Plots(1)
Young John (Wong Chung), estranged from his mother and at odds with his father, struggles with anger management and can barely hold a dishwashing job. When a criminal gang lead by plutocratic Boss Lan asks him to betray his father, John is sucked into a whirlpool of seduction, betrayal and revenge. The violent potential of youthful alienation has a long history in Hong Kong cinema. The glorious excesses of Kuei Chih-hung's spectacularly weird and entertaining action film reveal a complicated engagement with underlying social issues. Shot in the period following the 1967 anti-colonial, Cultural Revolution-inspired riots, Kuei's portrait of 'angry youth' (the original Chinese title) melds action cinema with social realism: much of it is shot on location (extraordinary for a Shaws production) in HK's gritty public housing and grimy industrial backwaters. Kuei exaggerates everything — rhythmically pumping zooms, a self-mocking 1970s jazz-pop score — as his film teeters on the borders of parody, anger, and chaos. (International Film Festival Rotterdam)
(more)Cast
Chung Wang
China
Best movies:
Return of the One-Armed Swordsman (1969)
Shaolin Temple (1976)
The Deadly Duo (1971)
Lily Li
Hong Kong
Best movies:
The Young Master (1980)
The 8 Diagram Pole Fighter (1984)
Dreadnaught (1981)
Mei-Sheng Fan
China
Best movies:
Death Duel (1977)
The Young Master (1980)
Dreadnaught (1981)
Betty Ting Pei
China
Best movies:
14 Amazons (1972)
Game of Death (1978)
Hak-on Fung
China
Best movies:
Warriors Two (1978)
Ip Man 2 (2010)
The Iron Fisted Monk (1977)
Betty Pei Ti
Taiwan
Best movies:
Clans of Intrigue (1977)
Intimate Confessions of a Chinese Courtesan (1972)
Police Woman (1973)
Tino Wong Cheung
Best movies:
Drunken Master (1978)
The Invincible Armour (1977)
Snake in the Eagle's Shadow (1978)
Ricky Hui
China
Best movies:
The Private Eyes (1976)
Project A II (1987)
Miracles: The Canton Godfather (1989)
Dean Shek
China
Best movies:
Warriors Two (1978)
Drunken Master (1978)
Odd Couple (1979)
Ying Bai
China
Best movies:
Dragon Inn (1967)
The Valiant Ones (1974)
Police Assassin (1986)
Ching Wong
Best movies:
Return of the One-Armed Swordsman (1969)
Shaolin Temple (1976)
Man of Iron (1972)
Hau-keung Law
Best movies:
The Avenging Eagle (1978)
Drunken Master (1978)
Odd Couple (1979)
Siu-gai Chan
Best movies:
The Assassin (1967)
The Master (1980)
Last Hurrah for Chivalry (1979)
Kwai Shan
Best movies:
Drunken Master (1978)
Clans of Intrigue (1977)
Death Duel (1977)
Shi-Kwan Yen
Best movies:
The Assassin (1967)
The Iron Fisted Monk (1977)
Return of the One-Armed Swordsman (1969)
Tak-cheung Tang
Best movies:
Clans of Intrigue (1977)
Death Duel (1977)
Protégé (2007)
Hsu Hsia
Best movies:
The Assassin (1967)
Drunken Master (1978)
The Master (1980)
Chiu Lee
Hong Kong
Best movies:
Man of Iron (1972)
The New One-Armed Swordsman (1971)
The Spiritual Boxer (1975)
Sin San
Best movies:
Martial Club (1981)
Shaolin Challenges Ninja (1978)
Drunken Master (1978)
Max Chiu-Chun Lee
Hong Kong
Best movies:
Drunken Master (1978)
The Lady Hermit (1971)
Snake in the Eagle's Shadow (1978)