Once a Thief

"They only stop to reload."

1991 1h 48m CN

👍

6.9

SOLID

★6.9TMDB · 190

ActionComedyThrillerCrime

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

Three orphans grow up to become art thieves under the tutelage of a crime boss. Romance complicates matters when the trio are double-crossed.

“They only stop to reload.”

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Where to watch · US

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Cast

Chow Yun-Fat
Red Bean Puddin / Joe
Leslie Cheung
James / Jim
Cherie Chung Cho-Hung
Red Bean / Cherie
Paul Chu Kong
Chu / Godfather
Kenneth Tsang
Chow / Dad
Woo Fung
Mr. Cheung
Pierre Yves Burton
Mr. Burton
John Tang Yat-Kwan
Young Red Bean Pudding / Young Joe

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: John Woo
Writers: Janet Chun Siu-Chun, John Woo, Clifton Ko Chi-Sum
Languages: Cantonese, English, French, Japanese
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

35 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, French, Japanese.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by John Woo, shot by William Yim Wai-Lun. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by Violet Lam. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

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

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

CAST

Did you know

Chow Yun-Fat and Leslie Cheung and Cherie Chung Cho-Hung carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

FACT

Did you know

Marketing tagline: "They only stop to reload.".

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

WILD

Did you know

IMDB entry: tt0101020 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

John Woo directs. William Yim Wai-Lun behind the camera. Violet Lam scores. David Wu cuts. Produced in Hong Kong. Dialogue in Cantonese, English, French, Japanese.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

135 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.
2Dialogue crosses 4 languages: Cantonese, English, French, Japanese.
3Directed by John Woo, shot by William Yim Wai-Lun. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
4Original score by Violet Lam. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
5Editor David Wu shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
6Chow Yun-Fat and Leslie Cheung and Cherie Chung Cho-Hung carry the top of the cast.
7Marketing tagline: "They only stop to reload.".
8IMDB entry: tt0101020 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
9Released under 15 different titles around the world.

The technical file

Cinematography: William Yim Wai-Lun
Original score: Violet Lam
Editing: David Wu
Production design: Fanny Leung Man-Yee
Costume design: Shirley Chan
Stunt coordinator: Phillip Kwok Chui
Runtime: 108 min · 1h 48m
Aspect ratio (typical): 1.37:1 (Academy)
Status: Released
Box office: $4,303,351
Original language: CN
Certification (US): R
IMDB: Once a Thief (1991)

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John Woo

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What people are saying

ColinJ2017-02-16
John Woo's breezy crowd-pleaser works in fits and starts, though comedy is clearly not his forte. It mostly exists to showcase the beauty and charisma of its stars.

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