China White (film)

China White is a 1989 Hong Kong action crime film directed by Ronny Yu and starring Andy Lau, Carina Lau, Alex Man, Russell Wong and Ku Feng. Set in Amsterdam, the film deals with the rivalry between a Chinese and an Italian gang.

China White
DVD cover
Traditional轟天龍虎會
Simplified轰天龙虎会
MandarinHōng Tiān Lóng Hǔ Huì
CantoneseGwang1 Tin1 Lung4 Fu2 Weoi2
Directed byRonny Yu
Produced byJim Choi
Screenplay byF.W. Sileroy
Victor Hon
StarringAndy Lau
Alex Man
Carina Lau
Russell Wong
Ku Feng
Music byLes Gock
CinematographyAndrew Lau
Edited byPeter Jones
Production
company
Fu Ngai Film Production
Distributed byFu Ngai Film Production
Release date
4 November 1989 (1989-11-04)
Running time
99 minutes
CountryHong Kong
LanguageCantonese
Box officeHK$11.4 million

Plot

Chung Chi (Ku Feng) leads Roast Chicken (Andy Lau) and Tai Lan Choi (Alex Man) as the largest triad organization in the Chinatown of Amsterdam. Singer Yin Hung (Carina Lau), who is performing in Amsterdam, was abducted, but was fortunately rescued Chi and his underlings. However, at the same time, it led to an outbreak of bloody battles. After everything subsides, Chi and Hung got married, while Roast Chicken, who has a crush on Hung, feels dejected. The rival gang took the opportunity to attack and during a shootout, Roast Chicken and Tai Lan Choi were killed while covering Chi to escape, and their driver Chan Chiu was also crippled. However, Yin Hung was able to protect Tai Lai Choi's sons Bobby and Danny. Chi rescued Bobby (Russell Wong) and Danny (Steven Vincent Leigh) while also raising them. After more than a decade, Chi restores his power in Chinatown and united also rival gangs together and sets a peaceful and mutual beneficial treaty. Everyone elected Chi as the Godfather and is referred as Uncle Chi for keeping a peaceful atmosphere in Chinatown. However, the new, mafia boss Scalia (Billy Drago) has always wanted to intervene in Chinatown and secretly uses Turkish drug dealer as a spy and colludes with Chi's rival Chinese-Vietnamese citizen Fan Tai Tung (William Ho) to ambush and kill Chi. Bobby and Danny were able to escape brew another big bloody massacre.

Cast

Box office

The film grossed HK$11,421,934 during its theatrical run from 4 to 28 November 1989 in Hong Kong.

Incident

During the late 1980s in Hong Kong, actress Carina Lau was abducted by triad members for refusing a film offer from a triad boss, which was a very known case for many years. In 2008, renowned film producer and former chairman of the Hong Kong Film Award Manfred Wong revealed on his blog that Lau was abducted and forced to fly to the Netherlands to act in China White, alongside co-stars Andy Lau and Alex Man, whom were also forced as well.

For many years, rumors surrounding that Andy Lau, one of the top box office draws in Hong Kong, was once forced at gunpoint by triads to shoot a film. Wong also confirmed on his blog that China White was the film that Lau was forced at gunpoint to act in.

Many people believe that producer Jim Choi, who would benefit the most from it, was the mastermind of the case. Choi, who was the manager of Jet Li and Nina Li, was shot dead in 1992 at the age of 38. After Choi's death, there were many rumors surrounding around it including his connection to the Netherlands triads, keeping Li away from other film producers and karma for his actions in filming China White.

[1]

References
  1. "文雋證實 轟天龍虎會 裸辱劉嘉玲 槍管逼拍片 華仔也受害".
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