City on Fire

"He thought he knew the risks of going undercover."

1987 1h 45m CN

👍

7.0

SOLID

★7.0TMDB · 183

ActionAdventureCrimeThriller

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

Ko Chow is an undercover cop who is under pressure from all sides. His boss, Inspector Lau, wants him to infiltrate a gang of ruthless jewel thieves; his girlfriend wants him to commit to marriage or she will leave Hong Kong with another lover; and he is being pursued by other cops who are unaware that he is a colleague. Chow would rather quit the force, feeling guilty about betraying gang members who have become his friends.

“He thought he knew the risks of going undercover.”

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Cast

Chow Yun-Fat
Ko Chow
Sun Yueh
Inspector Lau Ting-Kuang
Danny Lee Sau-Yin
Fu / Tiger
Carrie Ng Ka-Lai
Hung
Roy Cheung Yiu-Yeung
Inspector John Chan
Lau Kong
Commissioner Chow
Fong Yau
Chow Nam
Parkman Wong Pak-Man
Detective Man

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Ringo Lam Ling-Tung
Writers: Ringo Lam Ling-Tung, Tommy Sham Sai-Sang, Well Chin Wing-Wai
Languages: Cantonese
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

MONEY

Did you know

Shot for just $0.8M — micro-budget by Hollywood standards.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

MONEY

Did you know

Made its money back 3.3× over at the box office.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

ERA

Did you know

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

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Ringo Lam Ling-Tung, shot by Andrew Lau Wai-Keung. 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 Teddy Robin. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

AWARDS

Did you know

Editor Wong Ming-Lam 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 Sun Yueh and Danny Lee Sau-Yin carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

FACT

Did you know

Marketing tagline: "He thought he knew the risks of going undercover.".

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Ringo Lam Ling-Tung directs. Andrew Lau Wai-Keung behind the camera. Teddy Robin scores. Wong Ming-Lam cuts. Made its budget back several times over at the box office. Produced in Hong Kong. Dialogue in Cantonese.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

1Shot for just $0.8M — micro-budget by Hollywood standards.
2Made its money back 3.3× over at the box office.
339 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.
4Directed by Ringo Lam Ling-Tung, shot by Andrew Lau Wai-Keung. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
5Original score by Teddy Robin. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
6Editor Wong Ming-Lam shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
7Chow Yun-Fat and Sun Yueh and Danny Lee Sau-Yin carry the top of the cast.
8Marketing tagline: "He thought he knew the risks of going undercover.".
9IMDB entry: tt0093435 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.