Movies / A Better Tomorrow (1986)
Runtime: 95 min
Genres: Action Crime Drama Thriller
Languages: Cantonese English Mandarin
Countries: Hong Kong
The John Woo gangster classic that started it all, a romantic, violent, swirlingly stylish melodrama about dueling brothers--with a mesmerizing lead performance by Hong Kong's favorite actor, Chow Yun-Fat. In repose, Chow's sleepy magnetism recalls the glory days of Robert Mitchum, Steve McQueen, and Takakura Ken; when he's stepping high, Chow has a unique, ebullient star presence, a man who embraces life so unselfconsciously that he becomes vulnerable to all kinds of suffering and heartache (he endures masochistic megadoses of violence here). The sequence in which Chow's Mark avenges his betrayed best friend---by blasting his way into, and then out of, a Chinese restaurant, twin .45s blazing---is a swashbuckling standout. Woo's film technique may have been more polished in later efforts, but Tomorrow has a direct emotional power that is still unique. Kung fu star of the 1970s, Ti Lung is also terrific here as the 40ish established mobster, relied upon by all, who allows conflicting loyalties toward Mark and toward his younger brother, now a cop, to undermine the stability of his position. --David Chute
Keywords (183) |
---|
police training bandaged head boardroom suicide by cop ex convict menace criminal syndicate triad counterfeiting shot in the face More Keywords » |
Directors (1) | Credit |
---|---|
John Woo | ... |
Writers (3) | Credit |
---|---|
Hing-Ka Chan | (written by) (as Chan Hing Kai) & |
John Woo | (written by) |
Suk-Wah Leung | (written by) (as Leung Suk Wah) & |
Composers (2) | Credit |
---|---|
Joseph Koo | ... |
Ka-Fai Koo | ... |
Cinematographers (1) | Credit |
---|---|
Wing-Hung Wong | ... |
Actors (23) | Credit |
---|---|
Chi Fai Chan | 'Little' Wang |
Emily Chu | Jackie |
Feng Tien | Father Sung |
Fui-On Shing | Shing's right hand man |
Gregory Snegoff | Sung Tse-Ho (voice: English version) (uncredited) |
Hark Tsui | Music Judge (as Tsui Hark) |
Hing Ying Kam | Mr. Mok |
Hsieh Wang | Mr. Wang (as Hap Wong) |
John Woo | Inspector Wu |
Kenneth Tsang | Ken |
Kwok Leung Cheung | ... |
Leslie Cheung | Sung Tse-Kit |
Lung Ti | Sung Tse-Ho (as Ti Lung) |
Ming Leung | ... |
Patrick Leung | ... |
Sai Gwan Yeung | Triad Member in Parking Lot |
San Nam Hung | Triad Member |
Shung Fung Lau | ... |
Stephen Chow | Taiwanese Triad (uncredited) |
Waise Lee | Shing (as Lee Chi Hung) |
Wei Ho Tu | ... |
Yangzi Shi | Mr. Yiu |
Yun-Fat Chow | Mark Gor / Mark Lee (as Chow Yun Fat) |