Once Upon a Time in China III
Encyclopedia
Once Upon a Time in China III is a 1993 Hong Kong martial arts film written and directed by Tsui Hark
and starring Jet Li
as Chinese folk hero Wong Fei-hung. It is the third installment in the Once Upon a Time in China film series.
is experiencing turmoil in its later years as foreigners start to take over and ruin the Manchu
sovereignty. To restore China's pride and show foreigners the might of Chinese martial arts
, the Empress Dowager
and Governor Lee Hung-cheung
decide to stage a national Lion King Competition. All lion dance
rs and martial artists from around the nation are invited to attend and participate in the competition and win the title of "Lion King".
Wong Fei-hung, his romantic interest "13th Aunt" Siu-kwan and his disciple Leung Foon arrive in Peking
to visit Wong's father Wong Kei-ying at the Cantonese Association. At the train station, they meet a Russian diplomat named Tomanovsky, who knew Siu-kwan while they were studying in Britain
. He starts to vie for her attention and annoys Wong, who is disgusted by the Western custom of kissing a woman's hand. When the trio arrive at the Association, they discover that Wong Kei-ying had been attacked by a wealthy rival martial artist named Chiu Tin-bak and his lackey Clubfoot. Luckily, Wong only suffered minor injuries from the attack. Wong decides to give his blessings to his son and Siu-kwan as they develop closer relationships.
Prior to the actual competition, the lion dance troupes which had gathered in the city start to fight among themselves and hold a competition of their own before the actual one. Wong Fei-hung does not participate and spectates. Unknown to him, Leung Foon and another disciple have secretly joined the competition out of mischief. They annoy Clubfoot and a short scrimmage between Clubfoot and Leung ensues. Clubfoot's legs are seriously injured when Leung accidentally releases a rampage of horses, which crush Clubfoot's legs with their hoofs. Clubfoot is abandoned by Chiu, who sees him as useless now without the use of his legs. Wong Fei-hung takes pity on Clubfoot and takes him in. Clubfoot initially sees Wong as a rival and treats him with hostility, but Wong's kindness touches him and he eventually becomes Wong's loyal disciple.
With the help of a movie camera
, a gift to her from Tomanovsky, Siu-kwan inadvertently uncovers an assassination plot on Governor Lee and Tomanovsky is one of the parties involved. She warns Wong Fei-hung and Wong decides to join the competition, which will be taking place at the Forbidden City
, to foil the assassination attempt. At the final round of the competition, Wong, together with Leung Foon and Clubfoot, faces hundreds of rival lion dancers and they battle their way through to reach the top of a scaffold. Chiu Tin-bak also participates with the largest and deadliest lion mask ever and he fights with Wong for the prize, a gold medal.
Eventually, Wong defeats Chiu and obtains the gold medal. Meanwhile, Tomanovsky fails to assassinate Governor Lee and is shot dead by his fellow Russians (who confirmed their suspicions that Tomanovsky is a spy for the Japanese embassy.) Wong refuses to accept the gold medal, claiming that the victory was a pyrrhic victory
and the competition has failed to achieve its aim. He adds that the competition merely leads to more death and injury to the Chinese, and in order to restore national pride, every Chinese must play a part. He tosses the gold medal back to Governor Lee, which lands at the Governor's feet, and then walks away as the film ends.
Columbia Tristar released both versions on DVD in the US.
It is distributed by Long Shong and features a 4:3 cropped image with embedded Chinese and English subtitles. In most scenes, their logo appears on the upper left corner of the screen.
Scenes:
Tsui Hark
Tsui Hark , born Tsui Man-kong, is a Hong Kong New Wave film director and producer. He is viewed as a major figure in the Golden Age of Hong Kong cinema .-Early life:...
and starring Jet Li
Jet Li
The fame gained by his sports winnings led to a career as a martial arts film star, beginning in mainland China and then continuing into Hong Kong. Li acquired his screen name in 1982 in the Philippines when a publicity company thought his real name was too hard to pronounce...
as Chinese folk hero Wong Fei-hung. It is the third installment in the Once Upon a Time in China film series.
Plot
The Qing DynastyQing Dynasty
The Qing Dynasty was the last dynasty of China, ruling from 1644 to 1912 with a brief, abortive restoration in 1917. It was preceded by the Ming Dynasty and followed by the Republic of China....
is experiencing turmoil in its later years as foreigners start to take over and ruin the Manchu
Manchu
The Manchu people or Man are an ethnic minority of China who originated in Manchuria . During their rise in the 17th century, with the help of the Ming dynasty rebels , they came to power in China and founded the Qing Dynasty, which ruled China until the Xinhai Revolution of 1911, which...
sovereignty. To restore China's pride and show foreigners the might of Chinese martial arts
Chinese martial arts
Chinese martial arts, also referred to by the Mandarin Chinese term wushu and popularly as kung fu , are a number of fighting styles that have developed over the centuries in China. These fighting styles are often classified according to common traits, identified as "families" , "sects" or...
, the Empress Dowager
Empress Dowager Cixi
Empress Dowager Cixi1 , of the Manchu Yehenara clan, was a powerful and charismatic figure who became the de facto ruler of the Manchu Qing Dynasty in China for 47 years from 1861 to her death in 1908....
and Governor Lee Hung-cheung
Li Hongzhang
Li Hongzhang or Li Hung-chang , Marquis Suyi of the First Class , GCVO, was a leading statesman of the late Qing Empire...
decide to stage a national Lion King Competition. All lion dance
Lion dance
Lion dance is a form of traditional dance in Chinese culture, in which performers mimic a lion's movements in a lion costume. The lion dance is often mistakenly referred to as dragon dance. An easy way to tell the difference is that a lion is operated by two people, while a dragon needs many people...
rs and martial artists from around the nation are invited to attend and participate in the competition and win the title of "Lion King".
Wong Fei-hung, his romantic interest "13th Aunt" Siu-kwan and his disciple Leung Foon arrive in Peking
Beijing
Beijing , also known as Peking , is the capital of the People's Republic of China and one of the most populous cities in the world, with a population of 19,612,368 as of 2010. The city is the country's political, cultural, and educational center, and home to the headquarters for most of China's...
to visit Wong's father Wong Kei-ying at the Cantonese Association. At the train station, they meet a Russian diplomat named Tomanovsky, who knew Siu-kwan while they were studying in Britain
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
. He starts to vie for her attention and annoys Wong, who is disgusted by the Western custom of kissing a woman's hand. When the trio arrive at the Association, they discover that Wong Kei-ying had been attacked by a wealthy rival martial artist named Chiu Tin-bak and his lackey Clubfoot. Luckily, Wong only suffered minor injuries from the attack. Wong decides to give his blessings to his son and Siu-kwan as they develop closer relationships.
Prior to the actual competition, the lion dance troupes which had gathered in the city start to fight among themselves and hold a competition of their own before the actual one. Wong Fei-hung does not participate and spectates. Unknown to him, Leung Foon and another disciple have secretly joined the competition out of mischief. They annoy Clubfoot and a short scrimmage between Clubfoot and Leung ensues. Clubfoot's legs are seriously injured when Leung accidentally releases a rampage of horses, which crush Clubfoot's legs with their hoofs. Clubfoot is abandoned by Chiu, who sees him as useless now without the use of his legs. Wong Fei-hung takes pity on Clubfoot and takes him in. Clubfoot initially sees Wong as a rival and treats him with hostility, but Wong's kindness touches him and he eventually becomes Wong's loyal disciple.
With the help of a movie camera
Movie camera
The movie camera is a type of photographic camera which takes a rapid sequence of photographs on strips of film which was very popular for private use in the last century until its successor, the video camera, replaced it...
, a gift to her from Tomanovsky, Siu-kwan inadvertently uncovers an assassination plot on Governor Lee and Tomanovsky is one of the parties involved. She warns Wong Fei-hung and Wong decides to join the competition, which will be taking place at the Forbidden City
Forbidden City
The Forbidden City was the Chinese imperial palace from the Ming Dynasty to the end of the Qing Dynasty. It is located in the middle of Beijing, China, and now houses the Palace Museum...
, to foil the assassination attempt. At the final round of the competition, Wong, together with Leung Foon and Clubfoot, faces hundreds of rival lion dancers and they battle their way through to reach the top of a scaffold. Chiu Tin-bak also participates with the largest and deadliest lion mask ever and he fights with Wong for the prize, a gold medal.
Eventually, Wong defeats Chiu and obtains the gold medal. Meanwhile, Tomanovsky fails to assassinate Governor Lee and is shot dead by his fellow Russians (who confirmed their suspicions that Tomanovsky is a spy for the Japanese embassy.) Wong refuses to accept the gold medal, claiming that the victory was a pyrrhic victory
Pyrrhic victory
A Pyrrhic victory is a victory with such a devastating cost to the victor that it carries the implication that another such victory will ultimately cause defeat.-Origin:...
and the competition has failed to achieve its aim. He adds that the competition merely leads to more death and injury to the Chinese, and in order to restore national pride, every Chinese must play a part. He tosses the gold medal back to Governor Lee, which lands at the Governor's feet, and then walks away as the film ends.
Cast
- Jet LiJet LiThe fame gained by his sports winnings led to a career as a martial arts film star, beginning in mainland China and then continuing into Hong Kong. Li acquired his screen name in 1982 in the Philippines when a publicity company thought his real name was too hard to pronounce...
as Wong Fei-hung - Rosamund KwanRosamund KwanRosamund Kwan Chi-lam is a Chinese actress born in Hong Kong with ancestry in Shenyang, Liaoning in China on her father's side and from Shanghai on her mother's side. She is the daughter of Shaw Brothers star Kwan Shan and actress Cheung Bing Sai...
as "13th Aunt" Siu-kwan - Max Mok as Leung Foon
- Hung Yan-yan as Clubfoot
- John Wakefield as Tomanovsky
- Lau Shun as Wong Kei-ying
- Chiu Chin as Chiu Tin-bak
- Wong Tak-yan as Yan
- Meng Jin
- Ge Cunzhuang
Awards and nominations
- 1994 Hong Kong Film Awards
- Nominated: Best Film Editing (Marco Mak, Angie Lam)
Hong Kong
- A scene of a horse falling down is BBFC censored on UK releases (the Hong Kong LegendsHong Kong LegendsHong Kong Legends was a United Kingdom DVD distribution company, based in Hertfordshire and operating from the UK and Australia between 1999 and 2007...
DVD (released January 21, 2002) and Made In Hong KongMade in Hong KongMade in Hong Kong may refer to:* Made in Hong Kong , 1997 Hong Kong film directed by Fruit Chan* Made in Hong Kong , a 1981 album by Claudja Barry* Made in Hong Kong , a 2009 live album by Nightwish...
VHS). - In the 1996 Hong Kong VHS distributed by Paragon Films, the opening is in Mandarin and the rest of the film is in Cantonese. This release was converted from a LaserdiscLaserdiscLaserDisc was a home video format and the first commercial optical disc storage medium. Initially licensed, sold, and marketed as MCA DiscoVision in North America in 1978, the technology was previously referred to interally as Optical Videodisc System, Reflective Optical Videodisc, Laser Optical...
and some of the film's chapters are in the incorrect order.
English
There is an English export version entitled "The Invincible Shaolin". In comparison with the Hong Kong version, there are English credits and the scene with 13th Aunt teaching Fei-hung English is cut.Columbia Tristar released both versions on DVD in the US.
Taiwanese
There is a Taiwanese version in Mandarin with approximately 15 minutes more footage than the Hong Kong version.It is distributed by Long Shong and features a 4:3 cropped image with embedded Chinese and English subtitles. In most scenes, their logo appears on the upper left corner of the screen.
Scenes:
- A shot of some lionheads at the opening of the film.
- Leung Foon argues about rickshaws as the trio arrive in Peking.
- 13th Aunt finds a spoilt camera, but Wong presumes that it's not working.
- Leung Foon tries to find a rickshaw.
- Wong Kei-ying tells 13th Aunt to give his son more advice and guidance.
- 13th Aunt gets a book from the library called Stories of Filial Piety.
- Wong Fei-hung's students read the book on filial piety for homework.
- The schools of martial arts argue amongst each other.
- After the heads of the schools agree to meet Wong at the restaurant, Wong's students go to protect their teacher, thinking that it might be a trap. However, Wong clears the misunderstanding.
- After 13th Aunt boards the Russians' carriage, Wong takes some soup for energy before going back.
- Wong's students give their copy of Stories of Filial Piety to their teacher. Leung Foon reads an account book out-loud to them.
- Leung Foon climbs a roof during the chase scene with Clubfoot. He runs up the stairs of the restaurant, but they give way. Leung's lion head gets stuck in the stairs and gives him a chance to escape.
- Wong's students find an egg stuck inside the steam engine.
- Chiu shouts "Shut up! I'm gambling!" after the injured Clubfoot falls down the restaurant stairs.
- When Clubfoot crawls away from Wong Fei-hung, Wong's father says "Your friends have left you. If you don't cure your leg, you won't be able to earn a living. Don't you have anywhere to go?"
- The film projection of Wong's martial arts display is completely different - Leung Foon sees the speed of his moves in the B&W film. He moves closer to the projection screen and his shadow blocks the screen. Wong's students see how fast they act on screen, whilst Leung Foon distracts Wong when he was performing.
- Leung Foon sticks out his tongue to Clubfoot, who looks sad after (later to become friends).
- Wong spars with one of his students on the projection screen.
- 13th Aunt cranks Wong's martial arts performance from her projector before she leaves him.
- The Russians prepare their rifles as Wong makes his lion head. Wong writes his name on the lion head, whilst the Russian theme song is playing in the background.
- The Russians cheer over wine glasses.
- 13th Aunt, Leung Foon and Wong Kei-ying walk up the stairs to mount the movie camera prior to the competition opening.
- Wong Kei-ying tries to load the negative motion picture film. He opens the film can, but 13th Aunt says that B&W film cannot be loaded inside in the presence of sunlight. She gets a black cloth.
- 13th Aunt calls Wong Kei-ying "brother", but he wonders why.
- Extensions in the lion dance competition before it is almost over. Wong, Leung and Clubfoot are seen fighting to defend themselves from swords.
- 13th Aunt runs away from Tomanovsky.