A Better Tomorrow III: Love and Death in Saigon 4K 1989 Ultra HD 2160p

Story Movie

There's a cultural revolution in China. In Cambodia, there's war. In these troubled times, our heroes are engaged in crime, sowing mountains of corpses under the guidance of a femme fatale beauty.

Review 4K Movie

John Woo is known as the author of stylish films, with his own directorial style and signature techniques; this style has been dubbed Heroic Bloodshed. His Hong Kong period is rich in masterpieces, and it all began in 1986 with the film A Better Tomorrow, directed by Woo and produced by his friend Tsui Hark. A year later, an equally successful sequel was released, and Woo wrote a script for a possible prequel, but Tsui deemed the script unfit for use. And so the friends fell out for good. Wu then created what is probably his best Hong Kong film, The Killer, while Tsui had no choice but to squeeze the last drops of gold from the source called A Better Tomorrow, as he had managed to take the rejected script with him. This is how A Better Tomorrow III: Love and Death in Saigon came into being.
The film takes place at about the same time as the film Bullet in the Head. Our old friend Mark is not yet a big shot in the counterfeit gang, but a wanderer who does not know what has become of his family and is looking for a place in the world. He flies to Saigon to visit the only person close to him, Moon. In Saigon, the military is constantly clashing with civilians, and Moon wants to leave with her father for the more peaceful Hong Kong. But without money, it is impossible to get out of the city, so the friends turn to a semi-criminal lady named Chow (bright red lips, a long white cloak, and an automatic weapon—a strong woman, to put it simply) for help. And, of course, things just cannot go smoothly, and so the heroes have to take up the beloved Beretta 92F (and heavier weapons). This is a story about friendship, honor, and, of course, love.
This film doesn't quite reach the level of Mr. Wu, but it was still directed by Hark. There are obviously fewer action scenes here, and they are not shot with the same grace; more attention is paid to the drama. There are idyllic scenes, such as the heroes learning to shoot a pistol, picking out stylish dark glasses, playing the guitar... Good Chinese music, thankfully, has its place. The main plus of the film is, of course, Chow Yun-Fat - an actor who is simply a pleasure to watch. Among the new faces, Tony Leung Ka Fai, Qian Shi, Wei Long Cheng, and Anita Mui are worth mentioning.
Well, this film is worth watching for those who have seen all the Hong Kong masterpieces: the ‘A Better Tomorrow’ duology, ‘The Killer’, Bullet in the Head, and Hard Boiled, those who have seen the lesser-known films Born a Thief and Just Heroes, those who have even watched the great director's first tentative attempt at the Heroic Bloodshed style, Heroes Don't Cry, and still want more. Unfortunately, in 1993, Woo, for some reason (probably because he is JOHN), moved to Hollywood, where he has been successfully engaged in creative self-destruction. Those who find it painful to watch his Hollywood creations, knowing that this same man made Hong Kong masterpieces, should also watch this film. Its essence, of course, is not in Mark's past, but that's not so important, is it?

I wouldn't dare give the film a rating of “so many points out of so many.” But I will say that after hearing all sorts of things about it, I was expecting something really bad, but the film pleasantly surprised me and left me with a warm feeling in my heart.