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[td]Some authors have discussed the film's usage of [[melodrama]], and how Western audiences have perceived its portrayal of brotherhood as [[Homoeroticism|homoerotic]].{{Sfn|Williams|1995|p=48}}{{Sfn|Reynaud|2000|p=62}} According to Julian Stringer, unlike American cinema's separation of films into male "doing" genres (like action) and female "suffering" genres (like melodrama), Woo produced male melodramas where men both perform violence and suffer from intense emotional loss.{{Sfn|Stringer|1997|pp=29β30}} Woo avoids the fetishistic display of physically sculpted bodies prevalent in 1980s American action films, instead showcasing male emotional vulnerability that is portrayed as passionate gazes between men. Stringer argues that this depiction of male bonding through violence and suffering is not homosexual, as it represses sexuality instead of foregrounding it.{{Sfn|Stringer|1997|p=32}} Fang said that the level of intimacy shown in Ho's post-prison reunion with Mark is polar opposite to American action films, where such feelings are only reserved for when a character is about to die.{{Sfn|Fang|2004|p=24}} Jillian Sandell wrote that these homoerotic moments underscore the "importance of male friendship within the code of honour in which they believe", as Ho and Mark are able to form an emotional bond that is "emotionally and materially fulfilling" despite their circumstances.{{Sfn|Sandell|2001a}} Michael Koven believed that interpreting Woo's gangster films as homoerotic misreads how the Hong Kong audience sees the male relationships.{{Sfn|Koven|1997|p=55}} Woo agrees with this sentiment, stating, "In my culture there is no hiding. If we need to cry, we cry. If you need to hug someone you do it whether they are your lover or your friend."{{Sfn|Fang|2004|p=124}}[/td] [td]=== Societal change ===[/td]
[td]=== Societal change ===[/td] [td]''A Better Tomorrow'' has been interpreted as commentary on the struggles Confucian traditions face in a rapidly changing environment. Woo was partially driven to direct the film out of concern that traditional values in Hong Kong society were being eroded by modernisation.{{Sfn|Woo|2014|p=145}}{{Sfn|Fang|2004|p=10}} According to Kelso-March, the film portrays "conditions of capitalist modernity" found in Hong Kong at the time, such as the spread of organised crime and financial uncertainty.{{Sfn|Kelso-March|2020|p=57}}[/td]
[td]''A Better Tomorrow'' has been interpreted as commentary on the struggles Confucian traditions face in a rapidly changing environment. Woo was partially driven to direct the film out of concern that traditional values in Hong Kong society were being eroded by modernisation.{{Sfn|Woo|2014|p=145}}{{Sfn|Fang|2004|p=10}} According to Kelso-March, the film portrays "conditions of capitalist modernity" found in Hong Kong at the time, such as the spread of organised crime and financial uncertainty.{{Sfn|Kelso-March|2020|p=57}} The heroes in Woo's films like ''A Better Tomorrow'' operate under an anachronistic moral code in an environment dominated by people willing to abandon the code in order to financially and socially prosper.{{Sfn|Stokes|Hoover|1999|pp=41β42}}[/td] [td][/td]
[td][/td] [td]Jillian Sandell describes the three protagonists as "loner heroes" who become marginalised from their respective institutions. Kit's policeman career is stalled by his brother's criminal affiliations, and the lives of Ho and Mark spiral downward after being betrayed by their Triad associate. Ho tries to legitimise himself by joining a taxi company run by ex-convicts, but he fails to "live outside the institutions available within Hong Kong capitalism" when the Triad destroy the company.{{Sfn|Sandell|2001a}} Sandell says that Mark represents the "supreme loner" whose lack of affiliation with an organizationβlegal or otherwiseβmeans he has to die. However, Mark does not die from his wounds, but rather from exhaustion, as his kind of heroism is a "throwback to China's past with no place in contemporary Hong Kong".{{Sfn|Sandell|2001a}}[/td]
[td]Jillian Sandell describes the three protagonists as "loner heroes" who become marginalised from their respective institutions. Kit's policeman career is stalled by his brother's criminal affiliations, and the lives of Ho and Mark spiral downward after being betrayed by their Triad associate. Ho tries to legitimise himself by joining a taxi company run by ex-convicts, but he fails to "live outside the institutions available within Hong Kong capitalism" when the Triad destroy the company.{{Sfn|Sandell|2001a}} Sandell says that Mark represents the "supreme loner" whose lack of affiliation with an organizationβlegal or otherwiseβmeans he has to die. However, Mark does not die from his wounds, but rather from exhaustion, as his kind of heroism is a "throwback to China's past with no place in contemporary Hong Kong".{{Sfn|Sandell|2001a}}[/td] [td]All three protagonists, described by Jillian Sandell as "loner heroes", become marginalised from their respective organisations. Kit is hampered in his policeman career by his brother's ties to organised crime. Ho and Mark, initially a successful counterfeiting duo, are betrayed by their Triad associate and sent into downward trajectories in their lives. Ho tries to legitimise himself by joining a taxi company run by ex-convicts, but he fails to "live outside the institutions available within Hong Kong capitalism" when the Triad destroy the company.{{Sfn|Sandell|2001a}} According to Sandell, Mark represents the "supreme loner" whose lack of affiliation with an organizationβlegal or otherwiseβmeans he has to die. Sandell asserts that he dies not from his wounds, but rather from exhaustion, as his kind of heroism is a "throwback to China's past with no place in contemporary Hong Kong".{{Sfn|Sandell|2001a}}[/td]
[td]All three protagonists, described by Jillian Sandell as "loner heroes", become marginalised from their respective organisations. Kit is hampered in his policeman career by his brother's ties to organised crime. Ho and Mark, initially a successful counterfeiting duo, are betrayed by their Triad associate and sent into downward trajectories in their lives. Ho tries to legitimise himself by joining a taxi company run by ex-convicts, but he fails to "live outside the institutions available within Hong Kong capitalism" when the Triad destroy the company.{{Sfn|Sandell|2001a}} According to Sandell, Mark represents the "supreme loner" whose lack of affiliation with an organizationβlegal or otherwiseβmeans he has to die. Sandell asserts that he dies not from his wounds, but rather from exhaustion, as his kind of heroism is a "throwback to China's past with no place in contemporary Hong Kong".{{Sfn|Sandell|2001a}}[/td] [td][/td]
[td][/td] [td]Tony Williams also notes the influence of [[Yakuza film|yakuza films]] on many of Woo's films including ''A Better Tomorrow'', as both "deal with similar conflicts involving ancient loyalty and modern values".{{Sfn|Williams|1997|p=139}} The heroes in Woo's films operate under an anachronistic moral code in an environment dominated by people willing to abandon the code in order to financially and socially prosper.{{Sfn|Stokes|Hoover|1999|pp=41β42}}[/td]
[td]Tony Williams also notes the influence of [[Yakuza film|yakuza films]] on many of Woo's films including ''A Better Tomorrow'', as both "deal with similar conflicts involving ancient loyalty and modern values".{{Sfn|Williams|1997|p=139}}[/td] [td][/td]
[td][/td] [td]Karen Fang asserts that Shing's ability to use money and power to escape consequence highlights the "degradation of justice in modern society."{{Sfn|Fang|2004|p=30}}[/td]
[td]Karen Fang asserts that Shing's ability to use money and power to escape consequence highlights the "degradation of justice in modern society."{{Sfn|Fang|2004|p=30}}[/td]
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[td]Some authors have discussed the film's usage of [[melodrama]], and how Western audiences have perceived its portrayal of brotherhood as [[Homoeroticism|homoerotic]].{{Sfn|Williams|1995|p=48}}{{Sfn|Reynaud|2000|p=62}} According to Julian Stringer, unlike American cinema's separation of films into male "doing" genres (like action) and female "suffering" genres (like melodrama), Woo produced male melodramas where men both perform violence and suffer from intense emotional loss.{{Sfn|Stringer|1997|pp=29β30}} Woo avoids the fetishistic display of physically sculpted bodies prevalent in 1980s American action films, instead showcasing male emotional vulnerability that is portrayed as passionate gazes between men. Stringer argues that this depiction of male bonding through violence and suffering is not homosexual, as it represses sexuality instead of foregrounding it.{{Sfn|Stringer|1997|p=32}} Fang said that the level of intimacy shown in Ho's post-prison reunion with Mark is polar opposite to American action films, where such feelings are only reserved for when a character is about to die.{{Sfn|Fang|2004|p=24}} Jillian Sandell wrote that these homoerotic moments underscore the "importance of male friendship within the code of honour in which they believe", as Ho and Mark are able to form an emotional bond that is "emotionally and materially fulfilling" despite their circumstances.{{Sfn|Sandell|2001a}} Michael Koven believed that interpreting Woo's gangster films as homoerotic misreads how the Hong Kong audience sees the male relationships.{{Sfn|Koven|1997|p=55}} Woo agrees with this sentiment, stating, "In my culture there is no hiding. If we need to cry, we cry. If you need to hug someone you do it whether they are your lover or your friend."{{Sfn|Fang|2004|p=124}}[/td]Revision as of 23:37, 4 September 2025
[/td][td]Some authors have discussed the film's usage of [[melodrama]], and how Western audiences have perceived its portrayal of brotherhood as [[Homoeroticism|homoerotic]].{{Sfn|Williams|1995|p=48}}{{Sfn|Reynaud|2000|p=62}} According to Julian Stringer, unlike American cinema's separation of films into male "doing" genres (like action) and female "suffering" genres (like melodrama), Woo produced male melodramas where men both perform violence and suffer from intense emotional loss.{{Sfn|Stringer|1997|pp=29β30}} Woo avoids the fetishistic display of physically sculpted bodies prevalent in 1980s American action films, instead showcasing male emotional vulnerability that is portrayed as passionate gazes between men. Stringer argues that this depiction of male bonding through violence and suffering is not homosexual, as it represses sexuality instead of foregrounding it.{{Sfn|Stringer|1997|p=32}} Fang said that the level of intimacy shown in Ho's post-prison reunion with Mark is polar opposite to American action films, where such feelings are only reserved for when a character is about to die.{{Sfn|Fang|2004|p=24}} Jillian Sandell wrote that these homoerotic moments underscore the "importance of male friendship within the code of honour in which they believe", as Ho and Mark are able to form an emotional bond that is "emotionally and materially fulfilling" despite their circumstances.{{Sfn|Sandell|2001a}} Michael Koven believed that interpreting Woo's gangster films as homoerotic misreads how the Hong Kong audience sees the male relationships.{{Sfn|Koven|1997|p=55}} Woo agrees with this sentiment, stating, "In my culture there is no hiding. If we need to cry, we cry. If you need to hug someone you do it whether they are your lover or your friend."{{Sfn|Fang|2004|p=124}}[/td] [td]=== Societal change ===[/td]
[td]=== Societal change ===[/td] [td]''A Better Tomorrow'' has been interpreted as commentary on the struggles Confucian traditions face in a rapidly changing environment. Woo was partially driven to direct the film out of concern that traditional values in Hong Kong society were being eroded by modernisation.{{Sfn|Woo|2014|p=145}}{{Sfn|Fang|2004|p=10}} According to Kelso-March, the film portrays "conditions of capitalist modernity" found in Hong Kong at the time, such as the spread of organised crime and financial uncertainty.{{Sfn|Kelso-March|2020|p=57}}[/td]
[td]''A Better Tomorrow'' has been interpreted as commentary on the struggles Confucian traditions face in a rapidly changing environment. Woo was partially driven to direct the film out of concern that traditional values in Hong Kong society were being eroded by modernisation.{{Sfn|Woo|2014|p=145}}{{Sfn|Fang|2004|p=10}} According to Kelso-March, the film portrays "conditions of capitalist modernity" found in Hong Kong at the time, such as the spread of organised crime and financial uncertainty.{{Sfn|Kelso-March|2020|p=57}} The heroes in Woo's films like ''A Better Tomorrow'' operate under an anachronistic moral code in an environment dominated by people willing to abandon the code in order to financially and socially prosper.{{Sfn|Stokes|Hoover|1999|pp=41β42}}[/td] [td][/td]
[td][/td] [td]Jillian Sandell describes the three protagonists as "loner heroes" who become marginalised from their respective institutions. Kit's policeman career is stalled by his brother's criminal affiliations, and the lives of Ho and Mark spiral downward after being betrayed by their Triad associate. Ho tries to legitimise himself by joining a taxi company run by ex-convicts, but he fails to "live outside the institutions available within Hong Kong capitalism" when the Triad destroy the company.{{Sfn|Sandell|2001a}} Sandell says that Mark represents the "supreme loner" whose lack of affiliation with an organizationβlegal or otherwiseβmeans he has to die. However, Mark does not die from his wounds, but rather from exhaustion, as his kind of heroism is a "throwback to China's past with no place in contemporary Hong Kong".{{Sfn|Sandell|2001a}}[/td]
[td]Jillian Sandell describes the three protagonists as "loner heroes" who become marginalised from their respective institutions. Kit's policeman career is stalled by his brother's criminal affiliations, and the lives of Ho and Mark spiral downward after being betrayed by their Triad associate. Ho tries to legitimise himself by joining a taxi company run by ex-convicts, but he fails to "live outside the institutions available within Hong Kong capitalism" when the Triad destroy the company.{{Sfn|Sandell|2001a}} Sandell says that Mark represents the "supreme loner" whose lack of affiliation with an organizationβlegal or otherwiseβmeans he has to die. However, Mark does not die from his wounds, but rather from exhaustion, as his kind of heroism is a "throwback to China's past with no place in contemporary Hong Kong".{{Sfn|Sandell|2001a}}[/td] [td]All three protagonists, described by Jillian Sandell as "loner heroes", become marginalised from their respective organisations. Kit is hampered in his policeman career by his brother's ties to organised crime. Ho and Mark, initially a successful counterfeiting duo, are betrayed by their Triad associate and sent into downward trajectories in their lives. Ho tries to legitimise himself by joining a taxi company run by ex-convicts, but he fails to "live outside the institutions available within Hong Kong capitalism" when the Triad destroy the company.{{Sfn|Sandell|2001a}} According to Sandell, Mark represents the "supreme loner" whose lack of affiliation with an organizationβlegal or otherwiseβmeans he has to die. Sandell asserts that he dies not from his wounds, but rather from exhaustion, as his kind of heroism is a "throwback to China's past with no place in contemporary Hong Kong".{{Sfn|Sandell|2001a}}[/td]
[td]All three protagonists, described by Jillian Sandell as "loner heroes", become marginalised from their respective organisations. Kit is hampered in his policeman career by his brother's ties to organised crime. Ho and Mark, initially a successful counterfeiting duo, are betrayed by their Triad associate and sent into downward trajectories in their lives. Ho tries to legitimise himself by joining a taxi company run by ex-convicts, but he fails to "live outside the institutions available within Hong Kong capitalism" when the Triad destroy the company.{{Sfn|Sandell|2001a}} According to Sandell, Mark represents the "supreme loner" whose lack of affiliation with an organizationβlegal or otherwiseβmeans he has to die. Sandell asserts that he dies not from his wounds, but rather from exhaustion, as his kind of heroism is a "throwback to China's past with no place in contemporary Hong Kong".{{Sfn|Sandell|2001a}}[/td] [td][/td]
[td][/td] [td]Tony Williams also notes the influence of [[Yakuza film|yakuza films]] on many of Woo's films including ''A Better Tomorrow'', as both "deal with similar conflicts involving ancient loyalty and modern values".{{Sfn|Williams|1997|p=139}} The heroes in Woo's films operate under an anachronistic moral code in an environment dominated by people willing to abandon the code in order to financially and socially prosper.{{Sfn|Stokes|Hoover|1999|pp=41β42}}[/td]
[td]Tony Williams also notes the influence of [[Yakuza film|yakuza films]] on many of Woo's films including ''A Better Tomorrow'', as both "deal with similar conflicts involving ancient loyalty and modern values".{{Sfn|Williams|1997|p=139}}[/td] [td][/td]
[td][/td] [td]Karen Fang asserts that Shing's ability to use money and power to escape consequence highlights the "degradation of justice in modern society."{{Sfn|Fang|2004|p=30}}[/td]
[td]Karen Fang asserts that Shing's ability to use money and power to escape consequence highlights the "degradation of justice in modern society."{{Sfn|Fang|2004|p=30}}[/td]
Continue reading...
