As Tears Go By (旺角卡門)

As Tears Go By (旺角卡門) (1988) ~ WKW directorial debut. Basically about a triad taiko, Ah Wah (Andy Lau) and his mah chye, Wu Ying aka Fly (Jacky Cheung) as well as his blossoming love affair with his cousin, Ah Ngor (Maggie Cheung). Loosely based on Martin Scorsese's Mean Street, Ah Wah is very protective of Wu Ying, who is brash, sort of a "loose cannon". However, his developing relationship with Ah Ngor made him realised there is more to life than just triad "live and let die" activities. Worth mentioning is Alex Man, the former TVB serials superstar turned recluse, playing Tony, the antagonist. Torn between looking after Wu Ying's welfare and beginning a new life with Ah Ngor in Macau, Ah Wah eventually made the fatal decision which costs his life. Memorable moments : When Wu Ying was brutally beaten up by a taiko for counter-swindling him at a game of pool, Ah Wah retaliated on his behalf at the steamboat restaurant. This scene is where WKW trademark manipulation of film speed where the actions were distorted and seemed to gorgeously "bleed" into one another, were first used. Also, the same technique was used, in the bloody finale, where both men went down in a hail of bullets after successfully "terminated" the target which Wu Ying foolishly undertook the contract from the triad godfather to "prove" his bravery. The part where Ah Ngor waited for Ah Wah to return in vain whilst the Cantonese version of "Take My Breath Away" was playing is heart breaking.