Monga (film)
Encyclopedia
Monga is a 2010 Taiwanese
gangster film set in 1980s Taipei
. The film stars Ethan Ruan
from TV series Fated To Love You
and Mark Chao
, also features Ma Ju-Lung from Cape No.7 and Rhydian Vaughan from Winds of September
. The film was directed and co-written by Doze Niu
, who also appears in the film.
now known as Wanhua District. Mosquito (Mark Chao
) and his friends have no illusions about the unwritten laws that prevail in this part of town: if you want to survive here you’ve got to be stronger than your enemies.
Mosquito (Mark Chao
), Monk (Ethan Ruan
), Dragon (Rhydian Vaughan), Monkey and A-po are all members of the "Gang of Princes". Mosquito is invited to join the gang after his chicken drumstick was stolen by a rival gang member on his first day at school in Monga. Mosquito and his friends soon begin to enjoy their gangster lifestyle and are planning to take over as top gangsters on the streets of Monga. But little do they know that there are others who are deeply jealous of their success.
Geta (Ma Ju-Lung), one of Monga’s old triad leaders, sees it as his duty to teach these cheeky young upstarts the true laws of gangsterdom. And so Geta tells the youngsters about the legacy handed down by the city’s founders and the strict laws of a brotherhood which should always fight not just for territorial reasons but also to protect their honour.
But even Geta has no inkling of the storm that is about to hit Monga – a storm that will destroy the town’s traditional values and the vestiges of its glory. A new gang, bristling with an arsenal of handguns, is about to change forever the little world in which Geta and the "Gang of Princes" have made themselves at home.
, Bopiliao and Ximending
appear in the film.
. The theme song of the film is "Making Love Out of Nothing at All
" by Nicky Lee (李玖哲). It was originally performed by Air Supply
.
on January 29, 2010, in the Panorama section.
The film opened in Taiwan on 5 February 2010 and grossed NT$8.31 million (US$260,000) in the first day and NT$59.32 million (US$1.85 million) in its first weekend of release, higher than the worldwide hit Avatar that week.
China Daily
placed the film on their list of the best ten Chinese films of 2010.
Won: Best Art Direction
Nominated: Best actor (Ethan Ruan
and Mark Chao
)
Nominated: The Grand Prize
Won: Network for the Promotion of Asian Cinema Award
Nominated: Best Asian-Middle Eastern Film Award
Won: Telia Film Award
Won: Best Leading Actor (Ethan Ruan
)
Won: The Outstanding Taiwanese Filmmaker of the Year (Lee Lieh)
Won: Best Sound Effects
Nominated: Best Original Film Score (Sandee Chan)
Nominated: Best Art Direction
Nominated: The Outstanding Taiwanese Filmmaker of the Year (Doze Niu
)
The film was selected as the Taiwanese entry for the Best Foreign Language Film
at the 83rd Academy Awards
but it didn't make the final shortlist.
Taiwan
Taiwan , also known, especially in the past, as Formosa , is the largest island of the same-named island group of East Asia in the western Pacific Ocean and located off the southeastern coast of mainland China. The island forms over 99% of the current territory of the Republic of China following...
gangster film set in 1980s Taipei
Taipei
Taipei City is the capital of the Republic of China and the central city of the largest metropolitan area of Taiwan. Situated at the northern tip of the island, Taipei is located on the Tamsui River, and is about 25 km southwest of Keelung, its port on the Pacific Ocean...
. The film stars Ethan Ruan
Ethan Ruan
Ethan Ruan was born on 8 November 1982. He is a Taiwanese actor and model. He is sometimes credited as Juan Ching-Tien or Ruan Jing-Tian. He rose to prominence in the Taiwanese drama Fated To Love You, and is the 2010 Best Leading Actor winner of the 47th Golden Horse Awards for his role in Monga...
from TV series Fated To Love You
Fated to Love You
Fated to Love You , also known as You're My Destiny, Sticky Note Girl or Destiny Love, is a 2008 Taiwanese drama starring Joe Chen, Ethan Ruan, Baron Chen and Bianca Bai. It was produced by Sanlih E-Television and directed by Chen Ming Zhang with location filming in Taiwan, Hong Kong and Shanghai...
and Mark Chao
Mark Chao
Mark Chao was born on 25 September 1984. He is a Taiwanese-Canadian actor, singer and model. Who graduated from University of Victoria, Canada. His agency is Prajna Works -Television series:-Films:-MV:* Crying Out by CoLoR...
, also features Ma Ju-Lung from Cape No.7 and Rhydian Vaughan from Winds of September
Winds of September
Winds of September is a 2008 Taiwanese film, set in 1996 in Hsinchu, that focuses on a gang of teenage boys who drink, smoke and gamble, and the relationships between them...
. The film was directed and co-written by Doze Niu
Doze Niu
"Doze" Niu Chen-Zer is a Taiwanese actor, film director, show host, screenwriter and producer. As a film director, he is best known for the Taiwanese film Monga.-Life and career:...
, who also appears in the film.
Plot
Monga is the name of an old quarter of TaipeiTaipei
Taipei City is the capital of the Republic of China and the central city of the largest metropolitan area of Taiwan. Situated at the northern tip of the island, Taipei is located on the Tamsui River, and is about 25 km southwest of Keelung, its port on the Pacific Ocean...
now known as Wanhua District. Mosquito (Mark Chao
Mark Chao
Mark Chao was born on 25 September 1984. He is a Taiwanese-Canadian actor, singer and model. Who graduated from University of Victoria, Canada. His agency is Prajna Works -Television series:-Films:-MV:* Crying Out by CoLoR...
) and his friends have no illusions about the unwritten laws that prevail in this part of town: if you want to survive here you’ve got to be stronger than your enemies.
Mosquito (Mark Chao
Mark Chao
Mark Chao was born on 25 September 1984. He is a Taiwanese-Canadian actor, singer and model. Who graduated from University of Victoria, Canada. His agency is Prajna Works -Television series:-Films:-MV:* Crying Out by CoLoR...
), Monk (Ethan Ruan
Ethan Ruan
Ethan Ruan was born on 8 November 1982. He is a Taiwanese actor and model. He is sometimes credited as Juan Ching-Tien or Ruan Jing-Tian. He rose to prominence in the Taiwanese drama Fated To Love You, and is the 2010 Best Leading Actor winner of the 47th Golden Horse Awards for his role in Monga...
), Dragon (Rhydian Vaughan), Monkey and A-po are all members of the "Gang of Princes". Mosquito is invited to join the gang after his chicken drumstick was stolen by a rival gang member on his first day at school in Monga. Mosquito and his friends soon begin to enjoy their gangster lifestyle and are planning to take over as top gangsters on the streets of Monga. But little do they know that there are others who are deeply jealous of their success.
Geta (Ma Ju-Lung), one of Monga’s old triad leaders, sees it as his duty to teach these cheeky young upstarts the true laws of gangsterdom. And so Geta tells the youngsters about the legacy handed down by the city’s founders and the strict laws of a brotherhood which should always fight not just for territorial reasons but also to protect their honour.
But even Geta has no inkling of the storm that is about to hit Monga – a storm that will destroy the town’s traditional values and the vestiges of its glory. A new gang, bristling with an arsenal of handguns, is about to change forever the little world in which Geta and the "Gang of Princes" have made themselves at home.
Cast
- Mark ChaoMark ChaoMark Chao was born on 25 September 1984. He is a Taiwanese-Canadian actor, singer and model. Who graduated from University of Victoria, Canada. His agency is Prajna Works -Television series:-Films:-MV:* Crying Out by CoLoR...
as Mosquito - Ethan RuanEthan RuanEthan Ruan was born on 8 November 1982. He is a Taiwanese actor and model. He is sometimes credited as Juan Ching-Tien or Ruan Jing-Tian. He rose to prominence in the Taiwanese drama Fated To Love You, and is the 2010 Best Leading Actor winner of the 47th Golden Horse Awards for his role in Monga...
as Monk - Rhydian Vaughan as Dragon Lee
- Teng-Hui Huang as A-po
- Chang-Hsien Tsai as Monkey
- Ma Ju-Lung as Boss Geta
- Doze NiuDoze Niu"Doze" Niu Chen-Zer is a Taiwanese actor, film director, show host, screenwriter and producer. As a film director, he is best known for the Taiwanese film Monga.-Life and career:...
as Grey Wolf - Jason Wang as Wim-kian
- Chia-yen Ko as Ning
- Han Dian Chen as Dog boy
Filming
Monga is set in mid-1980s in Taipei's Wanhua District (in Taiwanese Hokkien, Báng-kah) for which it is named. The movie was filmed on location and landmarks such as Longshan Temple, Snake AlleySnake Alley (Taipei)
Snake Alley is a two-block long night market in Wanhua district, the oldest district of Taipei, Taiwan. It is noted for its restaurants which serve bizarre "delicacies" including snake blood and meat, turtle blood and meat and deer penis wine....
, Bopiliao and Ximending
Ximending
Ximending is a neighborhood and shopping district in the Wanhua District of Taipei, Taiwan. It was the first pedestrian zone in Taiwan.-Overview:...
appear in the film.
Music
The majority of the film's original score was composed by Sandee Chan, a Taiwanese singer-songwriterSinger-songwriter
Singer-songwriters are musicians who write, compose and sing their own musical material including lyrics and melodies. As opposed to contemporary popular music singers who write their own songs, the term singer-songwriter describes a distinct form of artistry, closely associated with the...
. The theme song of the film is "Making Love Out of Nothing at All
Making Love out of Nothing at All
"Making Love Out of Nothing At All" is a power ballad written and composed by Jim Steinman and first released by Australian rock band Air Supply for their 1983 compilation album Greatest Hits. It reached #2 on the U.S...
" by Nicky Lee (李玖哲). It was originally performed by Air Supply
Air Supply
Air Supply is an Australian soft rock duo, consisting of Graham Russell as guitarist and singer-songwriter and Russell Hitchcock as lead vocalist. They had a succession of hits worldwide, including eight Top Ten hits in the United States, in the early 1980s...
.
Release
Monga selected and premiered at the 60th Berlin International Film Festival60th Berlin International Film Festival
The 60th annual Berlin International Film Festival was held from February 11 to February 21, 2010, with Werner Herzog as President of the Jury. The opening film of the festival was Chinese director Wang Quan'an's romantic drama Apart Together, in competition, while the closing film is Japanese...
on January 29, 2010, in the Panorama section.
The film opened in Taiwan on 5 February 2010 and grossed NT$8.31 million (US$260,000) in the first day and NT$59.32 million (US$1.85 million) in its first weekend of release, higher than the worldwide hit Avatar that week.
China Daily
China Daily
The China Daily is an English language daily newspaper published in the People's Republic of China.- Overview :China Daily was established in June 1981 and has the widest print circulation of any English-language newspaper in the country...
placed the film on their list of the best ten Chinese films of 2010.
Awards and nominations
- 2010 Taipei Film FestivalTaipei Film FestivalThe Taipei Film Festival 台北電影節 is a film festival promoted by the city of Taipei, Taiwan, the Republic of China, through the Taipei City Department of Cultural Affairs....
Won: Best Art Direction
Nominated: Best actor (Ethan Ruan
Ethan Ruan
Ethan Ruan was born on 8 November 1982. He is a Taiwanese actor and model. He is sometimes credited as Juan Ching-Tien or Ruan Jing-Tian. He rose to prominence in the Taiwanese drama Fated To Love You, and is the 2010 Best Leading Actor winner of the 47th Golden Horse Awards for his role in Monga...
and Mark Chao
Mark Chao
Mark Chao was born on 25 September 1984. He is a Taiwanese-Canadian actor, singer and model. Who graduated from University of Victoria, Canada. His agency is Prajna Works -Television series:-Films:-MV:* Crying Out by CoLoR...
)
Nominated: The Grand Prize
- 2010 Hawaii International Film FestivalHawaii International Film FestivalThe Hawaii International Film Festival is a film festival held in the U.S. state of Hawaii. It was started in 1981 by Jeannette Paulson Hereniko and has been held annually in the fall for two weeks...
Won: Network for the Promotion of Asian Cinema Award
- 2010 Tokyo International Film FestivalTokyo International Film FestivalTokyo International Film Festival is a film festival established in 1985. The event was held biannually from 1985 to 1991 and annually thereafter...
Nominated: Best Asian-Middle Eastern Film Award
- 2010 Stockholm International Film FestivalStockholm International Film FestivalThe Stockholm International Film Festival is an annual film festival held in Stockholm, Sweden. It was launched in 1990 and has been held every year in the second half of November...
Won: Telia Film Award
- 2010 Golden Horse Awards
Won: Best Leading Actor (Ethan Ruan
Ethan Ruan
Ethan Ruan was born on 8 November 1982. He is a Taiwanese actor and model. He is sometimes credited as Juan Ching-Tien or Ruan Jing-Tian. He rose to prominence in the Taiwanese drama Fated To Love You, and is the 2010 Best Leading Actor winner of the 47th Golden Horse Awards for his role in Monga...
)
Won: The Outstanding Taiwanese Filmmaker of the Year (Lee Lieh)
Won: Best Sound Effects
Nominated: Best Original Film Score (Sandee Chan)
Nominated: Best Art Direction
Nominated: The Outstanding Taiwanese Filmmaker of the Year (Doze Niu
Doze Niu
"Doze" Niu Chen-Zer is a Taiwanese actor, film director, show host, screenwriter and producer. As a film director, he is best known for the Taiwanese film Monga.-Life and career:...
)
The film was selected as the Taiwanese entry for the Best Foreign Language Film
Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film
The Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film is one of the Academy Awards of Merit, popularly known as the Oscars, handed out annually by the U.S.-based Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences...
at the 83rd Academy Awards
83rd Academy Awards
The 83rd Academy Awards ceremony, presented by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences , honored the best films of 2010 and took place February 27, 2011, at the Kodak Theatre in Hollywood, Los Angeles beginning at 5:30 p.m. PST / 8:30 p.m. EST. During the ceremony, Academy Awards ...
but it didn't make the final shortlist.
See also
- List of submissions to the 83rd Academy Awards for Best Foreign Language Film
- List of Taiwanese submissions for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film