resonance and visual beauty to the action sequence, as his baroque visual style and intense emphasis on brotherhood elevated the film's drama to almost Wagnerian proportions. In addition to its two eventual sequels, A Better Tomorrow greatly influenced such American directors as Quentin Tarantino and established Chow Yun Fat as one of Asia's leading stars, as the image of Chow as a trench-coat-and-sunglasses-sporting-lone-hitman became an icon of Hong Kong cinema. A Better Tomorrow is a dazzling spectacular full of tear-jerking melodrama and jaw-dropping action sequences -- a cinematic feast. ~ Jonathan Crow, All Movie Guide
Emily Chu - Jackie; Lee Tse Ho - Shing; Tsang Kong; John Woo - Inspector; Waise Lee
Credit
Bernie Liu - Art Director, John Woo - Director, Kam Ma - Editor, David Wu - Editor, Joseph Koo - Composer (Music Score), Wong Wing-Hang - Cinematographer, Tsui Hark - Producer, John Woo - Producer, John Woo - Screenwriter, Chan Hing-kai - Screenwriter, Leung Suk-wah - Screenwriter, Stephen Tung Wei - Action Director
Ho works for the triad whose principle operation is printing and distributing counterfeit US bank notes. He is a respected member and handles the most important transactions; Mark, his best friend, is his partner in crime. Ho has the respect of the big boss, is given the title of "big brother," and often wears the all-white suit when representing the organization.
Incidentally, Ho has a younger brother, Kit, whom he loves. The irony is that Kit wants to be a police officer, a route that Ho seems to encourage. Thus Ho keeps his criminal life secret. There is a suggestion that their father knows what Ho is doing and is possibly involved, but this is also kept secret.
Ho is sent to Taiwan by the boss to finalize a deal. New member Shing is sent along as an apprentice. It turns out to be a police setup as Ho and Shing flee with guns blazing. To help Shing escape, Ho surrenders to the police. When Mark finds out that Ho is arrested, Mark kills the men responsible for Ho's setup; but not before Mark's kneecap is blown in the process.
While Ho is in prison, His father is killed by one of Shing's men (Shing has taken over the organization). His dying words to Kit was to forgive his brother. In anguish, Kit blames Ho for their father's death.
Ho is released from prison after three years. He finds work as a taxi driver. During one of his shifts, Ho finds Mark, who has been reduced to Shing's crippled errand boy. Mark pleads with Ho to return to their criminal life, but Ho refuses. Shing also proposes to Ho to come back, this time without Mark. Shing threatens to kill Mark and Kit if Ho does not comply.
Kit is obsessed with taking Shing down. He discovers Shing's next major deal, but Ho discovers it to be a trap. Kit refuses to listen to Ho's warning. Later on, Shing has Mark beaten almost to death. Ho arrives to save Mark. Mark demands revenge, but Ho begs to end the bloodshed.
In the final chapter, Shing's men ambush Kit, but Ho and Mark manage to catch Shing. An exchange is made for both men, but it explodes into a wild shootout. Ho is wounded by a bullet meant for Kit. Seeing his best friend shot, Mark berates Kit, and tells him that Ho came to rescue his only brother. Before Mark is finished talking, he is shot several times and dies. The cops arrive and Shing surrenders to them. Ho tries to kill Shing but he is out of bullets. Shing mocks, "I have money. In two, three days I'll be released..." The two brothers, finally seeing eye to eye, have no intention of seeing Shing released. Kit hands Ho a gun and Ho kills Shing. Ho then handcuffs himself to his brother, insists that he be taken into custody.
A Better Tomorrow grossed a massive $34,651,324 HKD at the Hong Kong box office, ensuring that sequels and imitators would not be far behind.[1]
Musical references
During the nightclub scene, the song being played in the background is a classic Hong Kong tune sung by Roman Tam, considered the "grandfather" of the musical genre Cantopop.
In the scene where Kit rushes Jackie to a music recital, the violinist playing before Jackie plays the theme song of the movie.
Also heard in the soundtrack is "Sparrowfall 1", a track from Brian Eno's 1978 album, Music For Films.
The film also contains "Birdy's Theme" (from the film Birdy) by Peter Gabriel incorporated into the soundtrack.
Film references
Chow Yun Fat's entrance to the restaurant before the shoot-out is John Woo's homage to Mean Streets.
Woo's film was partially inspired by the 1967 Lung Kong film Ying xiong ben se (Story of a Discharged Prisoner), which is #39 on the Hong Kong Film Awards list of the Top 100 Chinese Films.
The scene in which Mark Lee tells the story of being forced to drink urine is apparently based on a real incident involving Chow Yun-Fat and director Ringo Lam, according to Bey Logan on the DVD commentary. This scene was recreated in Woo's Bullet in the Head.
Cultural impact
After the film, teenage boys in Hong Kong wore long dusters in emulation of Chow's character even though the climate was sub-tropical. In fact, in colloquial Cantonese, trench coats are called "Mark Gor Lau" (literally, Brother Mark's coat).
Chow wore Alain Delon sunglasses in the movie. After the movie, Hong Kong was sold out of Alain Delon's sunglasses. French star Alain Delon sent Chow a personal thank you note.
In 2009 Empire Magazine named it #20 in a poll of the 20 Greatest Gangster Movies You've Never Seen* (*Probably)
From Riches to Rags (1980) •To Hell with the Devil (1981) •Laughing Times (1981) •Plain Jane to the Rescue (1982) •The Time You Need a Friend (1984) •Run Tiger Run (1985) •Heroes Shed No Tears (1986) •A Better Tomorrow (1986) •A Better Tomorrow II (1987) •The Killer (1989) •Just Heroes (1989)
