The Prodigal Son (film)

Infobox Film
name = The Prodigal Son


image_size =
caption = "The Prodigal Son" UK DVD cover
director = Sammo Hung
producer = Raymond Chow
Leonard Ho
writer = Sammo Hung
Barry Wong
Wong Jing
narrator =
starring = Yuen Biao
Lam Ching Ying
Sammo Hung
Frankie Chan
music = Frankie Chan
Phil Chen
cinematography = Ricky Lau
editing = Chang Yao Chang
distributor =
released = 1982
runtime =
country = flagicon|Hong Kong Hong Kong
language = Cantonese
budget =
preceded_by =
followed_by =
website =
amg_id = 1:179442
imdb_id = 0085211

"The Prodigal Son" (Chinese title: 敗家仔; Mandarin Pinyin: Bai4 Jia1 Zi3; Cantonese: Bai ga jai - lit. "Son Ruining the Family") is a 1982 Hong Kong action comedy film directed by Sammo Hung. It stars Yuen Biao and Lam Ching Ying and features Hung in a supporting role. The film details the tale of the historical figures Leung Jan, Leung Yee-tai and Wong Wah-bo. Leung Yee-tai was a master of Shaolin pole fighting and Wong Wah-bo was a master of Wing Chun fist fighting. The pair taught one another their respective techniques and Wing Chun kung fu was adapted to include the pole skill. Leung Jan was a herbalist and kung fu enthusiast from a wealthy family, and "The Prodigal Son" deals with his training in the adapted Wing Chun style by Leung Yee-tai.It was also released under the alternative title "Pull No Punches"

Plot

Leung Jan (Yuen Biao) is a keen martial arts enthusiast, practising under several masters and fighting opponents whenever he could. Having won many fights, he has gained the nickname of "The Street Brawler of Foshan" (or "Kung Fu King" in the dubbed version).Under orders from his family, and without Jan's knowledge, his servant Yee Tong Choi (Chan Lung) has been paying off opponents to lose to him, as they don't want their son to be seriously injured. His martial arts teachers have been pretending to teach Jan, and taking payment from his family, but in truth Leung is incompetent at kung fu and any real fighter could easily defeat him. Behind his back, his nickname is "The Prodigal Son".

One night, three of Jan's friends invite him to see a performance by the "Lok Fung Lin" Chinese Opera troupe. Jan refuses so his friends attend without him. One of Jan's friends takes an interest in the leading actress and tries to persuade her to see him. When she refuses, Jan's friend becomes more adamant, forcing the actress to defend herself. A fight ensues, ending with the three men beaten, one with his face painted like a clown. They learn that the "actress" is not a woman at all, but is the martial arts master Leung Yee-tai (Lam Ching Ying).

Later, after his friend is humiliated by a member of the troupe, Leung Jan attempts to bribe Leung Yee-tai to lose in a rematch. Yee-tai refuses to be bribed and confronts Jan with the truth about the sham of his martial arts teaching. Yee-tai quickly defeats Jan with his mastery of Wing Chun. Jan, angry at being deceived, asks Leung Yee-tai to teach him Wing Chun, but he refuses. Jan, unperturbed, asks his father to buy the Lok Fung Lin troupe, and gives him a job as an extra and Yee-tai's personal valet.

Leung Jan travels with the Lok Fung Lin troupe to Canton, insisting on staying with Yee-tai until he agrees to teach him kung fu. Whilst there, their paths cross with that of Lord Ngai Fai (Frankie Chan), the son of a Manchu duke, who is also a skilled practitioner of martial arts, seeking a worthy opponent.

One of the troupe, who plays the silent General Kwan Gong (God of War) on stage, has seduced a married woman, and is now being hunted by the husband. The actor absconds, so Jan fills in for him. That night, the enraged husband heads to the opera with a mob to find the man who seduced his wife. He knows the actor played Kwan Gong and mistakenly confronts Jan. However, Jan is unable to explain due to an opera taboo concerning the character of the General, and so is attacked by the mob. The fight moves from backstage and interrupts the performance forcing Yee-tai to join in, driving the mob back and allowing Jan to escape.

Witnessing Yee-tai's skills, Ngai Fai invites the troupe to a banquet and challenges Yee-tai to a fight. Yee-tai humbly refuses, but eventually finds himself in a duel with Ngai. However, the fight causes Yee-tai to have an asthma attack. Ngai forfeits the fight and promises to fight Yee-tai again in the future. It turns out that, like Leung Jan, Lord Ngai Fai is also a "prodigal son" - unbeknownst to him, his father has ordered his bodyguards to protect him from danger. Unlike the bribes issued by Jan's parents, Ngai's bodyguards are ordered to kill anyone who might be able to defeat him.

During the night, Ngai's bodyguards and a group of hired killers descend on the Lok Fung Lin theatre and proceed to assassinate the troupe inside. Yee-tai, still recuperating from his asthma attack, is woken when he sees the reflection from a blade about to kill him. He manages to fight his way out with the help of Jan. The two survivors retreat to Yee-tai's home, Yee-tai still suffering from his asthma, and Leung Jan having sustained a broken arm. Whilst there, the pair meet Wong Wah-bo (Sammo Hung), Yee-tai's martial brother. Wah-bo wishes to forgo kung fu and live as a scholar. However, the meeting stirs up an old rivalry between Yee-tai and Wah-bo, and each tries to convince Jan that he is more skilled than the other.

After being taught fake kung fu techniques by Wah-bo, Jan again asks Yee-tai to teach him. Yee-tai responds by saying how difficult it is to learn Wing Chun, and that Jan will probably misuse it, make enemies, and even get killed. Jan eventually convinces Yee-tai, arguing that kung fu would be lost if all masters thought like he did. After training him the form, techniques and movements of Wing Chun, Yee-tai admits that Wah-bo is better than him, and persuades his martial brother to also teach Leung Jan. Wah-bo teaches Jan to fight ruthlessly and the physics of Wing Chun. Jan quickly becomes proficient in the art, but Yee-tai's asthma is becoming worse.

Jan and Yee-tai return to Foshan to see a doctor. Ngai Fai is also in Foshan, and learns of the local hero, Leung Jan, and that he is the pupil of his former adversary Leung Yee-tai. When Ngai finds Yee-tai, he attempts to challenge him again, but Ngai's bodyguards kill Yee-tai in front of him, and to his horror, they reveal that they had also killed the Lok Fung Lin troupe. In response, Ngai has his bodyguards executed.

Yee-tai had warned Leung Jan not to fight Ngai, as injuring or killing a Manchu lord could lead to severe retaliation against his family. However, during Yee-tai's funeral, Jan challenges Ngai regardless. Ngai accepts the challenge and during the duel, both fighters battle ruthlessly, but Jan eventually defeats Ngai.

Cast

* Yuen Biao - Leung Jan
* Lam Ching Ying - Leung Yee-tai
* Sammo Hung - Wong Wah-bo
* Cheung Ging Boh - Opera troupe manager
* Frankie Chan - Lord Ngai Fai
* Chung Fat - Ngai's Servant
* Dick Wei - Ngai's Servant
* James Tien - Ngai's Street Opponent
* Chan Lung - Yee Tong-Choi
* Ho Wai-Lan - Chan Yan-hau
* Lee Hoi San - Teacher
* Wei Pai - Au Ru-Kwai
* Wu Ma - Iron Palm
* Chan Hei
* Frankie Chin
* Chin Yuet Sang
* Lam Jing
* Lee Fung
* Lee Man Tai
* Ting Yue
* Wang Hsieh

Awards & nominations

* 1983 Hong Kong Film Awards
** Won: Best Action Coreography (Sammo Hung, Yuen Biao, Lam Ching-Ying, Billy Chan)
** Nominated: Best Director (Sammo Hung)
** Nominated: Best Picture

External links

* [http://www.hkcinemagic.com/en/movie.asp?id=111 "The Prodigal Son"] at Hong Kong Cinemagic