Triads: The Inside Story
Triads: The Inside Story is a 1989 Hong Kong crime drama film directed by Taylor Wong and starring Chow Yun-fat and Roy Cheung. Plot. Lee Man-ho (Chow Yun-fat) is the son of Uncle Kwan (Tien Feng), the leader of the Hung Hing Gang. Ho was sent to the United States during his childhood to live a stable life where he established a family. In China, Uncle Kwan is ambushed and killed during a gang fight. Ho returns to Hong Kong for his father's funeral. Upon his arrival he is elected to be  his father's successor as the leader of the Hung Hing Gang. Ho knew little to the culture of the underworld and Yeung Kong (Roy Cheung), often criticizes Ho due to this fact. Also, Kong did not get along with Tse Shing (Michael Chan), and they get into a fight during a banquet. Because of Ho, they chose to maintain the harmony of the gang. And then, all members of Hung Hing Gang became loyal to Ho because Ho was always kind to them. Later in the film, during a fight, the members of the Hung Hing gang capture Coffin  Rope (Lung Ming-yan), the head of a rival triad. Ho originally wanted to kill him but due to his lenient personality, he only shaved off his eyebrows. This gave the chance for Coffin to counterattack. First, he colludes with Boss Chow (Pau Hon-lam) and then using Kong and Shing's rivalry, he first kills Shing's family and then frames Kong, worsening the relationship within the Hung Hing gang. Finally, he put cocaine in Kong's car and informs the police. Ho decided to save Kong and finally solved the rival triad. However, the police came, and arrested  Kong. Kong commented to Ho, "You are a kind leader, but not a good triad member." At the end of the film, Ho sets fire to the Hung Hing office. Apologizing to his father and hoping that he will understand why he's done this, Ho returns to life in America. Reception. Mike Fury of Hong Kong Cinemagic gave the film a positive review praising the story being "far more dramatic and character driven rather than being reliant on overuse of action" and containing "a large number of references and cultural and historical traditions of the society, which was in  fact quite rare for a film at this time" which stands out among other films in the same genre. Fury also praised the performances of Chow Yun-fat, Shing Fui-On, Michael Chan and Roy Cheung and praises director Taylor Wong for using "a very simplistic and disconnected method of direction, which, at times, gives the film an almost documentary feel in which the camera simply rolls while men are talking in a room and the audience is virtually eavesdropping." Box office. The film grossed HK$14,038,799 at the Hong Kong box office during its theatrical run from 4 to 18  August 1989 in Hong Kong.