My Top Ten Dozen Hong Kong Films (or, Ten Hong Kong Films that
changed the way I looked at Western Cinema): in no particular order.
THE BRIDE WITH WHITE HAIR (1993)
Dir: Ronny Yu. St: Leslie Cheung, Brigitte Lin, Francis Ng, Elaine Lui.
This is the film that convinced me that Ronny Yu was the closest thing to
God, and that Hong Kong cinema was something unique. Lavish, visually stunning, emotively
scored, and impressively acted and choreographed this will always be, for me, Asia's
finest moment in fantasy cinema. Based upon an age old legend, and serving up a (adult)
fairy tale rendition of the historical emergence of the eight government factions that
would rule Ching Dynasty China, this spectacular sweeping epic will be hard pressed to
ever be topped. Representative of all the best elements in modern Chinese cinema: subtly
erotic, impeccably choreographed, flawless set design and costuming, mind-blowing
cinematography, heart-wrenchingly romantic, attractively cast and, of course, topped off
with a healthy dose of uniquely Asian pathos. Also gets extra points for staggering use of
the widescreen Panavision process (a big plus in my books).
THE KILLER (1989)
Dir: John Woo. St: Chow Yun Fat, Danny Lee, Sally Yip, Paul Chu.
Undoubtedly Woo's most emotionally stirring masterpiece, there may never
be another action film produced that contains the same depth, nor retains the evocative
power of The Killer. The cast is flawless, with the exception of Kenneth Tsang
who succumbs to action film stereotyping, and Ching Siu Tung's action choreography will
always be impossible to surpass. Although little more than a Chinese remake of Jean-Pierre
Melville's Le Samourai (1967), Alain Delon was never as cool as Chow, and
Melville never managed the lofty heights of bloodshed Woo so effortlessly achieves.
Brilliantly scored by Lowell Lo too, while I'm at it (Sally Yip's title song is incredibly
haunting, as is the Morricone-inspired harmonica theme for Chow). The penultimate action
film in world cinema, after which everything else looks empty.
DRUNKEN MASTER 2 (1994)
Dir: Lau Kar Leung (with Jackie Chan uncredited). St: Jackie Chan, Anita Mui, Ti Lung.
Never a fan of Jackie Chan, this was the film that finally won me over to
his death-defying, crowd-pleasing form of cinema (although Wong Jing's City Hunter
and Kirk Wong's Crime Story went a long way towards rectifying the situation). It
took me about five minutes to accept Chan as Wong Fei Hung, after having been weaned on
Jet Li's incarnation, but by the end of 101 furious minutes I was up there cheering along
with the rest of the crowd (and joined in the energetic round of applause that welcomed in
the interval as the lights came up). Chan has never appeared in, nor directed, a more
entertaining slice of cinema than this. It almost seems sacrilegious that watered-down
films like Rush Hour and Rumble In The Bronx have made him a household
name. Mind you, this only narrowly pipped Police Story 2 to my Top Ten list, as
it wore me down with jaw-dropping martial arts and Jackie's winning cinematic persona.
(Don't let that stop you from catching Police Story 2, preferably in Chinatown
Video's uncut Chinese print. It's a masterwork of epic calibre!)
FIST OF LEGEND (1994)
Dir: Gordon Chan (with Yuen Woo Ping). St: Jet Li, Chin Siu Hao, Billy Chow.
I never liked Bruce Lee, and have only recently started to harbour a
growing appreciation for his place in Hong Kong cinema. Jet Li, on the other hand, has
always been a firm favourite. The commercial Prince of the '90s kung fu film, if you like.
Sure, many of his films may be quite shallow, but they never fail to entertain. This
frenzied reworking of Bruce's Fist Of Fury (unfortunately) trashes the memory of
Lee's original and cracks its audience with its own definitive "force of fury".
Although doubled on several occasions, Li dominates the film, coming off as an unstoppable
Dirty Harry of turn-of-the-century China by the film's finale. Seasoned veteran
Gordon Chan directs the drama capably, but it is martial arts director Yuen Woo Ping (The
Matrix) who truly shines. His choreography is unparalleled, leaving Li looking the
best he ever has (or will). The score also cranks (for God's sake, somebody remix that
theme!). Too many good bits to even try to mention!
A CHINESE GHOST STORY III (1991)
Dir: Ching Siu Tung. St: Tony Leung, Joey Wong, Jacky Cheung, Nina Li.
For sure, the original A Chinese Ghost Story was groundbreaking,
and the first sequel equally more of the same (nobody did it better that Tsui &
Ching), but the third installment was the one that really tugged at my heartstrings and
moved me with its (virtually dominant) romantic backstory. Singer Tony Leung in the lead
as the infatuated monk could never hope to hold a candle to Leslie Cheung's original
performance, but he makes for a unique romantic lead. The action is bigger, the FX more
elaborate, and the romance much more syrupy, which all adds up to the best in the series
by my reckoning. Thousands would disagree, but I love this one.
MY HEART IS THAT ETERNAL ROSE (1988)
Dir: Patrick Tam. St: Kenny Bee, Tony Leung, Joey Wong, Michael Chan.
Forget A Better Tomorrow, this is the one film that deserves the
accolade of Hong Kong's masterwork of triad cinema! Loosely based on Bogart's Casablanca,
Tam's incomparable film is serviced by striking cinematography by Australian Christopher
Doyle (who would later become Wong Kar Wai's favoured DOP), and strong performances by his
star-heavy cast headed up by former Wynners member Bee. Former triad member Michael Chan
Wai Man exudes an icy atmosphere of menace as Bee's nemesis that few of his peers have
ever managed to match, and Joey Wong is simply adorable as Bee's doomed girlfriend. The
tone is bleakly nihilistic, but the overall final piece is an unmatched exercise in
dramatically ballistic gangster cinema. It took me eight years to finally track this down,
don't make the same mistake!
THE UNTOLD STORY (1993)
Dir: Herman Yau. St: Anthony Wong, Danny Lee, Parkman Wong, Emily Kwan.
Producer Danny Lee may have directed the most notorious of all Category
III true-crime horror films, Doctor Lam (1992), but herein turns out the most
disturbing passage in serial killer cinema the world may ever see. Forget Western fare
like Silence Of The Lambs and their ilk, this disturbs at a gut level that has no
peer in English language cinema. Anthony Wong won Best Actor at the Hong Kong Film Awards
for his portrayal of the twisted human-monster that is the focus of this gore-laden epic,
but admittedly just didn't deserve it for what is essentially a hammy & over-acted
mess. But Wong's outrageous performance aside, this shocks, disgusts, horrifies, disturbs,
and (strangest of all) entertains on equal levels. Yau's direction packs visual punch, and
Lee sees to it that the details are presented in graphically disturbing detail. If you
have the stomach for it, try and see this one UNCUT.
FIGHT BACK TO SCHOOL III (1993)
Dir: Wong Jing. St: Stephen Chow, Sharla Cheung, Anita Mui, Anthony Wong.
Choices, choices, choices. So many Stephen Chow films to choose from, but
only one to pick! Although so many SHOULD be on this list, this is the one that left me
laughing hardest, and kept me entertained the most. A Naked Gun styled send-up of
Paul Verhoeven's (undeservedly) popular thriller Basic Instinct, Chow plays off
his cast and Wong's parodic script with finesse. The comedy is laugh-out-loud funny, the
satire inspired (Wong's script even lampoons himself & Chow), and leading ladies
Sharla Cheung & Anita Mui (my all-time fave) make for impressive eye-candy. It may
have little to do with Fight Back To School 1 & 2, but damn this is lunatic
cinema! Its only drawback is the desperately unfunny Natalis Chan in a cameo role.
NAKED KILLER (1992)
Dir: Clarence Fok. St: Simon Yam, Chingamy Yau, Carrie Ng, Kelly Yiu.
Maybe this should have been Erotic Ghost Story 2, or the original
Sex & Zen, but as far as Category III steam goes this is my hands-down
all-time winner for best slice of high-gloss Hong Kong smut. Lesbian assassins, high-wire
edge-of-the-seat gunplay, a cool pumping score, Clarence Fok's rock video visual pizzazz,
and Chingamy Yau...what more could a fan of Asian cinema want in a film? Producer Wong
Jing financed this as Hong Kong's answer to Basic Instinct, and if Carolco
bankrolled films like this maybe they might not have gone belly up! True fans should front
up at their favourite local importer and request a copy of the '99 released
"Director's Cut" from the UK on the Hong Kong Classics video label.
PORTLAND STREET BLUES (1998)
Dir: Raymond Yip. St: Sandra Ng, Kristie Yeung, Vincent Wan, Hsu Chi.
Young & Dangerous sparked an explosion of triad youth films
in '96, and by the time this spin-off appeared in '98, the cycle had pretty much run its
course. But Raymond Yip's tale of Ng's "Sister 13", and her rise to the top
amongst the pre-dominantly male dominated underworld, proved itself to be the most
dramatically satisfying product of the whole genre. Ng's performance is flawless (and won
her Best Actress at the 1999 Hong Kong Film Awards), the supporting cast impeccable (most
notably Hsu Chi), and the film a heart-rendingly engaging 2 hours. Western cinema would
never afford such a strong dramatic lead to a lesbian character, and Ng pulls it off to
perfection. Brutal, confrontational, and shockingly violent yet touching, tragic and
tear-inducingly moving, Portland Street Blues ranks as the finest achievement of
'90s gangster cinema, and should not be missed.
12 Jan 2000 © MC Thomason
MC THOMASON witnessed his
first Hong Kong action film (Teresa Woo's Iron Angels) in 1989, but was to be won
over by John Woo's The Killer (in its English dubbed form) in 1990. His knowledge
of, and interest in, Hong Kong cinema won him a freelance guest review spot for Eastern
Heroes of London in November '95, which was soon followed by biography and research work
for Siren Entertainment's Chinatown Video label in January '96. He has since contributed
material to Shocking Images (California), Manga Max (UK), Hong Kong
SuperStars (UK), Impact (UK; unfortunately unpublished) and Chinatown Video's
website. Currently divides time between a large percentage of the above
publications and his daytime
job as a Sales Consultant with Telstra in Perth (as freelance writing doesn't pay the
rent). His finest HK moment was Siren's 10th Anniversary release of John Woo's The
Killer; the boxset of which comprised his meticulously researched booklet. He is
working on Forbidden Asia, a history of Hong Kong Category III films.
