Once Upon a Time in China
| Once Upon a Time in China | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Traditional | 黃飛鴻 |
| Simplified | 黄飞鸿 |
| Mandarin | Huáng Fēihóng |
| Cantonese | Wong4 Fei1-hung4 |
| Directed by | Tsui Hark |
| Produced by | Tsui Hark |
| Written by |
Tsui Hark Yuen Kai-chi (阮繼志) Leung Yiu-ming Elsa Tang (鄧碧燕) |
| Starring |
Jet Li Yuen Biao Jacky Cheung Rosamund Kwan Kent Cheng |
| Music by |
James Wong George Lam (theme song) |
| Cinematography |
Ardy Lam Bill Wong David Chung Arthur Wong Wingo Chan Wilson Chan |
| Edited by | Marco Mak |
Production company | |
| Distributed by | Golden Harvest |
Release dates |
|
Running time | 134 minutes |
| Country | Hong Kong |
| Language | Cantonese |
| Box office | HK$29,672,278.00 |
Once Upon a Time in China is a 1991 Hong Kong martial arts film written and directed by Tsui Hark, starring Jet Li as Chinese folk hero Wong Fei-hung. It is the first installment in the Once Upon a Time in China film series.
Plot
The film is set in Foshan, China sometime in the late 19th century during the Qing dynasty. Liu Yongfu, the commander of the Black Flag Army, invites Wong Fei-hung on board his ship to watch a lion dance. Some sailors on board a nearby American ship hear the sound of firecrackers and mistakenly think that Liu's ship is opening fire at them, so they return fire and injure the dancers. Wong picks up the lion head and finishes the performance. Liu comments about the perilous situation China is in, and then gives Wong a hand fan inscribed with all the unequal treaties signed between China and other countries.
Wong is the martial arts instructor of the local militia in Foshan. He also runs his own traditional Chinese medicine clinic, Po-chi-lam, and has three apprentices: "Pork" Wing, "Bucktooth" So, and Kai. He meets Siu-kwan, the daughter of a sworn brother of his grandfather. Even though she is around the same age as him, he still has to address her as "13th Aunt" as she is considered more "senior" than him. They have romantic feelings for each other, but their relationship is restrained because it is seen as taboo in the conservative Chinese society of their time.
Leung Foon arrives in Foshan with an opera troupe to stage performances. He encounters 13th Aunt by chance, has a few clumsy encounters with her, and develops a crush on her. He also runs into trouble with the Shaho Gang, which terrorises and extorts money from local businesses. A fight breaks out between the gang and the local militia while Wong is having a meeting at a restaurant with the Governor of Foshan. The gangsters flee when they realise they are no match for Wong. The Governor blames Wong for the disturbance, and disbands and arrests the militia members. Wong confronts the Shaho Gang's leader, defeats him and captures him, but the authorities release him because no one wants to help Wong by testifying as a witness in court.
In the meantime, Leung Foon meets a northern martial artist, "Iron Vest" Yim, and decides to follow him. Yim wants to become famous and start a martial arts school in Foshan, but he needs to prove himself first. One night, the Shaho Gang sets fire to Po-chi-lam in revenge, after which they flee and take shelter under Jackson, an American official. In return for protection from the authorities, the Shaho Gang helps Jackson run his underground human trafficking ring by kidnapping Chinese women to be sent to America as prostitutes. When Wong and the Governor are watching an opera performance, the Shaho Gang and Jackson's men ambush them and try to assassinate the Governor and kill Wong. Their plan fails but many innocent people at the theatre are wounded. The Governor blames Wong and threatens to arrest and execute him, but allows him to give medical attention to the injured.
While tending to the injured people in his clinic, Wong meets an escaped Chinese labourer from America who relates his story of how he and his fellow labourers were treated in America. Just then, Yim arrives at Po-chi-lam and insists on challenging Wong to a fight to prove he is the better fighter. Yim leaves with Leung Foon after he is defeated by Wong and joins the Shaho Gang – even though Leung strongly objects to Yim working with the gang. Shortly after Yim left, the Governor shows up and orders his men to search Po-chi-lam for fugitives. While buying time for the labourer, 13th Aunt and "Bucktooth" So to escape, Wong and his apprentices fight with the Governor's men until 13th Aunt, "Bucktooth" So and the labourer have escaped. Wong then surrenders himself and is imprisoned along with his apprentices. In the meantime, the Shaho Gang kills the labourer, abducts 13th Aunt and takes her to their base. Bucktooth So escapes and goes to the prison to inform Wong. The prison guards release Wong and his apprentices out of respect for him.
Wong and his apprentices disguise themselves and infiltrate Jackson's base to find and rescue 13th Aunt. Wong engages Yim in a one-on-one fight and defeats him again. At the same time, Wong's apprentices and Leung Foon overcome the Shaho Gang and Jackson's men, and save 13th Aunt and the kidnapped women. Yim is killed by gunfire from Jackson's men. During the fight on the boat, the Shaho gang leader is thrown into the furnace and burned alive. At the critical moment, Jackson takes the Governor hostage at gunpoint, but Wong kills Jackson by using his fingers to flick an unused bullet into Jackson's forehead, and saves the Governor. At the end of the film, Wong accepts Leung as his fourth apprentice and they take a group photo in Po-chi-lam.
Cast
- Jet Li as Wong Fei-hung (doubled by Hung Yan-yan)
- Yuen Biao as Leung Foon
- Jacky Cheung as "Bucktooth" So
- Rosamund Kwan as "13th Aunt" Siu-kwan
- Kent Cheng as Lam Sai-wing ("Porky" Wing)
- Yuen Kam-fai as Ling Wan-kai ("Kai")
- Yen Shi-kwan as "Iron Vest" Yim
- Jonathan Isgar as Jackson
- Steve Tartalia as Tiger
- Mark King as General Wickens
- Lau Shun as Liu Yongfu
- Yau Kin-kwok as Shaho Gang Leader Tong
- Wong Chi-yeung as the Governor (Magistrate)
- Bruce Fontaine as policeman
- Yuen Cheung-yan as Yim's opponent
- Yuen Shun-yee as prison guard
- Jimmy Wang as escaped labourer
- Hung Yan-yan as Shaho Gang member
- Wu Ma as Granduncle Cheung (cameo)
- Shih Kien as old man who gives advice (cameo)
- Simon Yam (cameo)
- Colin George as Jesuit priest
- Leung Gam-san as opera troupe boss
- Joanna Peijiffers as Joanna
- San Sin as lion dance drummer
- To Wai-wo as local militia
- Ling Chi-hung as local militia
- Fei Gin as local militia
- Lam Foo-wai as local militia
- Cho Yuen-daat as local militia
- Lung Biu as Shaho gang member
- Tong Pau-chung as Shaho Gang member
- Kong Chuen as Shaho Gang member
- Chan Siu-wah as Shaho Gang member
- Sham Chin-bo as Shaho Gang member
- Wong Wai-leung as Shaho Gang member
- Anthony Carpio as Shaho Gang member
- Chun Kwai-bo as Shaho Gang member
- Hui Si-man as hawker
- Neil Preen as soldier
- Sham Tsim-po
- Sin Ka-fai
- Marcus Fox
Release and reception
Once Upon a Time in China was released in Hong Kong on 15 August 1991.[1] The film was a box office hit and is largely credited with starting the period martial arts craze of the early to mid 1990s. It ran for almost two months, the longest duration for any of the series, and grossed $29,672,278 HKD in Hong Kong.[2]
Critical response
Once Upon a Time in China was given highly favorable reviews from film critics.[3] Rotten Tomatoes reported a score of 88%.[4]
Accolades
| Awards | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ceremony | Category | Name | Outcome | |
| 11th Hong Kong Film Awards[5] | ||||
| Best Film | Nominated | |||
| Best Director | Tsui Hark | Won | ||
| Best Supporting Actor | Jacky Cheung | Nominated | ||
| Best Film Editing | Marco Mak | Won | ||
| Best Cinematographer | Ardy Lam, Bill Wong, David Chung, Arthur Wong, Wingo Chan, Wilson Chan | Nominated | ||
| Best Art Direction | Yee Chung Man | Nominated | ||
| Best Action Choreography | Yuen Cheung-yan, Yuen Shun-yee, Lau Kar-wing | Won | ||
| Best Film Music | James Wong | Won | ||
Notes
- ↑ Morton, 2009. p.75
- ↑
- ↑ Holden, Stephen (21 May 1992). "Review/Film; Kung Fu and Social Satire In a Martial-Arts Fantasy". The New York Times. Retrieved 2010-12-14.
- ↑ http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/once_upon_a_time_in_china/
- ↑ "第11屆香港電影金像獎得獎名單". Hong Kong Film Awards. Retrieved 14 November 2011.
References
- Morton, Lisa (2009). The Cinema of Tsui Hark. McFarland. ISBN 0-7864-4460-6. Retrieved 14 November 2011.
External links
- Once Upon a Time in China at AllMovie
- Once Upon a Time in China at the Internet Movie Database
- Once Upon a Time in China at Rotten Tomatoes