The Last Tycoon (2012 film)

Plot

The story begins in the 1910s in early Republican China. Cheng Daqi, a young fruit vendor from Chuansha, is arrested and imprisoned after being framed for murder. He is saved by Mao Zai, an agent working for the secret police. He travels to Shanghai in search of a new life. In Shanghai, he meets Hong Shouting, a mob boss, and becomes one of Hong's apprentices. He also falls in love with Bao, a singer whom he eventually marries. His true love, however, is actually Ye Zhiqiu, an opera actress from his hometown. At one point, Hong unknowingly offends the son of a general and is captured by the general's men. Cheng negotiates with the general and succeeds in making a deal with him to release Hong and invest in their bank. Hong feels so grateful to Cheng that he becomes sworn brothers with him.

Some 20 years later, a middle-aged Cheng has become an influential tycoon and mob boss in Shanghai. He maintains close ties with Hong and Hong's wife, Ling Husheng. At the same time, he has a shaky relationship with Mao Zai, who is now a high-ranking officer in the National Revolutionary Army. He meets his old flame, Ye Zhiqiu, when she visits Shanghai, but she is already married to Cheng Zhaimei, a member of an underground resistance movement. They are caught up in the events of the Second Sino-Japanese War, which breaks out in 1937. Mao arranges for Cheng, Ye and her husband to escape to Hong Kong in the midst of the Battle of Shanghai, but keeps Bao as a hostage with him. After the fall of Shanghai, Mao defects to the Japanese and becomes a provincial governor. The Japanese general Nishino intends to make Cheng the puppet mayor of Shanghai, so Mao suggests to him to keep Cheng's loved ones alive and use them to lure Cheng back to Shanghai.

Cheng returns to Shanghai and reluctantly cooperates with the Japanese. He makes secret plans with Ye Zhiqiu to save their loved ones and allies, and assassinate Nishino. One evening, while Nishino and Mao Zai are distracted by an opera performance in a theatre, Cheng and his men break into the prison to rescue Hong Shouting, Ling Husheng and the others. After returning to the theatre, Cheng and his comrades attack the Japanese and kill Nishino. Mao manages to flee to the backstage, where he holds Ye hostage at gunpoint and threatens to kill her if Cheng does not put down his pistol. Just then, Bao shows up and saves Ye from Mao, but dies in the process. The furious Cheng vents his anger on Mao by shooting him repeatedly. Cheng carries Bao's body and walks out of the theatre, only to find themselves surrounded by Japanese soldiers. They take shelter inside a car and die together when the soldiers unleash a volley of gunfire on them.

Release

The film was shown at the 2013 Hong Kong International Film Festival.

Music

The film's music was composed by Chan Kwong-wing. The theme song, Ding Feng Bo (定風波), was composed by Leon Ko and sung in Mandarin by Jacky Cheung, with its lyrics written by Chris Shum. Ding Feng Bo won the Best Original Song at the 32nd Hong Kong Film Awards.

Yi Sheng Shou Hou (一生守候), another song from the film, was performed by Joanna Wang.

Reception

The Last Tycoon earned HK$5,787,307 at the Hong Kong box office and has grossed ¥126 million in mainland China as of 6 January 2013.

Awards and nominations