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GOD
OF GAMBLERS
AKA:
Du Shen
Year:
1989 Reviewer: Scott
Napier
For
Hong Kong movie enthusiasts who haven't watched this movie,
put this one on your order list right away as this super
classic flick consisting of a rich HK cast will leave you with
a smile on your face from beginning to end! Especially those
who get a nostalgia touch now and then!
As
many of you will know, 'God of Gamblers' is probably one of
the most famous movies to come out of Hong Kong and has never
had the real proper treatment it deserves (especially to
Western viewers) to which I shall explain later on.
The
'God of Gamblers' series has spun quite a number of official
(and the 'occasional' unofficial) sequels directed by Wong
(and Jeff Lau in 'All
for the Winner'). In particular, 'Do Sing' (Saint of
Gamblers) character originally started by HK comedy maestro
Stephen Chow followed on to a new leaf and gradually, the
whole concept faded away which was to be expected anyway and
to-date, the last related sequel (rather prequel!) is the much
later; 'God
of Gamblers 3 - The Early Stage' starring Leon Lai and
Gigi Leung.
Wong's
infamous quirky humour is thankfully tolerable here. One thing
viewers may find upsetting is portrayal of Chow's mentally
disabled character. To me, it's meant to be unintentionally
offensive thanks to professional acting. Also, the English
subtitles on most versions available will leave most
bewildered as to what's going on. Fortunately, it is a relatively
simple non-complex story to follow so there shouldn't be too
many problems.
As
a wealthy figure in his very triad-like lifestyle, Ko Chun
(Chow) has secured his status and gained his respect by those
he shares his professionalism with in gambling. Simultaneously
touring around the world to defend his unscathed title,
another challenge is brought on by a Japanese gambler (Chuen)
who secretly pre-arranges this competition in order to test
his skill and ask if Ko Chun will assist him with his current
affairs and vendetta against another professional gambler;
Chan Kam Sing (Baau). Chan is wanted by many countries for his
unlawful crimes and cannot be arrested due to his status.
This
Japanese gambler: now the owner of a gambling club passed on
to him by his father who was cheated by Chan and felt so
dishonoured, he committed suicide to erase his shame. Now, he
would like to take revenge for his father into his own hands
and in secret due to the now-friendly connection between the
two clubs.
In
a rather like-father like-son method, this determined figure
unwisely chooses to use reverse psychology through attempted
suicide enabling a quick decision for Ko Chun, he accepts on
the condition of wanting to help a friend. In the process of
diverting a situation with one defeated opponent wanting his
loss returned, Ko Chun becomes a victim
of a cruel trap set up by Knife (Lau) actually aimed at an
irritating Indian landowner living nearby and as a result;
suffers from amnesia and mental instability. Determined not be
charged by the law of attempted-manslaughter, he is taken in
to his home with the help of his girlfriend Jane (Joey Wong).
These
newcomers of Ko Chun are totally unaware of any history but
discover he has a unique talent for gambling. Whilst taking
this advantage of using him to win games repetitively (the
determined Knife in particular), trouble will start to spring
when various gangs start chasing after him...
Wong
followed his father's (Wong Tin Lam) footsteps in film making
and began his career writing scripts in 1978 and then directed
his debut film, 'Challenge of the Gamesters' starring fan
favourites Patrick Tse and Chen Kuan Tai, for the legendary
Shaw Brothers. He usually employs a lot of comedy and action
in his movies and for most of them, viewers worldwide will
translate it well.
Viewers
aware of Wong's infamous style of filmmaking may indeed want
to turn their backs on this film. It has been widely argued
for years that Wong is often accused of being the 'Master of
quick cash-in rip-off movies'. At the same time, he invented a
new genre to HK cinema, especially with these gambling films
and not to mention some of the wonderful scripts he has
written for Kung Fu flicks! That's right folks! If it weren't
for him, we would not have 'Magnificent
Butcher' or 'Prodigal
Son' and the likes today!
So
far, I've yet to see a Wong Jing directed movie that
disappoints me.
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