The Last Tycoon (2012 film)
The Last Tycoon is a 2012 Hong Kong period drama film directed by Wong Jing, starring Chow Yun-fat, Sammo Hung, Francis Ng and Huang Xiaoming. The film was released in mainland China on 22 December 2012, and in Hong Kong on 3 January 2013. The story is loosely inspired by the life of Du Yuesheng, a prominent mob boss in Shanghai in the 1920s and 1930s.[1][2]
| The Last Tycoon | |
|---|---|
.jpg.webp) Film poster | |
| Traditional | 大上海 |
| Simplified | 大上海 |
| Mandarin | Dà Shànghǎi |
| Cantonese | Daai6 Soeng5-hoi2 |
| Directed by | Wong Jing |
| Produced by | Andrew Lau Connie Wong |
| Written by | Wong Jing Phillip Lui Manfred Wong |
| Starring | Chow Yun-fat Sammo Hung Francis Ng Huang Xiaoming |
| Music by | Chan Kwong-wing |
| Cinematography | Andrew Lau Jason Kwan |
| Edited by | Azrael Chung |
Production company | |
| Distributed by | Distribution Workshop |
Release date |
|
Running time | 118 minutes (Singapore) 107 minutes (China) |
| Country | China |
| Language | Mandarin |
| Box office | ¥126 million (China) |
Plot
The story begins in the 1910s in early Republican China. Cheng Daqi, a young fruit vendor from Chuansha, is arrested and imprisoned after being framed for murder. He is saved by Mao Zai, a military officer working for the secret police. He travels to Shanghai in search of a new life with loyal friend “Fatso” in tow. In Shanghai, he meets Hong Shouting, a mob boss, and becomes one of Hong's protégés. He also falls in love with Bao, a singer whom he eventually marries. His true love, however, is actually Ye Zhiqiu, an opera actress from his hometown, and who he has been attracted to since his early days. At one point, Hong unknowingly offends the son of a general and is captured by the general's men. Cheng negotiates with the general and succeeds in persuading him to release Hong and even invest in their bank. Feeling himself indebted, a grateful Hong proclaims himself sworn brothers with Cheng, putting Cheng in a position of major power.
20 years later, a middle-aged Cheng has become one of Shanghai’s most influential tycoons; amongst his entourage are "Fatso" and rival-turned-bodyguard Lin Huai. He maintains close ties with Hong and Hong's wife, Ling Husheng. At the same time, he has a shaky relationship with Mao Zai, now a general in the National Revolutionary Army. He meets his old flame, Ye Zhiqiu, when she visits Shanghai, but she is already married to Cheng Zhaimei, an anti-government rebel. They are caught up in the events of the Second Sino-Japanese War, which breaks out in 1937. After surviving both a massive air raid and an abduction attempt from the Japanese, Cheng has Mao arrange for Cheng, Ye and her husband to escape to Hong Kong in the midst of the Battle of Shanghai, but is forced to leave Bao behind as Mao’s hostage. After the fall of Shanghai, Mao defects to the Japanese and is appointed a provincial governor. Japanese General Nishino intends to make Cheng the puppet mayor of Shanghai, so Mao suggests to him to keep Cheng's loved ones alive and use them to lure Cheng back to Shanghai. In Hong Kong, Cheng and Ye hear of the imprisonment, torture, and humiliation at the hands of the Japanese and Mao of Hong, Ling, and others.
Cheng and Ye return to Shanghai and reluctantly cooperate with the Japanese though they find themselves despised by the Chinese population. They secretly plan to save their loved ones and assassinate Nishino. One evening, while Nishino and Mao Zai are distracted by an opera performance by Ye and her troupe in a theatre, Cheng, rejoined by Lin Huai, "Fatso," and his mob, leads a raid on a prison and the nearby barracks and airfield where Hong, Ling, and other prisoners are held. The prisoners are liberated, but they are too late to save Ling and Hong. Lin Huai sacrifices himself to deter pursuit. Cheng, Ye, and their comrades then strike at the theater, killing Nishino and several Japanese officers and collaborators. Mao flees backstage, where he holds Ye at gunpoint and threatens to kill her if Cheng does not surrender. Just then, Bao shows up and saves Ye from Mao, but is killed herself. The furious and saddened Cheng then kills Mao, riddling him with bullets. Cheng walks out of the theatre with Bao in his arms but is surrounded by Japanese soldiers. Calmly sheltering with Bao and “Fatso” in a car, they are all killed when the Japanese open fire.
Cast
| Actor / Actress | Character | Inspiration(s) for the character |
|---|---|---|
| Chow Yun-fat | Cheng Daqi 成大器 | Du Yuesheng, a prominent mob boss in Shanghai. |
| Huang Xiaoming | Cheng Daqi (young) | |
| Sammo Hung | Hong Shouting 洪壽亭 | Huang Jinrong (黃金榮), a prominent mob boss in Shanghai. |
| Francis Ng | Mao Zai 茅載 | Dai Li, the head of the Nationalist Government's intelligence agency; Zhang Xiaolin (張嘯林), a prominent mob boss in Shanghai. |
| Yuan Quan | Ye Zhiqiu 葉知秋 | Meng Xiaodong, an opera actress in Shanghai. |
| Feng Wenjuan | Ye Zhiqiu (young) | |
| Monica Mok | Bao 阿寶 | |
| Kimmy Tong | Bao (young) | |
| Yuan Li | Ling Husheng 凌滬生 | Lin Jiasheng (林桂生), Huang Jinrong's wife. |
| Gao Hu | Lin Huai 林壞 | Lin Huaibu (林懷部), Zhang Xiaolin's bodyguard. |
| Xin Baiqing | Cheng Zhaimei 程摘梅 | |
| Yasuaki Kurata | Major-General Nishino 西野少將 | |
| Han Zhi | General Lu 盧督軍 | Lu Yongxiang, a warlord in eastern China. |
| Qi Ji | Lu Xiaojia 盧小嘉 | Lu Xiaojia (盧筱嘉), Lu Yongxiang's son. |
| Zheng Yitong | Xiaolanchun 小蘭春 | Lulanchun (露蘭春), an opera actress in Shanghai. |
| Yang Dapeng | Xiaopang 小胖 | |
| Gao Tian | Officer Pei 裴隊長 | |
| Lai Xi | fruit stall owner | |
| Li Xintong | fruit stall owner's wife |
Release
The film was shown at the 2013 Hong Kong International Film Festival.[3]
Music
The film's music was composed by Chan Kwong-wing.[4] The theme song, Ding Feng Bo (定風波), was composed by Leon Ko and sung in Mandarin by Jacky Cheung, with its lyrics written by Chris Shum. Ding Feng Bo won the Best Original Song at the 32nd Hong Kong Film Awards.[5]
Yi Sheng Shou Hou (一生守候), another song from the film, was performed by Joanna Wang.
Reception
The Last Tycoon earned HK$5,787,307 at the Hong Kong box office[6] and has grossed ¥126 million in mainland China as of 6 January 2013.[7]
Awards and nominations
- Nominated Best Cinematography (Andrew Lau and Jason Kwan)
- Nominated Best Original Film Score (Chan Kwong-wing and Yu Peng)
- Nominated Best New Performer (Feng Wenjuan)
- Won Best Art Direction (Yee Chung-Man and Eric Lam)
- Won Best Original Film Song (Ding Feng Bo; Leon Ko, Chris Shum and Jacky Cheung)
- Nominated Best Production Designer (Yee Chung-Man and Eric Lam)
- Nominated Best Costume Designer (Dai Mei-ling and Chan Chi-man)
References
- "Film". Timeout.com.hk. Retrieved 26 August 2017.
- "Sammo Hung and Chow Yun Fat in The Last Tycoon - Budomate Magazine". Budomate.com. Retrieved 26 August 2017.
- "HKIFF Review: The Last Tycoon". Thehkneo.com. Retrieved 4 April 2013.
- "The Last Tycoon (2012)". IMDb.com. Retrieved 26 August 2017.
- "32nd Hong Kong Film Awards 2013". HK Neo Reviews. Retrieved 14 April 2013.
- "The Last Tycoon Hong Kong Box Office". HK Neo Reviews. 11 January 2013. Retrieved 13 February 2013.
- "Mainland Box Office Chart for Week 1, 2013". chinesefilms.cn. 11 January 2013. Retrieved 15 January 2013.
External links
- The Last Tycoon at IMDb
- The Last Tycoon at Rotten Tomatoes
- The Last Tycoon at the Hong Kong Movie DataBase