Fresh out of jail, the mobster Lee Cheuk Hung is being recruited by a criminal gang. Determined to redeem himself and prevent his younger brother Chi Sum from getting involved in crime, Lee refuses to yield despite being constantly harassed by these criminals. When Chi Sum is finally lured to the dark side of society, Lee has no choice but to risk breaking the law again. Making extensive use of real scenery and featuring flexible yet dynamic camera movements and slick action editing, Patrick Lung Kong’s Story of a Discharged Prisoner was received as a breath of fresh air by Cantonese audiences of that era. The film partially inspired John Woo’s A Better Tomorrow, which emphasized further the clash between the two brothers. Adding heroic character Mark Lee to A Better Tomorrow, Woo altered the storyline of Story of a Discharged Prisoner, which focused on the conflict between human relationships and the law, to create a deeply romantic Hong Kong classic.
Victor Fan is Senior Lecturer of Film Studies at King’s College, London and Film Consultant for the Chinese Visual Festival. His articles appeared in journals including Camera Obscura, Journal of Chinese Cinemas, Screen and Film History: An International Journal and his book “Cinema Approaching Reality: Locating Chinese Film Theory” was published in 2015 by the University of Minnesota Press.
Committed to building long-term and sustainable dialogue with our visitors, Hong Kong cultural critics, and intellectuals, Art Film Hour shows a selection of moving image work following a thematic every season. Art Film Hour is a sub-programme of Art After Hours, an event series presented by Tai Kwun Contemporary that will talk with you, sing with you, and strive to always show you something new. Art After Hours welcomes all visitors to experience contemporary art in Hong Kong live. Artists, writers, public intellectuals, and curators are invited to engage in talks, performances, and screenings.
