A Better Tomorrow III: Love and Death in Saigon

1989 1h 58m CN

😐

6.4

MID

★6.4TMDB · 163

ActionCrimeThrillerDrama

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

Before the events of A Better Tomorrow (1986), Mark 'Gor' Lee heads to Saigon during the Vietnam War to bring home his uncle and cousin, but his task becomes complicated when a well-known criminal tries to help him.

“Some stories are better left unspoiled.”

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Cast

Chow Yun-Fat
Mark
Anita Mui Yim-Fong
Chow Ying-Kit
Tony Leung Ka-fai
Michael Cheung Chi-Mun
Saburo Tokito
Sam Ho Cheung Ching
Shih Kien
Michael's Father
Foo Wang-Tat
10th Uncle
Cheng Wai-Lun
Pat
Maggie Cheung Ho-Yee
Ling

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Tsui Hark
Writers: Tsui Hark, Tai Foo-Ho, Edward Leung Yiu-Ming
Languages: Cantonese, English, Portuguese, Vietnamese
Countries: Hong Kong

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

ERA

Did you know

37 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

WORLD

Did you know

Dialogue crosses 4 languages: Cantonese, English, Portuguese, Vietnamese.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

CINEMA

Did you know

Part of the "A Better Tomorrow Collection" — so the characters or world continue elsewhere.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

AWARDS

Did you know

Directed by Tsui Hark, shot by Horace Wong Wing-Hang. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by Lowell Lo Koon-Ting. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Tsui Hark shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

CAST

Did you know

Chow Yun-Fat and Anita Mui Yim-Fong and Tony Leung Ka-fai carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

WILD

Did you know

IMDB entry: tt0098691 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Tsui Hark directs. Horace Wong Wing-Hang behind the camera. Lowell Lo Koon-Ting scores. Tsui Hark cuts. Produced in Hong Kong. Dialogue in Cantonese, English, Portuguese, Vietnamese.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

137 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.
2Dialogue crosses 4 languages: Cantonese, English, Portuguese, Vietnamese.
3Part of the "A Better Tomorrow Collection" — so the characters or world continue elsewhere.
4Directed by Tsui Hark, shot by Horace Wong Wing-Hang. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
5Original score by Lowell Lo Koon-Ting. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
6Editor Tsui Hark shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
7Chow Yun-Fat and Anita Mui Yim-Fong and Tony Leung Ka-fai carry the top of the cast.
8IMDB entry: tt0098691 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
9Released under 14 different titles around the world.

The technical file

Cinematography: Horace Wong Wing-Hang
Original score: Lowell Lo Koon-Ting
Editing: Tsui Hark
Makeup / hair: Alice
Runtime: 118 min · 1h 58m
Aspect ratio (typical): 1.37:1 (Academy)
Status: Released
Box office: $2,364,222
Original language: CN
Certification (US): 18
IMDB: A Better Tomorrow III: Love and Death in Saigon (1989)

Part of

A Better Tomorrow Collection

This story is the tale of two brothers: one a successful counterfeiter and the younger a fledgling graduate of the HK police academy. The plot revolves around the split when the younger brother learns the other is a criminal and the efforts of the criminal brother to reform. Along the way are plenty of heists, double-crosses, and shoot outs. Written by Victor R. Volkman