Prodigal Son (film)

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Prodigal Son
The Prodigal Son UK DVD cover
Directed by	Sammo Hung
Starring	Yuen Biao Lam Ching Ying
Release date(s)	1982
Country	Hong Kong
Language	Cantonese
IMDb profile

Prodigal Son (Chinese title: Bai ga jai) is a 1982 Hong Kong action comedy film directed by Sammo Hung in 1982. The film details the tale of Leung Chang, the son of a rich man who is an enthusiant about kung fu, and his training in Wing Chun by the master Leung Yee-tai.

[edit] Cast Includes

Yuen Biao - Leung Jan
Lam Ching Ying - Leung Yee-tai
Sammo Hung - Wong Wah-bo
Frankie Chan - Ngai Fai

[edit] Plot Summary

Leung Chang (Yuen Biao) comes from a wealthy family, and is a keen martial arts enthusiast, practising under several masters and fighting opponents whenever he could. He had never been defeated, having won many fights, and thus gained the nickname of "The Street Brawler of Fut Shan" (English dub: "Kung Fu King").

However, it is all a lie: Chang's family, not wanting to see him get seriously hurt, has his servant Yee Tong Choi pay off opponents to lose to him. His martial arts teachers live off his family in exchange for "teaching" Chang kung fu, which is so incompetent and useless that any real fighter can easily defeat him. Because of this, he is known behind his back as the "Prodigal Son" of the film's title.

After one of his friends is humiliated by a member of the Lok Fung Lin Chinese Opera troupe who he didn't realise was a man and tried to take out, Chang confronts the singer. However, the singer, Leung Yee-tai (Lam Ching Ying), refuses to be bribed to lose, and confronts Chang with the truth about the sham of his martial arts teaching. Yee-tai goes on to easily defeat Chang with his mastery of Wing Chun.

Chang, angry at being decieved, decides to ask Yee-tai to teach him Wing Chun. However, Yee-tai refuses to teach him. Chang, unperturbed, asks his father to buy the Lok Fung Lin troupe, and gives him a job as an extra in the troupe and Yee-tai's personal valet.

Chang travels with Lok Fung Lin to Canton, insisting on staying with Yee-tai until he teaches him kung fu. Whilst there, their paths cross with that of Ngai Fai (Frankie Chan), the son of a Manchu duke, who is also a skilled practitioner of martial arts. When Chang, filling in as Kwan Gong, is attacked by a gang of thugs headed by the city commissioner (cuckolded by the usual Kwan Gong), Yee-tai easily defeats the thugs in front of Ngai.

Ngai invites the troupe to a banquet, in order to challenge Yee-tai to a fight. While Yee-tai tries to refuse and act humble, he eventually finds himself in a duel with Ngai. However, the fight causes him to have an asthma attack. As a result, Ngai forfeits the fight and promises to fight Yee-tai again in the future.

However, it turns out that, like Chang, Ngai is also a prodigal son, being sheltered unknowingly by his father: his bodyguards have been given the royal order by his father to protect him from danger. Instead of bribes however, Ngai's bodyguards are ordered to kill anyone who might be able to defeat him.

During the night, Ngai's bodyguards and a group of hired killers descend on the Lok Fung Lin troupe's theatre and proceed to assassinate the entire troupe inside. Yee-tai manages to fight his way out, with the help of Chang, who was outside the theatre at the time. Wounded but alive, the two lone survivors retreat to Yee-tai's home.

Whilst there, the two meet Wong Wah-bo (Sammo Hung), Yee-tai's martial arts school brother, who is trying to forgo kung fu and live as a scholar. Yee-tai and Chang's return unveil the brothers' animosities, as the two constantly try and one up the other through Chang.

Eventually, Chang convinces Yee-tai to teach him Wing Chun, by telling him that kung fu would be lost if all masters thought like he did. Yee-tai teaches Chang the form and movements and spars with him and Wah-bo teaches Chang to to fight ruthlessly and the physics of Wing Chun. Chang quickly becomes proficient in Wing Chun thanks to the two kung fu brothers, but when Yee-tai's asthma leaves him bed-ridden, Chang and Yee-tai return to Fut Shan to see a doctor.

But Ngai is also in Fut Shan, and finds out that Chang is opening a kung fu school. Ngai finds Chang with Yee-tai and attempts to challenge him again. But Ngai's bodyguards kill Yee-tai in front of Ngai, and reveal that they had killed the Lok Fung Lin troupe to his horror. Ngai in response, has his bodyguards executed.

During Yee-tai's funeral, Chang challenges Ngai to a duel as a martial artist, despite his master's warnings not to, as injuring or killing a Manchu lord could lead to his whole family being killed in retaliation. Regardless, Ngai accepts his challenge. In the duel, Chang and Ngai both battle ruthlessly. Eventually, Chang manages to defeat Ngai and comes out victorious. As Chang leaves, Ngai calls out to Chang, "Leung Chang! Well done!" Leung Chang thinks in response "I don't need your praise" and leaves without saying a word as the film ends.