Cinema
Once Upon a Time in China
黃飛鴻
Tsui Hark · 1991
Synopsis
At the end of the nineteenth century, in Foshan, near Canton, Wong Fei-hung, a doctor and martial arts master, trains the local militia and runs a clinic with his apprentices. He loves, without being able to say so, a relative by marriage, Thirteenth Aunt. A gang extorts money from shopkeepers and has the militia blamed, which the governor disbands; Wong cannot have its leader convicted, for lack of witnesses. The bandits then ally themselves with an American who has Chinese women abducted to be sent to America.
Context
The film features Wong Fei-hung, a real figure of Canton who passed into legend, played here by Jet Li. Tsui Hark wrote it with Yuen Kai-chi, Leung Yiu-ming and Elsa Tang, and produced it for Golden Harvest, Paragon and his own company. Released in Hong Kong on 15 August 1991, it stayed there nearly two months in cinemas. According to LoveHKFilm, it revived the character, and Offi gives it as the first instalment of a series of six films.
Who it is for
A martial arts film of more than two hours, in Cantonese; released in France under the title Il était une fois en Chine.
Prizes and reception
At the 1992 Hong Kong Film Awards it received four prizes: direction, editing, action choreography and music.
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