Once Upon a Time in China IV
Encyclopedia
Once Upon a Time in China IV is a 1993 Hong Kong martial arts action film directed by Yuen Bun and produced by Tsui Hark
. The film is the fourth installment the Once Upon a Time in China series. The film also saw Vincent Zhao
taking over the role of Chinese folk hero Wong Fei-hung from Jet Li
, who played the character in the previous three films.
in Beijing
, China
, in 1900, Wong Fei-hung and his companions (his new love interest 14th Aunt, his father Wong Kei-ying, and his disciples Leung Foon and Clubfoot) face new enemies. This time, their opponents include German
and British
forces, as well as the anti-foreign feminist
Red Lantern Society.
During a parade, the Red Lantern Society attack a German church. Before things get out of control, Wong comes to the foreigners' aid and he fights with the society's members, who are armed with rope weapons and ether
-filled lanterns.
As the champion of the National Lion Dance
Competition in the previous film, Wong is invited by a Chinese general to join him in representing China in an international lion dance competition. The contest is actually a challenge by the Eight-Nation Alliance
to China, and the Chinese people
need to win in order to uphold their dignity and display their national strength. Since the competition is an international one, contestants are not limited to using lion masks, hence other animal masks, such as dragon, centipede and eagle, are present.
Wong is late for the competition as he is busy dealing with the Red Lantern Society, hence the general's dragon dance teams started without him. The contest turned out to be a brutal massacre, as the foreigners' animal masks are equipped with various types of weapons and they are using "dirty" tricks to ensure that they will win. The general and several dancers are killed in the competition.
When Wong finally arrives, he is shocked and issues a formal challenge to the foreigners, requesting for a rematch. This time, Wong's teams are better prepared and they emerge victorious. Ironically, after Wong's victory, he receives news that the armies of the Eight Nation Alliance have invaded and occupied Peking, inflicting a crushing defeat on China. Wong has no choice but to leave Peking with his companions and return to Fat-san
, where they will plan their next move.
and the reduced input of Tsui Hark
heavily affected the box office takings. However, this also allowed the film to be made with much lower budget. Despite many negative reviews it received, the fourth installment grossed HK $11,301,790, a return significant enough for the producers to go ahead with the next film in the franchise, Once Upon a Time in China V
.
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:...
. The film is the fourth installment the Once Upon a Time in China series. The film also saw Vincent Zhao
Vincent Zhao
Vincent Zhao Wenzhuo , sometimes credited as Chiu Man-cheuk, is a Chinese actor and martial artist. Zhao is best known playing the role of Chinese folk hero Wong Fei-hung in the Once Upon a Time in China film and television series.-Early life:Zhao was born in Harbin, Heilongjiang, China, as the...
taking over the role of Chinese folk hero Wong Fei-hung from 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...
, who played the character in the previous three films.
Plot
Set in the late 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....
in Beijing
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...
, China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
, in 1900, Wong Fei-hung and his companions (his new love interest 14th Aunt, his father Wong Kei-ying, and his disciples Leung Foon and Clubfoot) face new enemies. This time, their opponents include German
German Empire
The German Empire refers to Germany during the "Second Reich" period from the unification of Germany and proclamation of Wilhelm I as German Emperor on 18 January 1871, to 1918, when it became a federal republic after defeat in World War I and the abdication of the Emperor, Wilhelm II.The German...
and British
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...
forces, as well as the anti-foreign feminist
Feminism
Feminism is a collection of movements aimed at defining, establishing, and defending equal political, economic, and social rights and equal opportunities for women. Its concepts overlap with those of women's rights...
Red Lantern Society.
During a parade, the Red Lantern Society attack a German church. Before things get out of control, Wong comes to the foreigners' aid and he fights with the society's members, who are armed with rope weapons and ether
Ether
Ethers are a class of organic compounds that contain an ether group — an oxygen atom connected to two alkyl or aryl groups — of general formula R–O–R'. A typical example is the solvent and anesthetic diethyl ether, commonly referred to simply as "ether"...
-filled lanterns.
As the champion of the National 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...
Competition in the previous film, Wong is invited by a Chinese general to join him in representing China in an international lion dance competition. The contest is actually a challenge by the Eight-Nation Alliance
Eight-Nation Alliance
The Eight-Nation Alliance was an alliance of Austria-Hungary, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Russia, the United Kingdom, and the United States whose military forces intervened in China to suppress the anti-foreign Boxers and relieve the siege of the diplomatic legations in Beijing .- Events :The...
to China, and the Chinese people
Chinese people
The term Chinese people may refer to any of the following:*People with Han Chinese ethnicity ....
need to win in order to uphold their dignity and display their national strength. Since the competition is an international one, contestants are not limited to using lion masks, hence other animal masks, such as dragon, centipede and eagle, are present.
Wong is late for the competition as he is busy dealing with the Red Lantern Society, hence the general's dragon dance teams started without him. The contest turned out to be a brutal massacre, as the foreigners' animal masks are equipped with various types of weapons and they are using "dirty" tricks to ensure that they will win. The general and several dancers are killed in the competition.
When Wong finally arrives, he is shocked and issues a formal challenge to the foreigners, requesting for a rematch. This time, Wong's teams are better prepared and they emerge victorious. Ironically, after Wong's victory, he receives news that the armies of the Eight Nation Alliance have invaded and occupied Peking, inflicting a crushing defeat on China. Wong has no choice but to leave Peking with his companions and return to Fat-san
Foshan
Foshan is a city in central Guangdong province in southern China. The prefectural area under the city's jurisdiction over an area of about 3,840 km² and a population of 5.4 million of which 1.1 million reside in the city proper ....
, where they will plan their next move.
Cast
- Vincent ZhaoVincent ZhaoVincent Zhao Wenzhuo , sometimes credited as Chiu Man-cheuk, is a Chinese actor and martial artist. Zhao is best known playing the role of Chinese folk hero Wong Fei-hung in the Once Upon a Time in China film and television series.-Early life:Zhao was born in Harbin, Heilongjiang, China, as the...
as Wong Fei-hung - Jean Wang as 14th Aunt
- Max Mok as Leung Foon
- Hung Yan-yan as Clubfoot
- Billy Chow as Iron Fist
- Chin Kar-lok as Tuen Tin-lui
- Lau Shun as Wong Kei-ying
- Louis Roth as Father Thomas
- Wang Zhiwen as Deputy governor
- Kwok Nga-cheung
- Wang Jinhua
- Wong Tak-yan
- Ling Kam-wah
- Ho Moon-chow
- Siu Bing-lam
- Leung Yat-ho
- Lam Chi-tai
- Tong Pau-chung
Box office
The departure of Jet LiJet 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...
and the reduced input of Tsui Hark
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:...
heavily affected the box office takings. However, this also allowed the film to be made with much lower budget. Despite many negative reviews it received, the fourth installment grossed HK $11,301,790, a return significant enough for the producers to go ahead with the next film in the franchise, Once Upon a Time in China V
Once Upon a Time in China V
Once Upon a Time in China V is a 1994 Hong Kong martial arts action film written and directed by Tsui Hark. The film is the fifth installment in the Once Upon a Time in China film series, with Vincent Zhao reprising his role as Chinese folk hero Wong Fei-hung, since taking over the character from...
.