Flaming Brothers
Ah Tien: Chow Yun-Fat
Alan: Alan Tang
Ka Hsi: Pat Ha
IMDb link: http://us.imdb.com/Title?0093305
other links:
Version reviewed: DVD
Ratings:
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DVD Audio: 5 of 10
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DVD Video: 5 of 10
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Subtitles: 4 of 10
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Story: 4 of 10
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Performances: 7 of 10
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CYF: 8 of 10
Alan Tang (Alan) and Chow Yun-Fat (Ah Tien) play two men who grew up together
as street urchins on Macao. When they were boys, Ah Tien was caught
stealing rice from the kitchen of the local orphanage by the girl Ka
Hsi; instead of reporting him, she hid the theft from the
Sisters and started smuggling food to him and the other street kids
until she was adopted and left Macao for Hong Kong. Even as a young boy,
Ah Tien loved Ka Hsi as much for her kindness as her food and was hurt deeply
when she departed.
Younger, less experienced or fierce than the older boy Alan, Ah Tien
is taken under Alan's wing. Together they become pickpockets and
learn to survive as petty thieves in the streets of Macao. One
day they witness a local "Boss" extracting tribute from the same
bullying adults who had recently terrorized the two little pickpockets,
and the two boys made a vow that they would one day be in that position of
power.
Fast forward to late 1970's Macao, where Alan and Ah Tien are now
successful underworld figures on a small scale. The film begins in
earnest at the opening of their nightclub,
and
here we learn the dynamics
of their business and of their personalities.
Alan and Ah Tien are now as close as blood brothers, Alan as the Boss
and Ah Tien as his second in command; they deal in illegal weapons,
gambling and prostitution but according to Alan's principles they
do not touch drugs. (Think of the speech of Don Corleone to the
assembled Dons in "The Godfather".)
Because they are young and successful, they attract the ire of an
older established Boss and the double-crossing begins. On a fateful
trip to Thailand wheels are set in motion which will change the
lives and loves of the two brothers.
The character of Alan is one of a man who is deeply devoted to the
younger Ah Tien, and prizes him above all others. Alan is fierce,
arrogant and cock-sure yet there is an underlying current of
vulnerability about him which he tries desperately to hide. When he
meets Jenny the cocktail lounge singer, he loves her for
her rough bravado - she is his twin, a tough woman who deep inside
is hiding a wealth of emotion. She is crass (dressed in her huge
cow-print fur coat she looks like a walking ad for Gateway
Computers) and has a big mouth. Alan says she is "bitchy, but I
like that in a woman". After a humiliation at his hands in front of
two Thai prostitutes, Jenny seems to have found the man who can tame
her and joyfully comes home to Macao with Alan when he leaves
Thailand.
In the meanwhile, Ah Tien has been ambling about on Macao in his usual
amiable way. Ah Tien is young, handsome and obviously a protégé of
Alan only out of loyalty; his humor and carefree manner seem to
mask all kinds of insecurities, and his baby face (even though
CYF was 32 when the film was made, he looks 10 years younger) seems
to be better suited to expressing genial good humor than hate and
anger - unless he witnesses any slight to Alan, at which he explodes
in rage.
A chance encounter (so often important in the course of HK film
romance) connects him with Ka Hsi again, now back on Macao
and teaching at the convent where she grew up, and where Ah Tien's
godson is attending school. At first afraid to tell her who he is,
Ah Tien romances Ka Hsi and falls in love with her; after having
received his life-long wish to see her again, he never wants to be
parted from her. She seems to hold for him the possibility of
redemption for his former life of crime as much as being his dream
woman; Ah Tien's affection for Ka Hsi is kind and gentle and seems
pale in comparison to his fierce love for his brother Alan. Yet he
is willing to forego his place in Alan's underworld in order to
marry the righteous Ka Hsi, who will only marry him if he gives up
all of his illegal activities.
When confronted with the possibility
of losing his beloved lieutenant, Alan demands that Ah Tien
choose between Ka Hsi and himself, and though torn by the choice
Ah Tien says he cannot live without Ka Hsi and leaves Alan's house and
life with regret.
Upon the separation of ways of Alan and Ah Tien there are a few
references by other characters to the sexuality of Alan and Ah Tien;
Jenny, who is told that she will always come second to Ah Tien, spits
out that Alan can "just go be gay" with Ah Tien. Later one of Alan's
henchmen says that Alan should not grieve so openly at his quarrel
and parting with Ah Tien, or people will "make fun of them as
homosexual". We are left with the clear impression that their love
for one another goes beyond brotherly bounds (as they are not blood
brothers, but by bond of affection); this explains the jealous rage
of Alan upon being rejected by Ah Tien for Ka Hsi, and also of Ah Tien's
decision at the end of the film to face death with Alan rather than
continue to live with Ka Hsi.
Because of the subplots of the emotional dynamics of Alan, Ah Tien and
the two women in their lives, this film is taken above the usual
action shoot-'em-up and begins to land in solid territory. Without
the tension between Alan and Ah Tien the ending would have been
sterile, but as it is their final words are poignant and touching.
Jenny, the bad girl who will do anything once, is an interesting
character which of the two women is fleshed out a bit more and
gives some interest to the story, whereas Ka Hsi as the woman of God
seems to be bloodless; we can see why in the end Ah Tien realized that
his path lay with Alan and not her.
There is the usual amount of violence in this film, nothing which
will be shocking to those to have seen a goodly amount of HK action
films. There is one *very* funny scene in which CYF dresses up in
makeup drag and does a sort of Boy George impression, leading a
karaoke to some Cantonese pop song about being a bad girl last
night.
While the action story is very formulaic, the talents of Alan Tang
and CYF make the romantic subplots interesting and well worth
watching. Alan Tang was considered one of the handsomest leading
men in his day, with a very stylized appearance and method of
acting. CYF, with an acting style as sheer as that of Catherine
Deneuve, is more informal and relaxed. This is a happy combination
for this film about two men who are essentially different but who
choose to conform to a standard out of love and loyalty.
This is an interesting film, and has more levels than might
be apparent at first glance. The romantic elements are quite
well done - as long as you are not bothered
by the gay undertones. For my money, this makes the performances
all the more interesting. A good choice of earlier CYF flicks, even
though he is not cast in the leading role.
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