The Prodigal Son (1981 film): Difference between revisions

The Prodigal Son
The Prodigal Son
	The Prodigal Son film poster
Directed by	Sammo Hung
Screenplay by	Sammo Hung; Barry Wong;
Produced by	Raymond Chow
Starring	Yuen Biao; Frankie Chan; Lam Ching-ying; Sammo Hung;
Cinematography	Ricky Lau
Edited by	Cheung Yiu-chung
Music by	Frankie Chan; Phil Chen;
Distributed by	Golden Harvest
Release date	22 December 1981;
Running time	100 minutes
Country	Hong Kong
Language	Cantonese
Box office	HK$ 9,150,729

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The Prodigal Son (Chinese: 敗家仔) is a 1981 Hong Kong martial arts action film starring Yuen Biao and directed by Sammo Hung, who also co-stars in the film. The film was released on 22 December 1981 and grossed HK$ 9,150,729. The film was nominated for two Hong Kong Film Awards and won the award for Best Action choreography.

The film tells the story of Leung Chang is the son of wealthy man who is halfheartedly studying kung fu. Leung Chang's lack of expertise forces his father to pay people to lose to him in fights. After Leung Chang discovers that his father has been deceiving him, Leung Chang becomes inspired to study martial arts more seriously and attempts convince a kung fu expert to take him on as a student.

Plot

Leung Chang (Yuen Biao) is a young man in a wealthy family living in Foshan in the mid-19th century. He is a martial artist trained by two instructors in his father's employ. He has fought over three hundred times in Foshan and won every fight, but unbeknownst to him, his father has arranged for his servant Yee Tong-choi (Chan Lung) to bribe Chang's opponents to lose to him in order to protect him. This has caused Chang to believe that he is a world-class fighter, but in truth he hasn't even mastered the basics of kung fu and any real fighter could easily defeat him. Everyone knows this but him, giving him the nickname "The Prodigal Son" behind his back.

One night, three of Chang's friends attend a performance by the Lok Fung Lin Chinese Opera troupe. One of Chang's friends is attracted to the lead actress and asks her out on a date after the performance. She refuses, but he insists and even harasses her. She reveals herself to be a man, Leung Yee-tai (Lam Ching-ying), a master of Wing Chun. He beats up and humiliates Chang's friends. Chang challenges Yee-tai to a fight to avenge the insults to his friends. As usual, Yee Tong Choi tries to bribe Yee-tai to lose, but Yee-tai refuses, easily defeats Chang, and reveals the truth about his martial arts ineptitude to him.

Chang, desiring to learn real kung fu, asks Yee-tai to teach him Wing Chun. Yee-tai refuses because he thinks Jan would probably misuse it, but Chang has his father buy the Lok Fung Lin troupe and gives himself a job as Yee-tai's personal assistant, insisting on following Yee-tai everywhere until Yee-tai agrees to teach him Wing Chun. This continues for six months. The Lok Fung Lin troupe travels to Canton. There, Yee-tai's Wing Chun skills are witnessed by Lord Ngai Fai (Frankie Chan), the son of a Manchu duke, who is also a martial arts master and is hunting for a worthy opponent.

Ngai forces Yee-tai to fight him. Ngai and Yee-tai are evenly matched until Yee-tai has an asthma attack. Ngai stops the fight and postpones it until Yee-tai is healthy and fit for it. It is revealed that Ngai is also a "prodigal son;" unbeknownst to him, his father has ordered his bodyguards to protect him from anyone who might beat him in a fight. However, their methods are more ruthless and brutal than the bribery employed by Chang's parents; they resort to assassination.

During the night, Ngai's bodyguards and a team of assassins infiltrate the Lok Fung Lin theater, massacre the troupe, and burn down the theater. Yee-tai is having trouble sleeping because of his asthma, and he sees light reflected off an assassin's blade through his eyelids and reacts in time to escape along with Chang. The assassins think they died in the fire, as does everyone else. Yee-tai takes Chang to the home of his martial brother Wong Wah-bo (Sammo Hung). With Wah-bo's help, Chang finally convinces Yee-tai to teach him Wing Chun. Chang trains under both Yee-tai and Wah-bo; Yee-tai trains him in Wing Chun and Wah-bo trains him in freestyle fighting.

Over time, Chang achieves proficiency in martial arts, but Yee-tai's asthma is worsening. Chang takes Yee-tai back to Foshan to see a doctor. There, Ngai learns that Yee-tai is still alive, and he visits him. Yee-tai reveals that Ngai's bodyguards have been assassinating everyone who might beat Ngai. The bodyguards murder Yee-tai. Ngai, horrified, has his bodyguards executed. Chang challenges Ngai to a fight. Using everything that Yee-tai and Wah-bo taught him, he manages to beat Ngai.

Cast

Yuen Biao as Leung Chang
Frankie Chan as Ngai Fei
Lam Ching-ying as Leung Yee-tai
Sammo Hung as Wong Wa-bo
Chan Lung as Yee Tung-choi
Chung Faat as Mr Law
Dick Wei as Mr. Suen
Wai Pak as Au Ru Kwai
Chin Yuet-sang as Kung fu teacher
Lee Hoi-san as Kung fu teacher
Wu Ma as Brick Man
James Tien as Broken right arm fighter
Cheung Ging-boh as Troupe manager
Ho Wai-han as Twiggy
Chan Yau-hau as Leung Chang's father
Lin Jin as Leung Chang's mother
Wang Hsieh as Duke
Ding Yue as Magistrate
Cheung Hei as Doctor
Pang Yun-cheung as Fighter defeated by Bo

Production

In The Prodigal Son the depth and framing of the shots were a radical change from the two-dimensional approach to filming that had been used in Hong Kong at this point.^[2]

Release and reception

The Prodigal Son was released in Hong Kong on 21 December 1981.^[1] The film grossed a total of HK$ 9,150,729 at the Hong Kong box office.^[1] The Prodigal Son was released on DVD by Image Entertainment on 15 June 1999.^[3] It was later released again by 20th Century Fox in 2004 on DVD.^[3]

At the second Hong Kong Film Awards, Sammo Hung, Lam Ching Ying, Yuen Biao and Chen Huiyi won the award for Best Action Choreography for their work in The Prodigal Son.^[4] The Prodigal Son was nominated for the Best Film awards and Best Director (Sammo Hung), but lost both awards to Ann Hui's Boat People.^[4] In 2012, Time Out placed The Prodigal Son at number 54 on their list of Top 100 Hong Kong films.^[5]

Notes

^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h ⁱ "The Prodigal Son". Hong Kong Film Archive. Retrieved 27 September 2013.
^ Haflidason, Almar. "BBC - Films - Review - The Prodigal Son DVD". BBC. Retrieved 27 September 2013.
^ ^a ^b "The Prodigal Son (1982) Releases". Allmovie. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved 27 September 2013.
^ ^a ^b "第2屆香港電影金像獎得獎名單". Hong Kong Film Awards (in Chinese). Retrieved 27 September 2013.
^ "The 100 Greatest Hong Kong Films/5". Time Out. 14 March 2012. Retrieved 27 September 2013.

External links

The Prodigal Son at Hong Kong Cinemagic
The Prodigal Son at IMDb
The Prodigal Son at AllMovie

[hkarchive-1] ^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h ⁱ "The Prodigal Son". Hong Kong Film Archive. Retrieved 27 September 2013.

[2] Haflidason, Almar. "BBC - Films - Review - The Prodigal Son DVD". BBC. Retrieved 27 September 2013.

[allmovie-release-3] "The Prodigal Son (1982) Releases". Allmovie. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved 27 September 2013.

[hkfa-4] "第2屆香港電影金像獎得獎名單". Hong Kong Film Awards (in Chinese). Retrieved 27 September 2013.

[5] "The 100 Greatest Hong Kong Films/5". Time Out. 14 March 2012. Retrieved 27 September 2013.

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]

[5]

@@ Line 16: / Line 16: @@
 | story          =
 | based on       = <!-- {{based on|title of the original work|writer of the original work}} -->
-| starring       = {{plainlist|*Sammo Hung
+| starring       = {{plainlist|*[[Yuen Biao]]
-*[[Yuen Biao]]
+*[[Frankie Chan]]
-*[[Lam Ching-ying]]}}
+*[[Lam Ching-ying]]
+*Sammo Hung}}
 | music          = {{plainlist|
 *[[Frankie Chan]]
@@ Line 25: / Line 26: @@
 | editing        = [[Cheung Yiu-chung]]<ref name="hkarchive" />
 | studio         =
-| distributor    =
+| distributor    = [[Orange Sky Golden Harvest|Golden Harvest]]
-| released       = {{Film date|df=yes|1981|12|21|Hong Kong}}
+| released       = {{Film date|df=yes|1981|12|22}}
-| runtime        =
+| runtime        = 100 minutes
 | country        = Hong Kong<ref name="hkarchive" />
 | language       = Cantonese<ref name="hkarchive" />
@@ Line 34: / Line 35: @@
 }}
-'''''The Prodigal Son''''' (Chinese title: 敗家仔; Mandarin Pinyin: Bai4 Jia1 Zi3; Cantonese: Bai ga jai - lit. "Son Ruining the Family") is a 1981 [[Hong Kong action cinema|Hong Kong action film]] directed by [[Sammo Hung]]. The film stars [[Yuen Biao]] as [[Leung Jan]] and [[Lam Ching-ying]] as [[Leung Yee-tai]]. Leung Jan is the son of a wealthy man who is halfheartedly studying kung fu. Leung Jan's lack of expertise forces his father to pay people to lose to him in fights. After Leung Jan discovers that his father has been deceiving him, Leung Jan becomes inspired to study martial arts more seriously and attempts convince a kung fu expert to take him on as a student.
+'''''The Prodigal Son''''' ({{zh|敗家仔}}) is a 1981 Hong Kong [[martial arts film|martial arts]] [[Hong Kong action cinema|action film]] starring [[Yuen Biao]] and directed by [[Sammo Hung]], who also co-stars in the film. The film was released on 22 December 1981 and grossed HK$ 9,150,729. The film was nominated for two [[Hong Kong Film Awards]] and won the award for Best Action choreography.
+The film tells the story of [[Leung Jan|Leung Chang]] is the son of wealthy man who is halfheartedly studying kung fu. Leung Chang's lack of expertise forces his father to pay people to lose to him in fights. After Leung Chang discovers that his father has been deceiving him, Leung Chang becomes inspired to study martial arts more seriously and attempts convince a kung fu expert to take him on as a student.
-''The Prodigal Son'' was released in 1981 and grossed HK$ 9,150,729. The film was nominated for two [[Hong Kong Film Awards]] and won the award for Best Action choreography.
 ==Plot==
-Leung Jan ([[Yuen Biao]]) is a young man in a wealthy family living in [[Foshan]] in the mid-19th century. He is a martial artist trained by two instructors in his father's employ. He has fought over three hundred times in Foshan and won every fight, but unbeknownst to him, his father has arranged for his servant Yee Tong Choi ([[Chan Lung]]) to bribe Jan's opponents to lose to him in order to protect him. This has caused Jan to believe that he is a world-class fighter, but in truth he hasn't even mastered the basics of kung fu and any real fighter could easily defeat him. Everyone knows this but him, giving him the nickname "The Prodigal Son" behind his back.
+Leung Chang ([[Yuen Biao]]) is a young man in a wealthy family living in [[Foshan]] in the mid-19th century. He is a martial artist trained by two instructors in his father's employ. He has fought over three hundred times in Foshan and won every fight, but unbeknownst to him, his father has arranged for his servant Yee Tong-choi (Chan Lung) to bribe Chang's opponents to lose to him in order to protect him. This has caused Chang to believe that he is a world-class fighter, but in truth he hasn't even mastered the basics of kung fu and any real fighter could easily defeat him. Everyone knows this but him, giving him the nickname "The Prodigal Son" behind his back.
-One night, three of Jan's friends attend a performance by the Lok Fung Lin [[Chinese Opera]] troupe. One of Jan's friends is attracted to the lead actress and asks her out on a date after the performance. She refuses, but he insists and even harasses her. She reveals herself to be a man, Leung Yee-tai ([[Lam Ching-ying]]), a master of Wing Chun. He beats up and humiliates Jan's friends.
+One night, three of Chang's friends attend a performance by the Lok Fung Lin [[Chinese Opera]] troupe. One of Chang's friends is attracted to the lead actress and asks her out on a date after the performance. She refuses, but he insists and even harasses her. She reveals herself to be a man, Leung Yee-tai ([[Lam Ching-ying]]), a master of Wing Chun. He beats up and humiliates Chang's friends. Chang challenges Yee-tai to a fight to avenge the insults to his friends. As usual, Yee Tong Choi tries to bribe Yee-tai to lose, but Yee-tai refuses, easily defeats Chang, and reveals the truth about his martial arts ineptitude to him.
+Chang, desiring to learn real kung fu, asks Yee-tai to teach him Wing Chun. Yee-tai refuses because he thinks Jan would probably misuse it, but Chang has his father buy the Lok Fung Lin troupe and gives himself a job as Yee-tai's personal assistant, insisting on following Yee-tai everywhere until Yee-tai agrees to teach him Wing Chun. This continues for six months. The Lok Fung Lin troupe travels to [[Guangzhou|Canton]]. There, Yee-tai's Wing Chun skills are witnessed by Lord Ngai Fai ([[Frankie Chan]]), the son of a [[Manchu]] duke, who is also a martial arts master and is hunting for a worthy opponent.
-Jan challenges Yee-tai to a fight to avenge the insults to his friends. As usual, Yee Tong Choi tries to bribe Yee-tai to lose, but Yee-tai refuses, easily defeats Jan, and reveals the truth about his martial arts ineptitude to him.
+Ngai forces Yee-tai to fight him. Ngai and Yee-tai are evenly matched until Yee-tai has an [[asthma]] attack. Ngai stops the fight and postpones it until Yee-tai is healthy and fit for it. It is revealed that Ngai is also a "prodigal son;" unbeknownst to him, his father has ordered his bodyguards to protect him from anyone who might beat him in a fight. However, their methods are more ruthless and brutal than the bribery employed by Chang's parents; they resort to assassination.
-Jan, desiring to learn real kung fu, asks Yee-tai to teach him Wing Chun. Yee-tai refuses because he thinks Jan would probably misuse it, but Jan has his father buy the Lok Fung Lin troupe and gives himself a job as Yee-tai's personal assistant, insisting on following Yee-tai everywhere until Yee-tai agrees to teach him Wing Chun. This continues for six months.
+During the night, Ngai's bodyguards and a team of assassins infiltrate the Lok Fung Lin theater, massacre the troupe, and burn down the theater. Yee-tai is having trouble sleeping because of his asthma, and he sees light reflected off an assassin's blade through his eyelids and reacts in time to escape along with Chang. The assassins think they died in the fire, as does everyone else. Yee-tai takes Chang to the home of his martial brother Wong Wah-bo ([[Sammo Hung]]). With Wah-bo's help, Chang finally convinces Yee-tai to teach him Wing Chun. Chang trains under both Yee-tai and Wah-bo; Yee-tai trains him in Wing Chun and Wah-bo trains him in freestyle fighting.
-The Lok Fung Lin troupe travels to [[Guangzhou|Canton]]. There, Yee-tai's Wing Chun skills are witnessed by Lord Ngai Fai ([[Frankie Chan]]), the son of a [[Manchu]] duke, who is also a martial arts master and is hunting for a worthy opponent. Ngai forces Yee-tai to fight him. Ngai and Yee-tai are evenly matched until Yee-tai has an [[asthma]] attack. Ngai stops the fight and postpones it until Yee-tai is healthy and fit for it.
+Over time, Chang achieves proficiency in martial arts, but Yee-tai's asthma is worsening. Chang takes Yee-tai back to Foshan to see a doctor. There, Ngai learns that Yee-tai is still alive, and he visits him. Yee-tai reveals that Ngai's bodyguards have been assassinating everyone who might beat Ngai. The bodyguards murder Yee-tai. Ngai, horrified, has his bodyguards executed. Chang challenges Ngai to a fight. Using everything that Yee-tai and Wah-bo taught him, he manages to beat Ngai.
-It is revealed that Ngai is also a "prodigal son;" unbeknownst to him, his father has ordered his bodyguards to protect him from anyone who might beat him in a fight. However, their methods are more ruthless and brutal than the bribery employed by Jan's parents; they resort to assassination.
+==Cast==
-During the night, Ngai's bodyguards and a team of assassins infiltrate the Lok Fung Lin theater, massacre the troupe, and burn down the theater. Yee-tai is having trouble sleeping because of his asthma, and he sees light reflected off an assassin's blade through his eyelids and reacts in time to escape along with Jan. The assassins think they died in the fire, as does everyone else.
+* [[Yuen Biao]]	as [[Leung Jan|Leung Chang]]
+* [[Frankie Chan]] as Ngai Fei
-Yee-tai takes Jan to the home of his martial brother Wong Wah-bo ([[Sammo Hung]]). With Wah-bo's help, Jan finally convinces Yee-tai to teach him Wing Chun. Jan trains under both Yee-tai and Wah-bo; Yee-tai trains him in Wing Chun and Wah-bo trains him in freestyle fighting.
+* [[Lam Ching-ying]] as [[Leung Yee-tai]]
+* [[Sammo Hung]] as Wong Wa-bo
-Over time, Jan achieves proficiency in martial arts, but Yee-tai's asthma is worsening. Jan takes Yee-tai back to Foshan to see a doctor. There, Ngai learns that Yee-tai is still alive, and he visits him. Yee-tai reveals that Ngai's bodyguards have been assassinating everyone who might beat Ngai. The bodyguards murder Yee-tai. Ngai, horrified, has his bodyguards executed.
+* Chan Lung as Yee Tung-choi
+* Chung Faat as Mr Law
-Jan challenges Ngai to a fight. Using everything that Yee-tai and Wah-bo taught him, he manages to beat Ngai.
+* Dick Wei as Mr. Suen
+* Wai Pak as Au Ru Kwai
+* Chin Yuet-sang as Kung fu teacher
+* Lee Hoi-san as Kung fu teacher
+* [[Wu Ma]] as Brick Man
+* [[James Tien (actor)|James Tien]] as Broken right arm fighter
+* Cheung Ging-boh as Troupe manager
+* Ho Wai-han as Twiggy
+* Chan Yau-hau as Leung Chang's father
+* Lin Jin as Leung Chang's mother
+* Wang Hsieh as Duke
+* Ding Yue as Magistrate
+* Cheung Hei as Doctor
+* Pang Yun-cheung as Fighter defeated by Bo
 ==Production==
@@ Line 65: / Line 81: @@
 ''The Prodigal Son'' was released in Hong Kong on 21 December 1981.<ref name="hkarchive" /> The film grossed a total of HK$ 9,150,729 at the Hong Kong box office.<ref name="hkarchive" /> ''The Prodigal Son'' was released on DVD by [[Image Entertainment]] on 15 June 1999.<ref name="allmovie-release">{{cite web|url=http://www.allmovie.com/movie/the-prodigal-son-v179442/releases|work=[[Allmovie]]|publisher=[[Rovi Corporation]]|title=The Prodigal Son (1982) Releases|accessdate=27 September 2013}}</ref> It was later released again by [[20th Century Fox]] in 2004 on DVD.<ref name="allmovie-release" />
-At the second [[Hong Kong Film Awards]], [[Sammo Hung]], [[Lam Ching Ying]], [[Yuen Biao]] and [[Chen Huiyi]] won the award for Best Action Choreography for their work in ''The Prodigal Son''.<ref name="hkfa">{{cite web|url=http://www.hkfaa.com/winnerlist02.html|work=[[Hong Kong Film Awards]]|language=Chinese|title=第2屆香港電影金像獎得獎名單|accessdate=27 September 2013}}</ref> ''The Prodigal Son'' was nominated for the Best Film awards and Best Director (Sammo Hung), but lost both awards to [[Ann Hui]]'s ''[[Boat People (film)|Boat People]]''.<ref name="hkfa" /> In 2012, ''[[Time Out (magazine)|Time Out]]'' placed ''The Prodigal Son'' at number 54 on their list of Top 100 Hong Kong films.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.timeout.com.hk/film/features/49174/the-100-greatest-hong-kong-films5.html|work=[[Time Out (magazine)|Time Out]]|title=The 100 Greatest Hong Kong Films/5|accessdate=27 September 2013|date=14 March 2012}}</ref>
+At the second [[Hong Kong Film Awards]], [[Sammo Hung]], [[Lam Ching Ying]], [[Yuen Biao]] and Chen Huiyi won the award for Best Action Choreography for their work in ''The Prodigal Son''.<ref name="hkfa">{{cite web|url=http://www.hkfaa.com/winnerlist02.html|work=[[Hong Kong Film Awards]]|language=Chinese|title=第2屆香港電影金像獎得獎名單|accessdate=27 September 2013}}</ref> ''The Prodigal Son'' was nominated for the Best Film awards and Best Director (Sammo Hung), but lost both awards to [[Ann Hui]]'s ''[[Boat People (film)|Boat People]]''.<ref name="hkfa" /> In 2012, ''[[Time Out (magazine)|Time Out]]'' placed ''The Prodigal Son'' at number 54 on their list of Top 100 Hong Kong films.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.timeout.com.hk/film/features/49174/the-100-greatest-hong-kong-films5.html|work=[[Time Out (magazine)|Time Out]]|title=The 100 Greatest Hong Kong Films/5|accessdate=27 September 2013|date=14 March 2012}}</ref>
 ==Notes==
 {{Reflist}}
-== See also ==
+==See also==
 * [[List of action films of the 1980s]]
 * [[List of Hong Kong films of 1981]]
 * [[Sammo Hung filmography]]
+* [[Yuen Biao filmography]]
 ==External links==
@@ Line 84: / Line 101: @@
 {{DEFAULTSORT:Prodigal Son (Film), The}}
 [[Category:1981 films]]
+[[Category:1980s action films]]
+[[Category:Cantonese-language films]]
+[[Category:Films directed by Sammo Hung]]
+[[Category:Films set in the 1800s]]
+[[Category:Golden Harvest films]]
 [[Category:Hong Kong films]]
 [[Category:Hong Kong action films]]
-[[Category:Golden Harvest films]]
-[[Category:1980s action films]]
 [[Category:Kung fu films]]
-[[Category:Films directed by Sammo Hung]]
+[[Category:Martial arts films]]

v t e Works by Sammo Hung
Films directed	The Iron-Fisted Monk (1977, also writer) Enter the Fat Dragon (1978) Warriors Two (1978) Knockabout (1979) Encounters of the Spooky Kind (1980, also writer) The Victim (1980) The Prodigal Son (1981, also writer) Carry On Pickpocket (1982) Winners and Sinners (1983, also writer) The Owl vs Bombo (1984, also produced) Wheels on Meals (1984) Heart of Dragon (1985) My Lucky Stars (1985) Twinkle, Twinkle, Lucky Stars (1985) Millionaires Express (1986) Eastern Condors (1987) Dragons Forever (1988) Spooky, Spooky (1988, also produced) Pedicab Driver (1989, also produced) Pantyhose Hero (1990, also produced) Slickers vs. Killers (1991, also produced) Ghost Punting (1992) Moon Warriors (1992) Blade of Fury (1993) Don't Give a Damn (1995, also produced) Mr. Nice Guy (1997) Once Upon a Time in China and America (1997) The Bodyguard (2016)
Films produced	Dirty Tiger, Crazy Frog (1978) Pom Pom (1984) Long Arm of the Law (1984) The Return of Pom Pom (1984) Yes, Madam (1985) Mr. Boo Meets Pom Pom (1985) Mr. Vampire (1985) Lucky Stars Go Places (1986) Where's Officer Tuba? (1986) Mr. Vampire II (1986) Rosa (1986) Scared Stiff (1987) Sworn Brothers (1987) Mr. Vampire III (1987) On the Run (1988) Lai Shi, China's Last Eunuch (1988) Mr. Vampire IV (1988) Licence to Steal (1990) She Shoots Straight (1990) The Scorpion King (1992)
Films written only	Hong Kong 1941 (1984)
Collaborating director	Septet: The Story of Hong Kong (2020; also writer)