英雄本色 (1986)
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A triad gangster seeks redemption and reconciliation with his estranged police officer brother while navigating a web of betrayal and revenge.
The story
Triad member Ho and his best friend, Mark Lee, run a money counterfeiting business for their boss, Mr. Yiu. This activity is kept secret from Ho's younger brother Kit, a police cadet. Out of respect for their ailing father, Ho promises to stop being a gangster after completing his next business deal. However, a betrayal by a subordinate named Shing leads to a violent shootout in Taiwan, resulting in the death of Ho's father and Mark being left crippled. After serving a three-year prison sentence, Ho attempts to reform his life as a taxi driver while struggling to reconcile with his resentful brother, Kit.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
Triad member Ho and his best friend, Mark Lee, run a money counterfeiting business for their boss, Mr. Yiu. After a betrayal by a subordinate named Shing in Taiwan leads to a shootout, Ho's father is killed, and Mark is left crippled. Ho serves three years in prison, after which he tries to reform as a taxi driver. He faces pressure from Shing, who has usurped Mark's position and wants Ho to rejoin the triad to facilitate drug trafficking. Kit, Ho's brother and a police officer, becomes obsessed with bringing down Shing. Shing eventually frames Ho for the murder of Mr. Yiu. During a final confrontation at a pier, Ho and Mark take Shing hostage. A shootout ensues involving Kit and Shing's henchmen. Mark is killed by Shing's remaining enforcer. Ho kills Shing's last henchman but runs out of ammunition. Finally forgiving his brother, Kit hands Ho his revolver, and Ho shoots Shing dead. As redemption for his crimes, Ho handcuffs himself to Kit, and the two walk towards the gathered crowd of police together.
- First release year
- 1986
- Runtime (minutes)
- 95
- Production countries
- Hong Kong
- Original languages
- Cantonese
- Directors
- John Woo
- Writers
- John Woo · screenplay; Chan Hing-ka · screenplay; Leung Suk-wah · screenplay
- Cast and characters
- Ti Lung · Ho; Leslie Cheung · Kit; Chow Yun-fat · Mark; Emily Chu · Jackie; Waise Lee · Shing
- Genres
- action; crime
- Themes
- brotherhood; honor; loyalty; redemption
- Tone and mood
- dramatic; stylised
- Premise and plot tags
- crime; action; heroic bloodshed
- Source material / true-story basis
- The Story of a Discharged Prisoner (1967)
- Franchise connections
- A Better Tomorrow
- Reception
- The film was a commercial success that defied expectations of being a box-office bomb. Critics praised the action sequences, direction, and performances, and it is considered one of the greatest action movies.
- Awards and nominations
- Best Film · Hong Kong Film Awards · 6th · win; Best Actor · Hong Kong Film Awards · 6th · win
- Production trivia
- The film's gunplay is considered the original source of 'gun fu' fight sequences.; The film was ranked second in the Best 100 Chinese Motion Pictures in 2005 by a Hong Kong Film Awards panel.; The production was influenced by the work of Jean-Pierre Melville.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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