Code of Honor (1987 film)
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| Code of Honor | |
|---|---|
| Directed by | Billy Chan |
| Produced by | Charles Heung Wah-Keung |
| Screenplay by | Wong Ying Peter Ho Cheuk-Wing Billy Chung Siu-Hung |
| Starring | Ko Chun-hsiung David Lam Chow Yun-fat Dick Wei Shing Fui-on |
| Music by | Richard Yuen |
| Cinematography | Cheung Tak-Wai |
| Edited by | Cheung Kwok-Kuen |
Production company | Genico Films Production Co. |
| Distributed by | Focus Film (H. K.) Co., Ltd. |
Release date | 26 March 1987 |
Running time | 94 minutes |
| Country | Hong Kong |
| Language | Cantonese |
| Box office | HK$10,477,912 |
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Code of Honor (alternately titled Brotherhood[1]) is a 1987 Hong Kong action film directed by Billy Chan and starring Ko Chun-hsiung, David Lam, Dick Wei, and Chow Yun-fat. Despite being prominently featured on promotional posters, Chow's role in the film is a relatively minor one.
Plot[edit]
In Hong Kong 1972, mob leader Ho Chen Tung (Ko Chun-hsiung) and his daughter (Sin Lin-bo) are attacked whilst at a refugee camp by a rival clan. Amidst the chaos, his daughter is viciously murdered. A Vietnamese refugee, Wung Hon (David Lam) witnesses the clan members begin to kill innocent bystanders indiscriminately. Disgusted, he fights back, killing several of the assailants. He finds a severely wounded Ho and carries him to safety as the camp is swarmed by police officers. At his daughter's funeral, Ho is reproached by his son, Fai (Chow Yun-fat), who greatly despises his criminal lifestyle and has immigrated to Australia with his wife and son so the latter can grow up away from his influence. Fai departs for Australia, perceiving his sister's death as irrefutable proof of the price of a criminal lifestyle. Fai's departure, coupled with his daughter's death, greatly affect Ho and for the next 15 years, he washes his hands of his illicit dealings. He becomes involved with philanthropist causes, including helping Hon gain employment at a shipping dock, running his enterprises under a code of honor, and brokering peace with rival factions, a change that does not sit well with many of his closest subordinates including Lee 'Mad' Piao (Shing Fui-on), Chin Pao (Sunny Fang Kang), and Jiro Yukuda (Shinichi Yihara). While celebrating his 70th birthday, Ho receives a phone call from Fai for the first time in years, having earned his forgiveness when he is asked to join his family in Australia for the birth of his great-grandson. Ho invites Hon to join him and writes him a blank check to cover his travel expenses.
Mad is later informed at a dinner gathering that one of his men, Dragon (Lung Ming-yan) is a secret informant for the C.I.D. In retaliation, he sadistically mutilates Dragon's face and hand. Dragon's younger brother, Detective Mak Chi-chieh (Dick Wei), on standby outside, receives word that Dragon has been exposed and quickly charges in to arrest Mad. Although he is successful and Dragon is saved, Chi-chieh learns that his brother has been permanently crippled. Already haunted by the murder of his father by Ho many years prior, this incident further prompts Chi-chieh to adopt an increasingly violent and unorthodox means to interrogating anyone suspected of being associated with the mob leader. With Mad's arrest, he is able to subsequently take down Chin and Jiro, who have recently lost faith in Ho after the latter refused to use his influence to protect them from the C.I.D. Through their testimonies, Chi-chieh arrests Ho and Mad, Chin, and Jiro openly testify against him during their trial, much to his disbelief. A spectating Hon watches as another of Ho's subordinates, Chung (David Chung) has an emotional outburst in court and brands Mad, Chin, and Jiro traitors. Chung later finds Mad celebrating at one of his hostess clubs with the intention to kill him for his betrayal, but he is beaten and handed over to the police by Mad's henchmen. Unbeknownst to either of them, Hon is also there seeking vengeance for Ho. He kills Mad and later takes down Chin and Jiro, but sustains grievous injuries in the process. He recuperates under the care of Duh Siu Lai (Chui Sau-lai), an illegal alien from mainland China who he helped gain a fake Hong Kong citizenship card through Ho's nephew, Wai (Shum Wai). Meanwhile, Chung is viciously interrogated at the police station by Chi-chieh who bludgeons him repeatedly a hammer, but refuses to divulge any information on Ho. News of Mad, Chin, and Jiro's deaths reach the department, meaning there may be no case against Ho since there are no witnesses to indict him. A furious Chi-chieh, convinced Ho orchestrated the murders, attacks Chung who wrestles his gun from him and is shot to death by another C.I.D. officer. Sure enough, Ho is set free by the court and later holds a funeral for Chung. The C.I.D. watch the event and notice Siu Lai arrive to plead for Ho's help and treat Hon. They follow her to Hon's house only to find him gone, although the place is strewn with damning evidence including bloodied bandages and a blank check containing Ho's signature, convincing Chi-chieh even more that Ho had direct involvement with the three murders. Siu Lai at first defends Hon and feigns ignorance until Chi-chieh reveals he knows her citizenship card had been faked indirectly through Ho. He threatens her with deportation and Siu Lai thus acquiesces, indicting Ho and Hon.
Fai has returned to Hong Kong to meet Ho and go to the airport together with him. However, Chi-chieh arrives, preventing them from leaving. A horrified Fai quickly learns why and refuses to listen to his father's attempts to explain. Ho later receives a phone call from Hon, who has recovered and, thanking Ho for helping him, plans to leave Hong Kong. When Hon does try to leave, however, he finds he has been surrounded by the police led by Chi-chieh, and is quickly arrested, his location having been surrendered by none other than Ho. He manages to break free and confronts Ho at his villa, in disbelief he would go against this own code and betray him. Ho however, admits betraying him to save himself. He reveals that Fai has left for good, having fully given up on him and refusing to hear the truth. Ho bitterly laments the irony in the consequences of Chung and Han's actions which, despite being predicated on the principles of loyalty, have adversely destroyed all his efforts to absolve himself and convince his son and society that he had changed. Ho subsequently commits suicide via a single gunshot to the head. Hon carries his body outside whereupon he is arrested by an ensemble of police units. In the end credit scene, Siu Lai is seen being escorted by the authorities to be deported back to the mainland.
Cast[edit]
- Ko Chun-hsiung as Ho Chen Tung
- David Lam as Wung Hon
- Chow Yun-fat as Fai
- Chui Sau-lai as Du Siu Lai
- Dick Wei as Detective Mak Chi-chieh
- Lung Ming-yan as Dragon Mak
- Shing Fui-on as Lee 'Mad' Piao
- Sunny Fang Kang as Chin Pao
- Shinichi Yihara as Jiro Yukuda
- Shum Wai as Wai
- Chow Shing-boh as receptionist
- Dennis Chan as Attorney Chang
- David Chung as Brother Chung
- Wai Ching as Doctor Chao
- Danny Lee as superintendent
- Lam Chi-tai as Wen Tai
- Wong Wai-tong as Tang
- Tai San as Mad's bodyguard #1
- Yiu Man-kei as Mad's bodyguard #2
- San Sin as Du Siu Lai's husband
- Chun Kwai-bo as traffic policeman
- Chan Kwok-cheung as policeman
- Lee Ying-git as Hon's friend/workmate
- Chow Shing-boh as motel clerk
- Pang Yun-keung as refugee camp attacker
- Wong Chi-hok as refugee camp attacker
- Chan Shiu-wa as refugee camp attacker
- Hon Nin-sang as refugee camp attacker
- Au Chi-hung as refugee camp attacker
- Jim James as judge
- Ho Chi-moon as court clerk
- Mak Shu-san as prosecutor
- Yeung Kin-wai as jury member
- Ng Leung as triad elder
- Chan Ming-wai as chef
- Sin Lin-bo as Ho Chen Tung's daughter
Theme song[edit]
- Code of Honor (義本無言)
- Composer: Liu Jia Chang
- Lyricist: Zheng Guo Jiang
- Performed by: Cally Kwong
See also[edit]
References[edit]
- ↑ "Code of Honor". Hong Kong Movie DataBase.
External links[edit]
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