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Encyclopedia > A Better Tomorrow
A Better Tomorrow

Theatrical poster for A Better Tomorrow
Directed by John Woo
Produced by Tsui Hark
Written by Chan Hing-Ka
Leung Suk-Wah
John Woo
Starring Chow Yun-Fat
Ti Lung
Leslie Cheung
Music by Joseph Koo
Distributed by Cinema City Company Limited
Anchor Bay Entertainment (In America)
Release date(s) Flag of Hong Kong August 2, 1986
Flag of Japan April, 1987
Flag of France July 21, 1993
Running time 95 min.
Country Flag of Hong Kong Hong Kong
Language Cantonese
Followed by A Better Tomorrow II
All Movie Guide profile
IMDb profile

A Better Tomorrow (Chinese: 英雄本色; pinyin: yīngxióng běnsè, Cantonese: ying1 hung4 bun2 sik1; literally True Colors of a Hero) is a 1986 Hong Kong action movie which had a profound influence on the Hong Kong movie-making industry, and later on an international scale. Image File history File links Abettertomorrow. ... John Woo (Chinese: ; Pinyin: ) (born May 1, 1946) is a Chinese film director and producer. ... Tsui Hark (Chinese: 徐克; Hanyu Pinyin: ; Wade-Giles: Hsü Ko) (born Tsui Man-kong (徐文光) on February 15, 1950) is a New Wave film director in Hong Kong who is also a highly influential producer, often likened to Steven Spielberg for a similar galvanizing effect on his countrys cinematic scene. ... John Woo (Chinese: ; Pinyin: ) (born May 1, 1946) is a Chinese film director and producer. ... Chow Yun-Fat (Traditional Chinese: ; Simplified Chinese: ; Pinyin: ) (born May 18, 1955) is a Hong Kong actor. ... This article is on the Chinese dragon. ... Leslie Cheung Kwok-Wing (September 12, 1956 – April 1, 2003) (Traditional Chinese: ; Simplified Chinese: ; Cantonese IPA: , Jyutping: zoeng1 gwok3 wing4; Mandarin Pinyin: Zhāng Guóróng, Wade-Giles: Chang Kuo-jung; nickname Gor-gor (哥哥, Elder Brother in Cantonese), was an actor and a musician from Hong Kong. ... Joseph Koo SBS(Chinese: 顧嘉煇; Cantonese Yale: Gu Gà Faì, IPA: , Jyutping: gu3 gaa1 fai1; Mandarin Pinyin: Gù JiāhuÄ«), or Gu Gaa-fai (born 1933) is one of the most repected composers in Hong Kong. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Hong_Kong_1959. ... is the 214th day of the year (215th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... // April 12 - Actor Morgan Mason marries The Go-Gos Belinda Carlisle Actor Arnold Schwarzenegger marries television journalist Maria Shriver. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Japan. ... This article or section needs additional references or sources to improve its verifiability. ... Year 1987 (MCMLXXXVII) was a common year starting on Thursday (link displays 1987 Gregorian calendar). ... Image File history File links This is a lossless scalable vector image. ... is the 202nd day of the year (203rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1993 (MCMXCIII) was a common year starting on Friday (link will display full 1993 Gregorian calendar). ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Hong_Kong_1959. ... This article is on all of the Yue dialects. ... A Better Tomorrow II is possibly the best family film you will ever come across. ... Hanyu Pinyin (Simplified Chinese: ; Traditional Chinese: ; pinyin: ), commonly called Pinyin, is the most common variant of Standard Mandarin romanization system in use. ... Year 1986 (MCMLXXXVI) was a common year starting on Wednesday (link displays 1986 Gregorian calendar). ... The introduction to this article provides insufficient context for those unfamiliar with the subject matter. ...


Directed by John Woo, it stars Chow Yun-Fat, Ti Lung and Leslie Cheung. Although the movie was made with a tight budget and was relatively unknown until it went on screen due to virtually no advertising, it broke Hong Kong's box office record and went on to become a blockbuster in Asian countries. This success also ensured that two sequels would be released: A Better Tomorrow 2, also directed by Woo, and A Better Tomorrow 3, a prequel directed by producer Tsui Hark. [citations needed] It is the #2 of the Best 100 Chinese Motion Pictures. John Woo (Chinese: ; Pinyin: ) (born May 1, 1946) is a Chinese film director and producer. ... Chow Yun-Fat (Traditional Chinese: ; Simplified Chinese: ; Pinyin: ) (born May 18, 1955) is a Hong Kong actor. ... This article is on the Chinese dragon. ... Leslie Cheung Kwok-Wing (September 12, 1956 – April 1, 2003) (Traditional Chinese: ; Simplified Chinese: ; Cantonese IPA: , Jyutping: zoeng1 gwok3 wing4; Mandarin Pinyin: Zhāng Guóróng, Wade-Giles: Chang Kuo-jung; nickname Gor-gor (哥哥, Elder Brother in Cantonese), was an actor and a musician from Hong Kong. ... World map showing the location of Asia. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... A Better Tomorrow 2 (英雄本色 2; pinyin: yīngxióng běnsè èr) is a 1987 film, which is a follow-up to its popular predecessor, A Better Tomorrow. ... A Better Tomorrow 3: Love & Death in Saigon is a Hong Kong action film released in 1989. ... A prequel is a work that portrays events which include the structure, conventions, and/or characters of a previously completed narrative, but occur at an earlier time. ... Tsui Hark (Chinese: 徐克; Hanyu Pinyin: ; Wade-Giles: Hsü Ko) (born Tsui Man-kong (徐文光) on February 15, 1950) is a New Wave film director in Hong Kong who is also a highly influential producer, often likened to Steven Spielberg for a similar galvanizing effect on his countrys cinematic scene. ... Hong Kong Film Awards (香港電影金像獎), is the most prestigious film awards in Hong Kong. ...

Contents

Overview

A Better Tomorrow depicts mob violence in a romantically surreal fashion. Not only did the movie make Woo and Chow international stars, it started a whole new genre of films which followed its unique style of romanticized violence. One of its most famous followers is the director Quentin Tarantino, whose portrayal of the mob (e.g. Pulp Fiction, Resevoir Dogs) bears the distinctive John Woo trademark. [citations needed] Quentin Jerome Tarantino (born March 27, 1963) is an American film director, actor, and screenwriter. ... Pulp Fiction is an Academy Award-winning 1994 film written by Quentin Tarantino and Roger Avary and directed by Tarantino. ... Movie Facts Reservoir Dogs is Quentin Tarantinos 1992 debut as a feature film director. ...


The plot is one that resonates well with audiences, especially in China. Two friends lead a carefree, immoral life, until suddenly it all comes crashing down. The two friends then take different paths, but ultimately they find that they must come together to set things right again. Despite its criminal content, A Better Tomorrow resounds with messages about morality, family, shame, responsibility, and forgiveness.


The film is a standout in a few ways: first and foremost, for the exceptional performance by the actors. In particular, Chow's portrayal of Mark Lee goes through a dramatic transformation from a stylish, cynical crook (Hong Kong teenagers took up the circular-shades-and-duster-jacket look for years) to a shamed, broken man with a dream to regain his dignity. His performance at times elevates the film from a pulp crime story to an emotional quest for understanding and dignity.


Secondly, it was the film that introduced most of Asia to the John Woo style, which includes tightly-choreographed violence and gunplay. It contains one of film's all-time great gun battles, one that is similar to a music video in style and concept. A music video is a short film or video that accompanies a complete piece of music, most commonly a song. ...


Although 20 years have passed from the time A Better Tomorrow was made to the time of this writing, one can still find traces of its influence in Hong Kong action movies, even though Woo and Chow have long gone on to Hollywood for further advancement in their careers.


Cast and roles include

This article is on the Chinese dragon. ... Leslie Cheung Kwok-Wing (September 12, 1956 – April 1, 2003) (Traditional Chinese: ; Simplified Chinese: ; Cantonese IPA: , Jyutping: zoeng1 gwok3 wing4; Mandarin Pinyin: Zhāng Guóróng, Wade-Giles: Chang Kuo-jung; nickname Gor-gor (哥哥, Elder Brother in Cantonese), was an actor and a musician from Hong Kong. ... Chow Yun-Fat (Traditional Chinese: ; Simplified Chinese: ; Pinyin: ) (born May 18, 1955) is a Hong Kong actor. ... Fui-On Shing (born February 1, 1955) is a Hong Kong actor. ... Kenneth Tsang Kong (Chinese : 曾江), born in 1938, is one of the most respected actors in Hong Kong. ... Tsui Hark (Chinese: 徐克; Hanyu Pinyin: ; Wade-Giles: Hsü Ko) (born Tsui Man-kong (徐文光) on February 15, 1950) is a New Wave film director in Hong Kong who is also a highly influential producer, often likened to Steven Spielberg for a similar galvanizing effect on his countrys cinematic scene. ...

Box office

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]


Trivia

This section contains a list of trivia items.

The section could be improved by integrating relevant items into the main text and removing inappropriate items.

This section has been tagged since June 2007.
  • John Woo (cameo), the director, is the Taiwanese police chief walking along the corridor of the bloodshed restaurant in slow motion.
  • Chow Yun Fat's entrance to the restaurant before the shoot-out is John Woo's homage to Mean Streets.
  • This film has been called "the film that launched a thousand remakes" due to the wave of triad pictures that followed.[citation needed]
  • 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).
  • 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 been 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.
  • Reportedly John Woo cast Chow Yun-Fat because he felt he did not look like an action star.[citation needed]
  • In the scene where Kit rushes Jackie to a music recital, the violinist playing before Jackie plays the theme song of the movie.
  • The Wu-Tang Clan has a a song named after the film on their 1997 album Wu-Tang Forever
  • Stephen Chow, while at early stage of his film career, was playing a minor role as a bodyguard of the Taiwanese triad leader.

John Woo (Chinese: ; Pinyin: ) (born May 1, 1946) is a Chinese film director and producer. ... Chow Yun-Fat (周潤發, Jau1 Yeun6 Faat3, Pinyin: Zhōu Rùnfā) (born May 18, 1955 on Lamma Island, Hong Kong) is among a handful of internationally recognized screen actors that Hong Kong has ever produced, along with Bruce Lee and Jackie Chan. ... Mean Streets (1973) is an early Martin Scorsese film starring Harvey Keitel and Robert De Niro. ... Hong Kong Film Awards (香港電影金像獎), is the most prestigious film awards in Hong Kong. ... Chow Yun-Fat (Traditional Chinese: ; Simplified Chinese: ; Pinyin: ) (born May 18, 1955) is a Hong Kong actor. ... Ringo Lam Ling-Tung (Traditional Chinese: ; Simplified Chinese: ; Pinyin: , Cantonese: Lam Ling-tung), born in 1955 is a Hong Kong film director, producer and scriptwriter. ... Bey Logan (born 1963) is a respected expert on Asian cinema, particularly Hong Kong action cinema. ... The Wu-Tang Clan is a New York-based rap group, consisting of nine American rappers. ... Ghostface Killah chronology GZA/Genius chronology Wu-Tang Forever is the long-awaited follow-up to the Wu-Tang Clans first album Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers). ... Stephen Chow (also Stephen Chiau) (traditional Chinese : 周星馳; simplified Chinese : 周星驰; Romanized as: Chow Sing Chi ; pinyin : Zhōu XÄ«ngchí; jyutping : zau1 sing1 ci4) (born June 22, 1962) is a director and actor in many blockbuster movies in Hong Kong. ...

References

  1. ^ A Better Tomorrow (1986). HKMDB. Retrieved on 2007-03-20.

Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era. ... is the 79th day of the year (80th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ...

See also

A Better Tomorrow 2 (英雄本色 2; pinyin: yīngxióng běnsè èr) is a 1987 film, which is a follow-up to its popular predecessor, A Better Tomorrow. ... A Better Tomorrow 3: Love & Death in Saigon is a Hong Kong action film released in 1989. ... The history of Chinese language cinema has three separate threads of development: Cinema of Hong Kong, Cinema of China, and Cinema of Taiwan. ... While most of local Hong Kong movies are set in the Special Administrative Region, several foreign movies are also, at least partly, set in Hong Kong. ... Heroic Bloodshed, or Hong Kong Blood Opera (HKBO), refers to a genre of action film originating from Hong Kong revolving around stylised action sequences and common themes such as brotherhood, honour, and violence. ... Cinema of Hong Kong This is an A-Z list of films produced in Hong Kong and in the in alphabetical order. ...

External links

Wikiquote has a collection of quotations related to:
A Better Tomorrow
Films directed by John Woo
Fist to Fist (1973) • The Young Dragons (1974) • The Dragon Tamers (1974) • Princess Chang Ping (1975) • Hand of Death (1975) • Money Crazy (1977) • Last Hurrah for Chivalry (1978) • Hello, Late Homecomers (1978) • Follow the Star (1978) • 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) • Tragic Heroes (1989) • Bullet in the Head (1990) • Once a Thief (1991) • Hard Boiled (1992) • Hard Target (1993) • Broken Arrow (1996) • Once a Thief (1996) • Face/Off (1997) • Blackjack (1998) • Mission: Impossible II (2000) • Windtalkers (2002) • Paycheck (2003) • All the Invisible Children (2005) • Red Cliff (2008)
v • d • e
Cinema of Hong Kong

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