The Bund (TV series)
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The Bund | |
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Poster. Fair use, Link | |
Genre | Period drama |
Written by | Koo Siu-fung Leung Kin-cheung Leung Wing-wah Sam Kwok-wing Leung Wing-mui Chan Lai-wah Chan Kiu-ying |
Directed by | Chiu Chun-keung Fok Yiu-leung Tam Jui-ming Lee Yiu-ming Lau Si-yu |
Starring | Chow Yun-fat Ray Lui Angie Chiu Lau Dan Lam Kin-ming Kent Tong King Doi-yum |
Opening theme | The Bund (上海灘) performed by Frances Yip |
Composer | Joseph Koo |
Country of origin | Hong Kong |
Original language | Cantonese |
No. of episodes | 25 |
Production | |
Producer | Chiu Chun-keung |
Running time | 45 minutes per episode |
Release | |
Original network | Jade |
Original release | 10 March – 11 April 1980 |
Related | |
The Bund II |
The Bund | |
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Traditional Chinese | 上海灘 |
Simplified Chinese | 上海滩 |
Literal meaning | Shanghai Bund |
showTranscriptions |
The Bund is a Hong Kong period drama television series first broadcast on TVB in 1980. It is praised as “The Godfather of the East” and spawned two sequels, two remakes, and a film adaptation. The theme song, which shares the same Chinese title as the series and was performed by Frances Yip, also became a memorable Cantopop hit.
Plot
The series is set in China in the 1920s. Hui Man-keung is a Yenching University graduate who served three years in prison for participating in the May Fourth Movement. He decides to make a fresh start in Shanghai, where he meets and befriends Ting Lik, a fruit vendor. He invites Ting to be his partner after becoming the leader of a small gang. He also builds up a good relationship with Fung King-yiu, a wealthy tycoon and gang boss, after saving Fung’s daughter, Ching-ching, who had been taken hostage. Fung wants Hui to work for him but Hui declines the offer. Ching-ching falls in love with Hui.
After Ting kills a rival in a dispute over a woman, other gangs attack Hui and Ting and destroy their small gang. Hui and Ting then join Fung’s bigger gang for protection. Later, Hui discovers that Fung is collaborating with secret agents from the Japanese right-wing Black Dragon Society to destroy the Chin Woo School, a Chinese martial arts school committed to defending China from foreign aggression. He enters a dilemma on whether to side with Chin Woo School or turn against Fung. Hui eventually decides to help the Chin Woo School and he kills a Japanese spy, Yamaguchi Kaoriko, in a gunfight. Furious upon learning of Hui’s betrayal, Fung sends his men to hunt down and kill Hui. On account of their friendship, Ting secretly helps Hui escape from Shanghai.
Hui fakes his death to evade Fung’s men and settles in Hong Kong, where he marries So Wong-tai, starts a new life with her family, and opens a small restaurant. Meanwhile, in Shanghai, Ching-ching is unable to accept the news of Hui’s death so she visits Hong Kong when she hears rumours that Hui is still alive there. She meets Hui there but refuses to believe him when he tells her he is already married. Hui then brings her home to show her his family. Unknown to them, Fung’s men had secretly followed them and they kill Hui’s family while he was out. After learning that Fung’s men had murdered his family, Hui swears vengeance on Fung and returns to Shanghai to take his revenge.
Hui becomes an adviser to Nip Yan-wong, Fung’s biggest rival. Through many successful manoeuvres, Hui assists Nip in crippling Fung financially and politically. He also tells Ching-ching that they can never be together. During Hui’s absence, Ting begins to court Ching-ching. After Ting is seriously injured on one occasion, Ching-ching agrees to marry him. Hui suffers an emotional breakdown due to the loss of his family, and after seeing that his ex-lover is about to marry his best friend. His depression ignites the anger in him and increases his thirst for revenge. Hui wants to kill Fung and asks Ting to help him. Ting sets them up for a game of Russian roulette in which Hui emerges victorious.
Ching-ching is unable to forgive Hui for killing her father and she leaves China for France. Hui and Ting cooperate and manage to form the most powerful gang in the Shanghai underworld. However, Hui is not interested in gang affairs as he is eager to find Ching-ching and patch up with her. On the night before he leaves for France, Hui is gunned down outside a restaurant by unknown assailants.
Main cast
- Chow Yun-fat as Hui Man-keung (許文強)
- Ray Lui as Ting Lik (丁力)
- Angie Chiu as Fung Ching-ching (馮程程)
- Lau Dan as Fung King-yiu (馮敬堯)
- Kent Tong as Chan Hon-lam (陳翰林)
- King Doi-yum as So Wong-tai (蘇旺娣)
- Susanna Au-yeung as Yamaguchi Kaoriko (山口香子)
Theme song
The series eponymous theme song, The Bund (上海灘) was performed by Frances Yip. It was one of the early collaborations composed by Joseph Koo with the lyrics by Wong Jim. The song would also become one of the top 10 songs awarded in the 1980 RTHK Gold songs awards. Yip gained international fame after the song’s release, and it has since become her signature song.
The 1996 film Shanghai Grand released some 16 years later also re-used the same song. This version was performed by Andy Lau.
DVD release
In 2015, TVBI distributed The Bund on 5 DVDs in its original state. Each of the 25 episodes are 45 minutes long. Audio is available in Cantonese or Mandarin with Traditional Chinese and Simplified Chinese subtitles, but none in English. However, it is only available in Hong Kong and Macao. On 6 February 2009, TVB released the original series and its two sequels on DVD format. The original series, substantially edited, was previously released on VCD in 2000.
Cultural references
Two scenes have subsequently been replicated and parodied in many films and television series in Hong Kong. The wedding of Ting Lik and Fung Ching-ching was one. The death of Hui Man-keung was another. In particular, Chow Yun-fat was propelled into the limelight and became a household name in Hong Kong. The scene where Hui is assassinated outside a restaurant is culturally considered one of the all-time greatest scenes in Hong Kong television.
- Shanghai Tan (Bund in Shanghai) – André Rieu
- Diane Lindsay – 上海灘 Shanghai Beach Cantonese and French Version
- Shanghai Bund 上海滩 by Joseph Koo 顾嘉辉, arranged by Ong Jiin Joo
- “Shanghai Bund” (Play with Me n.58) – Andrea Giuffredi trumpet
- Hòa Tấu Máu Nhuộm Bến Thượng Hải (Shanghai bund instrumental music)
- 上海灘 Shanghai Bund– 葉麗儀 小提琴 (Violin Cover by Momo)
- Vietnamese version of Chinese song (上海滩)
- Shanghai Grand (Vietnamese version)
- Huang Xiaoming – Shanghai Bund Theme
- 陈财福 – Shanghai Tan
- Hilarious Shanghai Beach Parody
- Desy Huang 黄家美 – Shang Hai Tan《上海滩》【LIVE】
Sequels, remakes and adaptations
The series was a phenomenal success throughout Asia and the episodes were subsequently re-edited into two features in 1983. Chow Yun-fat‘s popularity also increased due to his performance in the series.
Chow Yun-fat’s character had died at the end of The Bund so he did not return for the sequel, The Bund II, except for a brief flashback cameo appearance. The identity of Hui’s assailants was a central plot point of The Bund II; though the first film hinted at French assailants, the sequel established that Hui was in fact killed by Japanese assailants with the cooperation of a Chinese businessman. Ray Lui continued portraying his character in The Bund II and The Bund III.
In 1996, The Bund was remade into the Hong Kong television series Once Upon a Time in Shanghai, starring Sunny Chan, Gordon Lam and Nadia Chan as the original characters, and Adam Cheng and Carol Cheng as new characters.
The plot of the 1996 Hong Kong film Shanghai Grand, directed by Poon Man-kit and produced by Tsui Hark, is similar to that of The Bund. Leslie Cheung and Andy Lau starred as Hui Man-keung and Ting Lik respectively.
The Bund was remade again in 2007 into a mainland Chinese television series, Shanghai Bund, directed by Gao Xixi. Huang Xiaoming, Susan Sun, Li Xuejian and Huang Haibo starred as the original characters.
In 2016, The Bund was adapted into a mainland Chinese film under the title The Game Changer, directed by Gao Xixi (who also directed the 2007 remake), and starring Huang Zitao and Peter Ho.
The Bund II
The Bund II | |
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Genre | Period drama |
Written by | Koo Siu-fung Leung Kin-cheung Sam Kwok-wing Leung Wing-mui Chan Lai-wah |
Directed by | Chiu Chun-keung Tam Jui-ming Lee Yiu-ming Ng Yat-fan |
Starring | Ray Lui Gigi Wong Patrick Tse Liu Kai-chi |
Opening theme | Man Ban Ching (萬般情) performed by Frances Yip |
Country of origin | Hong Kong |
Original language | Cantonese |
No. of episodes | 20 |
Production | |
Producer | Chiu Chun-keung |
Running time | 45 minutes per episode |
Release | |
Original network | TVB |
Original release | 1980 |
Related | |
The Bund The Bund III |
The Bund II | |
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Traditional Chinese | 上海灘續集 |
Simplified Chinese | 上海滩续集 |
Literal meaning | Sequel to The Bund |
The Bund II is a Hong Kong period drama television series broadcast on TVB in 1980. It is a direct sequel to The Bund, also produced and released by TVB earlier in the same year. A sequel, The Bund III, was released by TVB later that year.
Plot
The story continues from after Hui Man-keung’s death in The Bund. Hui’s best friend, Ting Lik, now controls the Shanghai underworld and he seeks to avenge Hui. Ting sends Chan Cheung-kwai to hunt down those responsible for murdering Hui, leading to a series of killings.
At the same time, Ting is depressed after receiving news that his lover, Ching-ching, has become a nun. He decides to find another girlfriend, whom he has no romantic feelings for, just to cheer his mother up. By coincidence, Ting meets Chu Yin-yin and he falls in love with her. Just as their relationship is developing well, Tik Wan-chi, a gentlemanly and wealthy businessman, appears and starts courting Chu. The three of them are drawn into a complex love triangle.
Tik’s immense wealth actually comes from secret financial support by the Japanese. Tik invites Ting to become his business partner and Ting reaps great rewards from their partnership. However, Tik’s goal is to pave a path for the Japanese to take control of Shanghai.
Ting eventually learns of Tik’s background after cooperating with him for some time. He is also shocked to discover that Tik was the mastermind behind Hui’s assassination. Ting enters a dilemma on whether to kill Tik. He intends to kill Tik to avenge his friend and prevent the Japanese from taking over Shanghai. However, he is also hesitant when he sees that Chu truly loves Tik and when he feels that he does not want to lose Tik as a business partner. Eventually, Ting decides to turn against Tik. His decision will stir up big trouble in Shanghai.
Cast
- Ray Lui as Ting Lik (丁力)
- Chow Yun-fat as Hui Man-keung (許文強) (flashback cameo appearance in episode 4)
- Gigi Wong as Chu Yin-yin (朱燕燕)
- Patrick Tse as Tik Wan-chi (狄雲志)
- Liu Kai-chi as Chan Cheung-kwai (陳祥貴)
- Mary Hon as Poon Ling (潘玲)
- Chan Lap-ban as Ting Lik’s mother
- Dominic Lam as Kwok Chun-cheung (郭鎮昌)
- Chong Man-ching as Wong Yuet-kei (汪月琪)
- Cheung Kwok-keung as Man Kwok-keung (聞國強)
- King Doi-yum as Kwok Chau-ha (郭秋霞)
- Lo Chun-shun as Cheung (阿張)
- Fung Kwok as Fai (阿輝)
- Lung Tin-sang as Bo (阿保)
- Cheung Sang as Kiu Ying (喬英)
- Yu Ming as Pang Choi (彭才) / Uncle Cheuk (卓伯)
- Tsui Kwong-lam as Fok Kei (霍基)
- Cho Chai as Siu Hung (蕭熊)
- Ma Hing-sang as Boss Ma (馬老闆)
- Leung Oi as Sister Ping (萍姐) / Aunt Ping (平嫂)
- Mui Lan as Sam (阿三)
- Chow Kit as Chairman Ng (伍社長) / Manager Lee (李經理)
- Kwan Kin as Kwok Tso-yin (郭祖賢)
- Wong Man-yee as Miss Shanghai
- Lee Ching-wai as Sister Kam (琴姐)
- Natalis Chan as doctor
- Lin Yin-fai as doctor
- Chan Wing-fai as Lik (力打手) / Chuen (阿全) / bodyguard
- Leung Kit-wah as Kwok Chau-ha’s classmate / Mary (瑪莉)
- Hui Yat-wah as Kwok Chau-ha’s classmate
- Leung Siu-tik as Robert (羅拔) / gangster Hung (流氓洪)
- Lo Kwok-wai as Wong Yan (王仁) / robber
- Wu Chi-lung as Wong Yung (王勇) / robber
- Chung Chi-keung as Ho Sing (何勝)
- Ye Fung as Tanaka (田中)
- Law Lai-kuen as Secretary Tik (狄秘書)
- Cheung Kwok-keung as Man Kwok-keung (聞國強)
- Michael Miu as Secretary Wong (黃秘書)
- Peggy Lam as Poon Ling’s friend / Or (阿娥)
- Man Kit-wun as Poon Ling’s friend
- Chan Mei-suen as Poon Ling’s friend
- Wong Jo-see as Lau Siu-ching (劉小青)
- Lai Siu-fong as Kwok Chun-cheung’s mother
- Ho Kwai-lam as Lui Hon (雷漢) / Pierre
- Mak Tze-wun as gangster
- Bak Lan as Yeung’s mother
- Sheung-koon Yuk as Kwok Tso-yin’s wife / Kwok Chau-ha’s mother
- Leung Suk-yee as Kwok Chau-ha’s classmate / student
- Felix Wong as Kei (阿基) / worker
- Chu Kong as guard
- Au Bing-nam as gangster / middle-aged man
- Shek Siu-lun as warehouse guard / committee member So (蘇委員)
- Tsui Kwai-heung as Japanese woman
- Bak Man-biu as Murakami Taro (村上太郎) / village chief
- Yeung Chung-yan as Japanese monk
- Henry Lee as Japanese monk / Manager Au (區經理)
- Chow Ding-yuen as Kwan (阿均)
- Wong Ying-wah as Tak (阿德) / Yan (助手仁)
- Kiu Hung as Inspector Yuen (袁局長)
- Tan Chuen-hing as Tik Wan-chi’s henchman
- Mak Tai-shing as famous man
- Yeung Ka-nok as worker
- Chan On-ying as Poon Ling’s friend
- Cheung Hei as old man
- Law Kwok-wai as Manager Yau (由司理)
- Chun Wong as Manager Tsang (曾經理)
- Lee Yeung-do as gangster / coolie / student / Sa (阿沙)
- Chan Lin-sin as Kwok Chun-cheung’s sister
- Ho Kei-ning as Kwok Chun-cheung’s brother
- Lai Bik-kwong as warehouse guard / driver
- Wai Yee-yan as emcee
- Kwong Chor-fai as Lawyer Sam (岑律師) / Manager Sam (岑司理)
- Tsui Yau-lun as Yuen (阿原) / assassin
- Wong Chi-wai as Fei (阿肥)
- So Hon-sang as rickshaw puller / gangster
- Lui Oi-kwan as Yuen San (袁珊)
- Leung Kit-fong as Aunt Man (文嬸)
- Tsang Yuk-ha as dancer
- Siu Siu-ling as dancer
- Law Keung as assassin
- Lok Kung as Mayor Ng (吳市長)
- Cheung Chi-keung as fisherman Kwong (漁民廣)
- Fu Yuk-lan as student
- Pui Wun as aunt
- Yip Ping as aunt
- Mak Yiu-sun as gangster
- So Ping-bo as tipster
- Fong Ping as mamasan
- Lau Siu-ming as lawyer
- Ng Bok-kwan as assassin Hak (殺手克)
- Cheng Fan-sang as assassin Chiu (殺手招)
- Simon Yam as Chin (阿錢)
- Wong See-yan as Secretary Chin (錢秘書)
- Felix Lok as Chung (阿忠)
- Ho Bik-kin as constable
- Law Wai-ping as doctor
- Tsang Wai-ming as coolie Sam (苦力三)
- Benz Hui as driver Ming (車伕銘)
- Law Chun-biu as assassin Wai (殺手羣)
- Ho Kwong-lun as Ting Lik’s henchman
- Liu Chun-hung as Tin (阿田)
- Tsui Wai-sun as Kwong (阿光)
- 【彭沛绮】Shanghai Beach (The Bund 上海滩) by Peggy Peng
The Bund III
The Bund III | |
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Genre | Period drama |
Written by | Leung Kin-cheung |
Opening theme | Sheung Hoi Tan Lung Fu Tow (上海灘龍虎鬥) performed by Frances Yip |
Country of origin | Hong Kong |
Original language | Cantonese |
No. of episodes | 20 |
Production | |
Producer | Yau Ka-hung |
Running time | 45 minutes per episode |
Release | |
Original network | TVB |
Original release | 1980 – 1981 |
Related | |
The Bund II |
The Bund III | |
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Traditional Chinese | 上海灘龍虎鬥 |
Simplified Chinese | 上海滩龙虎斗 |
Literal meaning | The Bund – Battle of the Dragons and Tigers |
showTranscriptions |
The Bund III is a Hong Kong period drama television series broadcast on TVB in 1980. The series is a direct sequel to The Bund and The Bund II, which were both released earlier in the same year.
Plot
The story continues from the end of The Bund II and chronicles the final years of Ting Lik’s long reign as master of the Shanghai underworld.
Cast
- Ray Lui as Ting Lik
- Susanna Au-yeung as Yip Chau-ying
- Wong Yuen-sun as Kei Sin-yung
- Felix Wong
- Chow Sau-lan
Shanghai Bund (TV series)
Shanghai Bund | |
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Also known as | New Bund |
Genre | Period drama Action Romance |
Written by | Xu Bing Wang Wanping Ouyang Qinshu Wu Ran |
Directed by | Gao Xixi |
Starring | Huang Xiaoming Sun Li Li Xuejian Huang Haibo Chen Shu Sha Yi |
Theme music composer | Joseph Koo Ding Wei |
Opening theme | New Bund by Frances Yip |
Ending theme | Even If There’s No Tomorrow by Huang Xiaoming & Sun Li |
Country of origin | China |
Original language | Mandarin |
No. of episodes | 42 |
Production | |
Executive producer | Li Mi |
Production location | China |
Running time | 45 minutes per episode |
Production company | Beijing Tianzhong Culture Development |
Related | |
The Bund (1980) |
Shanghai Bund | |
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Traditional Chinese | 新上海灘 |
Simplified Chinese | 新上海滩 |
showTranscriptions |
Shanghai Bund (Chinese: 新上海滩) is a 2007 Chinese television series directed by Gao Xixi. It is a remake of the 1980 Hong Kong television series The Bund produced by TVB. The series stars Huang Xiaoming, Sun Li, Li Xuejian, Huang Haibo, Chen Shu and Sha Yi in the lead roles.
Cast
- Huang Xiaoming as Xua Wenqiang
- Sun Li as Feng Chengcheng
- Li Xuejian as Feng Jingyao
- Huang Haibo as Ding Lik
- Chen Shu as Fang Yanyun
- Sha Yi as Chen Hanlin
- Lu Jixian as Uncle Xiang
- Zhou Mingshan as Uncle Jiu
- Yin Yitong as Di
- Li Yixiao as Wang Yueqi
- Wang Chao as Li Wangqi
- Zong Xiaojun as Jin Dazhong
- Lu Ling as Yamaguchi Kaoriko
- Yu Bin as Lu Zhengqiu
- Li Jiyou as Changgui
- Zhang Zichen as Biao
- Ni Yilin as Ding Li’s mother
- Song Linlin as Du Bang
- Li Yansheng as Chen Lianshan
- Liang Minghua as Morris
- Yi Han as Liu Ming
- Ji Gang as Heizi
- Fan Shide as Nie Renwang
- Yang Qiyu as Kun
- Zhang Yapeng as Bing
- Yao Jianming as Ōshima
- Chen Fu as Inspector Ma
- Yu Jianguo as Hengsan
- Chen Tao as Jie
- Sun Baohai as Lao’er
- Zhang Xiong as Uncle Yu
- Cao Yi as Luo Fu
- Yu Xin as Wang Hanhun
- Li Mingliang as Zhang Dasheng
- Gan Yong as Zenjirō
Soundtrack
No. | Title | Music | Length |
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1. | “New Bund (新上海滩)” | Frances Yip |
2. | “Even If There’s No Tomorrow (就算没有明天)” | Huang Xiaoming & Sun Li |
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3. | “Song Haven’t End (歌未央)” | Echo |
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4. | “Lily Love Traces (百合花情思)” | Li Dan |
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Shanghai Grand (film)
Shanghai Grand | |
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Hong Kong film poster | |
Traditional Chinese | 新上海灘 |
Simplified Chinese | 新上海滩 |
Hanyu Pinyin | Xīn Shànghǎi Tān |
Jyutping | San1 Seong6 Hoi2 Taan1 |
Directed by | Poon Man-kit |
Written by | Poon Man-kit Matt Chow Sandy Shaw |
Produced by | Tsui Hark Tiffany Chen |
Starring | Andy Lau Leslie Cheung Ning Jing |
Cinematography | Poon Hang-sang |
Edited by | Marco Mak |
Music by | Wu Wai-lap Raymond Wong |
Production companies | Win’s Entertainment Film Workshop |
Distributed by | Win’s Entertainment (Hong Kong) |
Release date | 13 July 1996 |
Running time | 96 minutes |
Country | Hong Kong |
Language | Cantonese |
Box office | HK$20,837,056 |
Shanghai Grand, also known as Shanghai Grand 1996 to differentiate this film from the more illustrious 1980 television series of the same Chinese title, is a 1996 Hong Kong action crime drama film directed by Poon Man-kit and starring Andy Lau, Leslie Cheung, and Ning Jing.
This film was directed by Poon Man-kit and produced by Tsui Hark and his production company Film Workshop. It is a loose adaptation of the 1980 television series The Bund in many respects, even though it was done by narrating the action in three segments, each featuring the main characters of the film. Leslie Cheung was cast as Hui Man-keung, the original protagonist of The Bund, while Andy Lau was cast as the film’s protagonist – Hui’s close friend Ting Lik, a well-meaning but somewhat naive triad leader who was not amused when Hui fell in love with the same girl as the one of his affections. Ning Jing played their love interest Fung Ching-ching.
The story was set in Shanghai during the Republican era, when the city was dominated by triads shortly before it was occupied by the Japanese in the Second Sino-Japanese War.
Plot
Hui Man-keung (Leslie Cheung), an agent the Taiwan People’s League participates in fighting against Japanese invaders with his fellow comrades. While on their ship back to Taiwan, they were ambushed by the Japanese troops (with the help of a traitor), who want the list of all the nationalists. Hui becomes seriously injured in a gunfight with the Japanese and falls in the water, and ends up in Shanghai and is found by Ting Lik (Andy Lau), a young, low-class labourer but dreams being a powerful triad leader. Ting takes Hui back to his home while confiscating the latter’s revolver.
Ting has a crush on major triad leader Fung King-yiu’s (Wu Hsing-kuo) daughter, Fung Ching-ching (Ning Jing), and purchases two film tickets of Gone with the Wind for her and her teacher, Man-lai (Amanda Lee). However, rival triad leader Shorty Chiu attempts to abduct Ching-ching and Ting rescues her and beats up Chiu and trapping him under a truck. This angers Wing, Chiu’s boss and leader of the Axe Gang, who sets Ting’s house on fire and demands Ting to settle the score in person. Hui saves Ting’s mother from the fire and Ting befriends him and promises to take him under his wing while returning him his revolver.
Ting and Hui meet with Wing, but they were held with axes to them by Wing’s underlings. Wing chops off Ting’s right pinky, but Ting’s friend, gives Hui his revolver from outside the window and Hui shoots Wing. Together, Ting and Hui kill Wing’s underlings before pushing Wing out the window falling to his death. Fung’s butler, Uncle Lau (Lau Shun), bribes the police to prevent Ting and Hui’s arrest and Fung puts Ting in charge of Wing’s territories and Ting rises up as an influential triad leader in Shanghai. Ting becomes more and more ambitious and kills another triad leader and the police chief while also expresses his love for Ching-ching and wins Fung’s approval. At this time, Ting unexpectedly finds Hui and Ching-ching showering together at the former’s home. It turns out Hui and Ching-ching met during the summer last year in Northeast China while the former was being chased by the Japanese and had a brief romance but he did not know her name and was shocked she was the woman who Ting was in love with. It turns while Ting was writing love letters to Ching-ching, Lai-man was pretending to be Ching-ching writing letters to Ting and is in love with him.
Before reuniting with Ching-ching, Hui notices Man-lai’s cheongsam being similar to a Japanese female assassin (Almen Wong) who tried to kill on the ship earlier which leads him to a clothing shop where he is ambushed by the said assassin and some henchmen. Hui kills several henchmen in a gunfight before fleeing with Ching-ching to his home where Ting encounters them. Hui tries to explain his relationship with Ching-ching to Ting, but Ting rebuts him. Hui says he will leave Shanghai with Ching-ching once he settles his business and Ting warns him to take care of Ching-ching or he will kill him. At the time, other members of the People’s League find Hui and suspects him to be a traitor due to the incident on the ship, but Hui claims to know who the traitor is and persuades them to give him chance to kill the traitor and avenge their comrades.
Fung arranges Ting to meet with a business partner, which is actually a trap for his assassin (the Japanese female assassin who tried to kill Hui) to kill Ting as Fung thinks Ting is too ambitious and sees him as a threat. The assassin attempts to strangle Ting with a phyton snake, but Ting shocks the snake with a chandelier, causing it strangles the assassin instead. At this time, Fung also invites Hui to his mansion where Hui recognizes Fung as the traitor at the ship. Fung also discovers Hui’s true identity and orders his henchmen to kill him, but Hui ends up killing Fung instead while Ching-ching goes insane after witnessing it. Uncle Lau pleads Ting to care for Ching-ching as well as avenging Fung as everyone in Shanghai is fighting to kill Hui. Ting arranges a meeting with Hui in his bar on New Years Eve where Ting tells Hui the latter broke his promise to take care of Ching-ching. Right after countdown, the two engage in a Mexican standoff with Ting on the upper hand as Hui was shooting blanks as he wanted to repay his “debt” to Ting. Ting also intentionally misses shooting at vital organs and arranges Hui to safely leave Shanghai. Ting walks out his bar and tells Fung’s former underlings he has killed Hui, which is overhead by a People’s League agent (Jung Woo-sung), who shoots Ting dead before he himself was gunned down by Ting’s underlings.
Cast
- Andy Lau as Ting Lik (丁力), an ambitious labourer who dreams of being a major triad leader. After killing Axe Gang leader Boss Wing, he reaches his dreams and rises up as a powerful triad leader, gaining fame and fortune.
- Leslie Cheung as Hui Man-keung (許文強), an agent of the Taiwan People’s League (台灣民族同盟會) who is determined to eliminate Japanese troops who intend to invade China.
- Ning Jing as Fung Ching-ching (馮程程), daughter of Shanghai’s biggest crime lord, Fung King-yiu, and object of affection for Ting and Hui, although she is in love with the latter.
- Wu Hsing-kuo as Fung King-yiu (馮敬堯), Shanghai’s most powerful crime lord who is a traitor for the Japanese.
- Lau Shun as Uncle Lau (柳叔), Fung’s butler.
- Amanda Lee as Lai-man (麗文老師), Ching-ching’s personal teacher who has a crush on Ting.
- Almen Wong as a Japanese female assassin who works for Fung.
- Chan Kin-yat as “Shorty” Chiu (矮仔超), a cocky triad leader who looks down on Ting and belittles him.
- Jung Woo-sung as an agent of theTaiwan People’s League.
- Lee Kin-yan as Ting Lik’s henchman.
- Tse Liu-shut as Ting Lik’s henchman.
- Yip Chun as Brother Four (四哥), a triad leader who was assassinated by Ting.
- Wong Ming-sing as Fung King-yiu’s henchman.
- Ng Fei-kit
- Leung Ka-chun
- Cheung Kam-bon
- Pak Ham-yat
- Ngai Tsang-siu
Box office
The film grossed HK$20,837,056 at the Hong Kong box office during its theatrical run from 13 July to 7 August 1996 in Hong Kong.
Awards and nominations
- 16th Hong Kong Film Awards
- Nominated: Best Action Choreography (Stephen Tung)
- Nominated: Best Cinematography (Poon Hang-sang)
- Nominated: Best Art Direction (Bruce Yu)
Music
- Theme song: Shanghai Beach (上海灘) (Cantonese) / Most Beloved Shanghai Beach (最愛上海灘) (Mandarin)
- Composer: Joseph Koo
- Lyricist: James Wong
- Arranger: Ting Chi-kwong
- Singer: Andy Lau
- Insert theme: Sleeping Alone (一個人睡) (Cantonese) / Most Afraid of You Sleeping With Someone Else (最怕你跟别人睡) (Mandarin)
- Composer/Lyricist: Christopher Wong
- Arranger: Chiu Sang-hei
- Singer: Andy Lau
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