Directed by:
John WooCinematography:
Horace WongComposer:
Joseph KooCast:
Lung Ti, Yun-fat Chow, Leslie Cheung, Emily Chu, Waise Lee, Feng Tien, John Woo, Yin-Tsi Sek, Kenneth Tsang, Fui-on Shing, Hsieh Wang, Ming Leung, Chi-Fai Chan (more)Plots(1)
A Better Tomorrow is the film that started it all, full of John Woo's now-classic trademarks of jaw-dropping style, heart-stopping action and gunfire mayhem that must be seen to be believed. Chow Yun Fat stars in this epic story of suave gangsters and renegade cops who discover that in a world bound by honor, revenge comes at the speed of a bullet. (official distributor synopsis)
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Reviews (4)
A stylistic warm-up in which the bullets don't yet flow through the barrel so gracefully. However, I simply don’t enjoy watching the tense family drama with my personal aversion to Asian emotions. 3 ½.
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A great story about two brothers on opposite sides of the law, where Woo includes a little less action (but where the action occurs, it’s that much more brutal), with a powerful dramatic feel to it. A surprising (rather sad) supporting role for Chow Yun-Fat. "Do you believe there's a God?" "Yes. I am God."
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This is the first film by John Woo that truly brought him into the spotlight and made him synonymous with a director who can create an intense action spectacle. The star of his film is Yun-Fat Chow, who was never properly appreciated in American films, but here he delivers truly amazing performances. No kicks and punches, but a proper bloody showdown. That's the recipe Woo banked on, along with interesting characters and a decent storyline. And it worked. This is a good one to watch if you like grittier action. The strength of this film also lies in how it gracefully blends intense action, humor, and relational elements.
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John Woo's first big film, where he tried to combine depth of characters with strong values and traditionally exaggerated and theatrical emotions, hand in hand with bloody ballet. It's not a total dud, but sometimes it unintentionally oscillates between a parody of family relationships and theatre, combined with almost splatter-like action full of whizzing bullets and litres of blood. With time, he managed to smooth and balance both. So far, the only film of this master that I don’t need to watch again.
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