Zen and Sense in King Hu's Films

Film Screenings


The Teahouse

Dir: Kuei Chih-hung
Scr: Szeto On
Prod: Run-me Shaw
Prod Co.: Shaw Brothers
Cast: Chan Koon-tai, Karen Yeh, Liu Wu-chi, Tung Lin, Huang Kin-lung (aka Bruce Le)
1974 / Colour / D Beta / Mandarin / Chi & Eng subtitles / 96min

Wang Cheng (Chan Koon-tai) is a decent man who runs a humble eatery in a crime-ridden community. Initially, Wang simply wanted to stand up for his bullied employees and customers. However, his heroic acts would cause the neighborhood crime lords to mistaken Wang as the leader of an emerging gang, sparking a messy gang war. Thanks to the well-drawn characters and its vivid depiction of outcasts in a rapidly modernising society, this gangster drama – followed by sequel Big Brother Cheng - remains one of director’s Kuei Chih-hung’s most acclaimed films.

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29/3 (Sat) 7:00pm Cinema, Hong Kong Film Archive  

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