A Better Tomorrow 3
Encyclopedia
A Better Tomorrow 3: Love & Death in Saigon ' onMouseout='HidePop("95131")' href="/topics/Jyutping">Jyutping
: Jing1hung4 bun2sik1 saam – zik6joeng4 zi1 go1) is a 1989 Hong Kong action film
co-produced and directed by Tsui Hark
. It is a loosely-based prequel
to John Woo
's A Better Tomorrow
, though it was released after A Better Tomorrow 2
.
The film was directed by Tsui Hark, the producer behind the first two films in the series. John Woo
wrote a screenplay for a third installment, but he never got to direct it due to having had artistic differences with Tsui Hark
during the filming of the second film. Instead, the original screenplay later became Bullet in the Head
. The two films have many parallels, most notably, both being set in the Vietnam War.
The film stars Chow Yun-fat
, who reprises his role of Mark Gor from the first film, Tony Leung Ka-fai
and Anita Mui
. Set during the Vietnam War, it sets up the story of how Mark became the character he was in the original film. The second part of the title Love & Death in Saigon (夕陽之歌 or Song of the Setting Sun in Chinese) is also the title song for this movie, sung by the late Anita Mui, who was also the leading lady in this third instalment.
Jyutping
Jyutping is a romanization system for Cantonese developed by the Linguistic Society of Hong Kong in 1993. Its formal name is The Linguistic Society of Hong Kong Cantonese Romanization Scheme...
: Jing1hung4 bun2sik1 saam – zik6joeng4 zi1 go1) is a 1989 Hong Kong action film
Hong Kong action cinema
Hong Kong action cinema is the principal source of the Hong Kong film industry's global fame. It combines elements from the action film, as codified by Hollywood, with Chinese storytelling and aesthetic traditions, to create a culturally distinctive form that nevertheless has a wide transcultural...
co-produced and directed by Tsui Hark
Tsui Hark
Tsui Hark , born Tsui Man-kong, is a Hong Kong New Wave film director and producer. He is viewed as a major figure in the Golden Age of Hong Kong cinema .-Early life:...
. It is a loosely-based prequel
Prequel
A prequel is a work that supplements a previously completed one, and has an earlier time setting.The widely recognized term was a 20th-century neologism, and a portmanteau from pre- and sequel...
to John Woo
John Woo
John Woo Yu-Sen SBS is a Hong Kong-based film director and producer. Recognized for his stylised films of highly choreographed action sequences, Mexican standoffs, and use of slow-motion, Woo has directed several notable Hong Kong action films, among them, A Better Tomorrow, The Killer, Hard...
's A Better Tomorrow
A Better Tomorrow
A Better Tomorrow is a 1986 Hong Kong action film which had a profound influence on the Hong Kong film-making industry, and later on an international scale.Directed by John Woo, it stars Chow Yun-fat, Ti Lung and Leslie Cheung...
, though it was released after A Better Tomorrow 2
A Better Tomorrow 2
A Better Tomorrow 2 is a 1987 Hong Kong action and crime directed by John Woo and starring Chow Yun-fat, Dean Shek, Leslie Cheung, and Ti Lung.A follow-up to its popular predecessor, A Better Tomorrow...
.
The film was directed by Tsui Hark, the producer behind the first two films in the series. John Woo
John Woo
John Woo Yu-Sen SBS is a Hong Kong-based film director and producer. Recognized for his stylised films of highly choreographed action sequences, Mexican standoffs, and use of slow-motion, Woo has directed several notable Hong Kong action films, among them, A Better Tomorrow, The Killer, Hard...
wrote a screenplay for a third installment, but he never got to direct it due to having had artistic differences with Tsui Hark
Tsui Hark
Tsui Hark , born Tsui Man-kong, is a Hong Kong New Wave film director and producer. He is viewed as a major figure in the Golden Age of Hong Kong cinema .-Early life:...
during the filming of the second film. Instead, the original screenplay later became Bullet in the Head
Bullet in the Head
Bullet in the Head is a 1990 Hong Kong action crime drama thriller film written, produced, edited and directed by John Woo , starring Tony Leung, Jacky Cheung, Waise Lee and Simon Yam.-Plot:...
. The two films have many parallels, most notably, both being set in the Vietnam War.
The film stars Chow Yun-fat
Chow Yun-Fat
Chow Yun-fat, SBS is an actor from Hong Kong. He is best known in Asia for his collaboration with filmmaker John Woo in heroic bloodshed genre films A Better Tomorrow, The Killer, and Hard Boiled; and to the West for his role as Li Mu-bai in Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon...
, who reprises his role of Mark Gor from the first film, Tony Leung Ka-fai
Tony Leung Ka-Fai
Tony Leung Ka-fai is a three-time Hong Kong Film Award-winning Chinese film actor.Because he is often confused with actor Tony Leung Chiu-Wai, Tony Leung Ka-fai is known as "Big Tony", while Tony Leung Chiu-Wai is known as "Little Tony", nicknames which correspond to the actors' respective...
and Anita Mui
Anita Mui
Anita Mui Yim-fong was a popular Hong Kong singer and actress. During her prime years she made major contributions to the cantopop music scene, while receiving numerous awards and honours. She remained an idol throughout most of her career, and was generally regarded as a cantopop diva...
. Set during the Vietnam War, it sets up the story of how Mark became the character he was in the original film. The second part of the title Love & Death in Saigon (夕陽之歌 or Song of the Setting Sun in Chinese) is also the title song for this movie, sung by the late Anita Mui, who was also the leading lady in this third instalment.
Plot
Mark heads to Saigon 1974 and hooks up with his cousin Mun (Tony Leung Ka-Fai). Together, he and Tony run into tough-as-nails gangster Anita Mui, who takes a shine to the two boys. She teaches Mark his gun moves and begins to fall for him, and he notices it but knowing full well his cousin also likes her, decides not to reciprocate her feelings so as not to break his cousin's heart. Meanwhile, Mun gets the idea that Anita fancies him. This love triangle creates most of the drama for a good two-thirds of the film before the darkness of their world crashes in on them. It seems Anita’s last lover was a gang boss, so he does not take kindly to the idea of Mark romancing his former flame. Even worse, the VC are taking Saigon, so it is not the best time to be hanging around Vietnam.Cast
- Chow Yun-fatChow Yun-FatChow Yun-fat, SBS is an actor from Hong Kong. He is best known in Asia for his collaboration with filmmaker John Woo in heroic bloodshed genre films A Better Tomorrow, The Killer, and Hard Boiled; and to the West for his role as Li Mu-bai in Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon...
- Tony Leung Ka-faiTony Leung Ka-FaiTony Leung Ka-fai is a three-time Hong Kong Film Award-winning Chinese film actor.Because he is often confused with actor Tony Leung Chiu-Wai, Tony Leung Ka-fai is known as "Big Tony", while Tony Leung Chiu-Wai is known as "Little Tony", nicknames which correspond to the actors' respective...
- Anita MuiAnita MuiAnita Mui Yim-fong was a popular Hong Kong singer and actress. During her prime years she made major contributions to the cantopop music scene, while receiving numerous awards and honours. She remained an idol throughout most of her career, and was generally regarded as a cantopop diva...
- Shih KienShih KienShek Wing-cheung , better known as Shih Kien, was a Chinese actor from Hong Kong. He is sometimes credited as Shek Kin or Kien Shih...
- Maggie Cheung Ho-yee