Bodyguards and Assassins

Bodyguards and Assassins
Traditional	十月圍城
Simplified	十月围城
Mandarin	Shí Yuè Wéi Chéng
Cantonese	Sap6 Jyut6 Wai4 Sing4
Directed by	Teddy Chan
Produced by	Peter Chan Huang Jianxin
Written by	Chun Tin-nam James Yuen Chan Wai Guo Junli Wu Bing Joyce Chan
Starring	Donnie Yen Wang Xueqi Tony Leung Ka-fai Nicholas Tse Hu Jun Eric Tsang Li Yuchun Simon Yam Fan Bingbing Zhou Yun Mengke Bateer Wang Po-chieh Leon Lai
Music by	Chan Kwong-wing Peter Kam
Cinematography	Arthur Wong Peter Ngor Lai Yiu-fai Liu Aidong Yeung Jan-yiu
Edited by	Derek Hui Wong Hoi
Production company	We Pictures Cinema Popular Polybona Films
Distributed by	We Distributions China Film Group
Release date	18 December 2009 (2009-12-18)
Running time	138 minutes
Country	Hong Kong China
Language	Cantonese Mandarin English
Budget	US$23 million[1]
Box office	US$5,837,674 (excluding China)[2]

Bodyguards and Assassins is a 2009 Hong Kong historical action film directed by Teddy Chan, featuring an all-star cast, including Donnie Yen, Wang Xueqi, Tony Leung Ka-fai, Nicholas Tse, Hu Jun, Eric Tsang, Simon Yam, Fan Bingbing, Zhou Yun and Leon Lai.

Plot

In 1905, Sun Wen intends to go abroad to Hong Kong, then a British colony, to discuss his plans with fellow Tongmenghui members to overthrow the corrupt and crumbling Qing dynasty in China. Empress Dowager Cixi sends a group of assassins, led by Yan Xiaoguo, to kill Sun. Revolutionary Chen Shaobai arrives in Hong Kong a few days before Sun's arrival, to meet Li Yutang, a businessman who provides financial aid for the revolutionaries. As Sun Wen's arrival day draws near, trouble begins brewing in Hong Kong as Chen Shaobai's acquaintances are murdered and Chen himself is kidnapped by the assassins during a raid. Li Yutang decides to officially declare his support for the revolutionaries after the newspaper agency is closed by the British authorities, who do not interfere in China's political situation. Li rallies a group of men, including rickshaw pullers, hawkers and a beggar, to serve as bodyguards for Sun Wen when he arrives. Li's son, Chongguang, is chosen to act as a decoy for Sun Wen to divert the assassins away while Sun attends the meeting and leaves Hong Kong safely.

Cast

Most of the characters are fictional; however, some, including Sun Wen, Chen Shaobai and Yeung Ku-wan, are based on real historical figures.

Main cast

• Donnie Yen as Shen Chongyang (沈重陽), a policeman addicted to gambling. He is eager to do anything for money but decides to join the bodyguards after Yueru persuades him to do so. He engages Yan Xiaoguo's henchman in a vicious fight and defeats his opponent eventually but is gravely wounded. He sacrifices himself to disable Yan's horse.
• Zhang Hanyu as Sun Wen (孫文), leader of the revolutionaries. He arrives in Hong Kong for a secret meeting with fellow Tongmenghui members to discuss their plans for revolution.
• Tony Leung Ka-fai as Chen Shaobai (陳少白), the chief editor of China Daily in Hong Kong. He is kidnapped by the assassins during a raid but manages to escape and rejoin his comrades. He pulls the rickshaw for the decoy Sun Wen in the final scene after Si dies.
• Wang Xueqi as Li Yutang (李玉堂), a businessman and old friend of Chen Shaobai. He initially provides only financial support for the revolutionaries but decides to openly declare his support after being strongly influenced by them. He rallies a group of bodyguards to protect Sun Wen.
• Fan Bingbing as Yueru (月茹), Li Yutang's fourth wife and Shen Chongyang's ex-wife. She has a daughter with Shen, and the child was raised as Li's.
• Wang Po-chieh as Li Chongguang (李重光), Li Yutang's 17-year-old only son. He goes against his father's will to show his fervent support for the revolution. He sacrifices himself to protect Sun Wen by acting as a decoy to divert the assassins.
• Leon Lai as Liu Yubai (劉郁白), a beggar who comes from a rich family. He is highly skilled in martial arts and fights with an iron fan. He is killed by Yan Xiaoguo while holding off the assassins alone at the residence of Sun Wen's mother.
• Nicholas Tse as Deng Sidi / "Si" (鄧四弟 / 阿四), a rickshaw puller who serves the Li family faithfully. He pulls the rickshaw carrying the decoy Sun Wen and brings his friends along to help. He sacrifices himself to buy time for the decoy to escape.
• Simon Yam as Fang Tian (方天), a former general living in exile in Hong Kong. He and his men disguise themselves as an opera troupe. He is killed when the assassins raid the theatre.
• Li Yuchun as Fang Hong (方紅), Fang Tian's daughter. She knows martial arts and decides to join the bodyguards after her father is murdered. She is killed while preventing the assassins from using explosives to destroy the convoy.
• Mengke Bateer as Wang Fuming (王復明), an outcast monk from the Southern Shaolin Monastery who became a stinky tofu vendor. He seeks redemption in order to return to his former monastery. He has a gigantic build and possesses immense strength. He is apparently killed after being stabbed numerous times by the assassins but reappears one last time to destroy a structure to block the assassins' path.
• Eric Tsang as Smith (史密夫), the police chief. He is initially unwilling to help the bodyguards due to orders from his British superiors but later eventually leads his men to protect the convoy, from assassin marksmen, for part of their journey.
• Hu Jun as Yan Xiaoguo (閻孝國), the massive leader of the assassins, formerly a student of Chen Shaobai. He is fiercely loyal to the Qing government, and fears the chaos that would ensue following a revolution. He manages to kill the decoy Sun Wen before being fatally shot by Chen.
• Zhou Yun as Chun (阿純), Si's fiancée
• Lü Zhong as Madame Yang (楊氏), Sun Wen's mother
• Jacky Cheung (special appearance) as Yeung Ku-wan (楊衢雲), a pro-democracy English teacher and President of the revolutionary Furen Literary Society. His death in the film's prologue marks the first political assassination in Hong Kong.
• Michelle Reis (special appearance) as Liu Yubai's lover
• John Shum as Zhang Dayou (張大友), a photographer. He is Chun's father.
• Cung Le as Sa Zhenchan (薩鎮山), a Qing assassin who was later killed by Shen Chongyang in a fight.
• Philip Ng as Bai Que (白缺), a Qing assassin.
• Xing Yu as Hei Man (黑滿), a Qing assassin.
• Dennis To as Nie Zhongqing (聶忠清), a Qing assassin.

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Accolades

See also

• List of Hong Kong films of 2009

References

External links

• Official website
• Bodyguards and Assassins on IMDb