Hong Kong Gangster and Triad Movies

The Hong Kong Gangster Films of Simon Yam

The Hong Kong Gangster Films of Simon Yam

or.. How I Learned To Stop Worrying and Love the Mob

Few "professions" have been so shamelessly glamourized in cinema worldwide than

that of the gangster. In Hong Kong, gangster movies are ubiquitous, and Simon

Yam has made more than his fair share of them, playing a member of the underworld

in no less than 39 films.

Hong Kong cinema has long been influenced by the involvement of triads, who

have been known to produce, cast and invest in local films. Stories of stars being

pressured to participate in triad funded efforts have surfaced over the years.

Actors affected by triads include Andy Lau, Danny Lee, Jet Li, and Stephen Chow.

Chow was twice denied a Canadian visa due to his alleged and unsubstantiated ties

to triads. Even Jackie Chan was harassed by gangsters early in his career- enough

to warrant the helpful mediation of well conected kung fu star Jimmy Wang Yu.

In 2001, South China Morning Post reported that Chow Yun-Fat was photographed

at a HK function "smiling with gangland kingpin Tong Ko-Kon", a convicted drug

trafficker and money launderer. Ng Chi Hung, a former triad member turned

actor-producer, was also in the photo. Ng represents a small portion of HK movie

industry figures who have traded their real life experience in triads for show biz.

Veteran actor Chan Wai Man is the most enduring example- an admitted former

triad with the tattoos to prove it, Chan has proudly portrayed the gang lifestyle

in Hong Kong cinema for decades. His background gives his performances a

natural authenticity that is consistently marketable in a gang-obsessed movie

business.

The fascination is certainly not exclusive to Hong Kong. Bollywood has had its

own troublesome connection to gangs. Stars and directors have been faced with

threats of extortion, violence, and in some cases, death. Action star Sanjay Dutt

was tape recorded in phone conversations with a noted gangster, and Indian

filmmaker Gulshan Kumar was assassinated in 1997.

Like Bollywood, American and European cinema has a rich tradition of mob

worship. French, Japanese and U.S films have had an enormous influence on

Hong Kong's. Time and time again, HK actors and directors cite Robert DeNiro,

Al Pacino and Martin Scorcese as influences, no doubt for their portrayals of

violent mafiosa more than anything.

Some actors, like Roy Cheung and actor-producer Lee Siu Kei, specialize in triad

characters and have made themselves synonymous with such roles. Yet almost

every major actor in Hong Kong has spent some portion of their career in gang

related subject matter- including Andy Lau, Karen Mok, Ekin Cheng, Louis Koo,

Jordan Chan, Francis Ng, Lau Ching Wan, Anthony Wong, Jacky Cheung, Chow

Yun Fat, Gigi Lai and many others. Quite simply, the topic is almost inescapable.

In 1992 The U.S. Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations conducted an

extensive report on Asian gang societies. Of particular focus was Hong Kong's

largest triad, Sun Yee On, which was also said to exert control over Hong Kong

movie production. Occasional news headlines would seem to support such claims.

Uber-producer/director Wong Jing has been beaten up, and comic actor Eric Tsang

was ambushed and beaten by three triad members in 2001. The late director Lo

Wei, Chinastar president Charles Heung, and EEG president Albert Yeung are all

said to have ties with triads. In 1994 Jackie Chan led a consortium of Hong Kong's

top actors in a demonstration against the triads. A similar gathering took place in

2002 after old photos of a distressed kidnapped actress (Carina Lau), were printed

in Eastweek magazine, published by notorious EEG "businessman" Albert Yeung.

The incident is eerily reminiscent of a scenario in which Simon Yam's model

girlfriend is kidnapped and photographed in distress in the film Young and

Dangerous 3.

Simon Yam himself said cryptically in 1993: "Sometimes you don't want to do it,

but... you have to do it." Between 1994 and 1998, Yam portrayed real life

gangsters in several controversial and high profile film biographies- more than

any other Hong Kong actor.

The Tragic Fantasy: "Tiger of Wanchai"

One man whose triad lifestyle crossed over into his entertainment connections

was a race car driver whose story was loosely told in The Tragic Fantasy:

“Tiger of Wanchai" (1994).
A member of the Sun Yee On triad, he had retaliated against another triad

filmmaker for an assault on his friend, singer/actress Anita Mui in a HK nightclub.

After that man was found dead, the ‘Tiger’ became a suspect in the murder. The

following year, while competing in the Macau Grand Prix, he was ambushed

outside a hotel lobby and fatally shot. Simon Yam played him in the film, which

dramatically re-enacted the hit in bloody detail.

King of Robbery

The release of King of Robbery made headlines in 1996 when Simon played the

part of an extremely dangerous armed bank robber, whose arraignment in court

coincided with the films’ theatrical debut.

Bomb threats were made by people claiming to associated with him to various

theatres showing the movie, some of which pulled the film. The defendant’s

lawyer then got an injunction banning its release temporarily while legal

proceedings took place, though he wasn’t able to win his client’s freedom-

the guy is still in jail today.

Casino

Two years later, Simon played a convicted Macau gangster in Casino, a

controversial bio-pic produced and financed by the subject himself.

After the notorious gangster brazenly promoted the film in press interviews

including one for Time magazine, the film made international news when he was

arrested just prior to the film’s premiere.

He is now serving a fifteen year sentence in a maximum security island prison, a

far more lenient fate than what would have likely been handed down by Chinese

authorities- execution.

Operation Billionaires

Execution did, however, befall the man portrayed by Simon Yam in Operation

Billionaires (1998), who holds the world record for the biggest ransom sum ever

paid to a kidnapper- recorded for posterity by Guinness. The subject was

responsible for kidnapping and ransoming family members of some of the

wealthiest tycoons in all of Hong Kong.

The film played during the trial of he and his men, which so concerned the

Organized Crime & Triad Bureau that they demanded to view it in advance of

its premiere. After his appeal was rejected, the gang boss was promptly shot by

a firing squad, and his family was customarily billed for the cost of the bullet.

Simon Yam's Gangster Filmography

Each of the films listed below feature Simon Yam Tat Wah in a gangster / triad

role. The chronology of these movies spans 1979-2002.

Because of Lies

Burning Ambition

Casino

Cold War

Crossings

Dragon Killer

Final Romance

Final Run

Full Contact

Gun and Rose

Juliet In Love

Killer's Romance

King of Robbery

Law Don

The Legend of Speed

Love Among the Triad

Love, Guns and Glass

Man Wanted 3

The Mission

Mission of Condor

Nightclub

The Night Rider

Operation Billionaires

Partners

The Prince of Portland Street

Raped By an Angel

Return Engagement

Scarred Memory

Street Angels

The Suspect

To Be No. 1

To Where He Belongs

Tongs: A Chinatown Story

The Tragic Fantasy: "Tiger of Wanchai"

The True Hero

Twist

Young and Dangerous

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