Lung fu fong wan (1987)

Director:

Ringo Lam

Writers:

Ringo Lam (story)
Jack Maeby (English version)
(more)

Release Date:

13 February 1987 (Hong Kong)

Genre:

Action | Crime | Drama | Thriller

Plot:

An undercover cop, played by Chow Yun-Fat, infiltrates a gang of thieves who plan to rob a jewelry store. The film shows how he infiltrates the gang.

Plot Keywords:

Undercover Cop | Lounge Singer | Male Bonding | Hawaii | Gold

Awards:

2 wins & 8 nominations

Cast

Yun-Fat Chow	...	Ko Chow (as Chow Yun Fat)
Danny Lee	...	Fu (as Danny Lee Sau-Yin)
Yueh Sun	...	Inspector Lau / Uncle Kung (as Sun Yueh)
Carrie Ng	...	Hung
Roy Cheung	...	Inspector John Chan
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Chi Fai Chan
Jessica Chau	...	Lily
Maria Cordero	...	Lounge Singer
Yeh Fang	...	Chow Nam
Victor Hon	...	Bill
Tom Konkle	...	Fu (voice: English version)
Kong Lau	...	Inspector Chow
Elvis Tsui	...	Chan Kam-Wah
Kwong Leung Wong	...	Kwong
Parkman Wong	...	Ah Man
Mengxia Zheng		(as Mang-ha Cheung)

Directed by
Ringo Lam

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Ringo Lam		story
Jack Maeby		English version
Sai Shing Sun		writer (as Tommy Sham)

Produced by
Catherine S.K. Chang	....	associate producer
Ringo Lam	....	producer
Karl Maka	....	executive producer

Original Music by
Teddy Robin Kwan
Greg Morgenstein

Cinematography by
Wai-keung Lau		(as Andrew Lau)

Film Editing by
Ming Lam Wong		(as Wong Ming Lam)

Production Design by
Chi Fung Lok

Art Direction by
Luk Tze Fung

Costume Design by
Bruce Yu

Production Management
Tony Chow	....	post-production supervisor
Catherine Lau	....	production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Lo Shun Cheun	....	assistant director

Sound Department
Trip Brock	....	supervising sound editor (2000 English soundtrack)
Patrick Giraudi	....	sound re-recording mixer: English dubbing
Kelly Vandever	....	sound re-recording mixer: English dubbing

Stunts
Joe Chi	....	action coordinator

Camera and Electrical Department
Chi Ming Wong	....	gaffer (as Wong Chi Ming)

Other crew
Masaki Yokochi	....	title designer: main and end titles

Production Companies

• Cinema City Film Productions

Distributors

• Buena Vista Home Video
• Cinema City (1987) (Hong Kong) (all media)
• Hong Kong Legends (2005) (UK) (DVD)
• Rim (1996) (USA) (subtitled)

Also Known As:

City on Fire (Hong Kong: English title)
Long hu feng yun (Hong Kong: Mandarin title)

MPAA:

Rated R for strong violence.

Runtime:

UK:101 min

Country:

Hong Kong

Language:

Cantonese | Mandarin | English

Colour:

Colour

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Singapore:NC-16 | New Zealand:R18 | Australia:MA (TV rating) | South Korea:15 | Australia:R | Canada:13+ (Quebec) | Canada:18A | France:-12 | Hong Kong:IIB | Ireland:18 | Japan:R-15 | UK:18 | USA:R | West Germany:18 | Germany:BPjM Restricted

Filming Locations:

Hong Kong, China

Company:

Cinema City Film Productions

Quotes:

Ko Chow: [after Wah is killed, Inspector Lau asks Ko Chow to go undercover again, but Chow wants out] I sent in my resignation.
Inspector Lau: I never got it.
Ko Chow: Look for it.
Inspector Lau: Chow, only you know the people that Wah did. You asked for this, remember? You can resign... once we've captured the killers.
Ko Chow: Last time with Shing, it went bad.
Inspector Lau: What went bad? We got him.
Ko Chow: I betrayed a friend.
Inspector Lau: You helped capture scum, all right? This friend ordered the deaths of hundreds. He had to die. You're a cop. Who told you to make friends with them?
Ko Chow: [frustrated] What else could I have done? You haven't been there!
[Chow pauses for a moment before speaking again]
[...]

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Il solitario (2008)

Gritty Drama

City on Fire(1987) is one my favorite films from 1980s. Great performances are given by Chow Yun Fat and Danny Lee who play in roles that are atypical. Chow Yun Fat shows here why he is an awesome actor and Danny Lee in the role of Fu shows that he is a solid actor. Resevoir Dogs(1992) is not a rip off of City on Fire(1987) despite some similarities between the two films. Ringo Lam is a terrific director that has always been under the shadow of contempory filmmaker, John Woo. His direction for City on Fire(1987) is both driven on emotion and realism. Ringo Lam became a much better director by the time he did School on Fire(1988) and Full Contact(1992). The last hour of the film is tense and suspenseful. Roy Cheung almost steals the show as the arrogant, and over ambitious Officer John Chan.