A Better Tomorrow III: Love and Death in Saigon

Saturday, August 16 - Thursday, August 21, 2025

SHOWTIMES AT IFC CENTER

“Tsui Hark took over the reins completely for the final installment of the series, which was shot on location in Saigon, and which, in its feminism, departs radically from Woo’s approach to storytelling. In this prequel to Part I, set in 1974, a young Mark Gor tries to help his father and best friend escape from Vietnam. Mark, not yet the tough guy, meets up with femme fatale Anita Mui, who teaches him how to shoot a gun, among other things. The movie’s sense of desperatation was undoubtedly heightened by the Tiananmen Square Massacre, which occured just before the start of production.” – Fredric Dannen, Hong Kong Babylon: An Insider’s Guide to the Hollywood of the East

“In the end, it all comes down to Anita Mui, who gives a wondrously iconic performance that’s Bogart and Jeanne Moreau rolled into a single trenchcoated figure.” – Howard Hampton

Screening as part of our Hong Kong Cinema Classics series

See more and save! Get a Hong Kong Cinema Classics 3-Ticket Pack ($30 for IFC Center members and $45 for non-members). Ticket packs are good for any 3 shows in the retrospective.

  • Country Hong Kong
  • Language Cantonese and Vietnamese with English subtitles, English
  • Year 1989
  • Running Time 119 minutes
  • Format DCP
  • Distributor Shout! Studios
  • Director Tsui Hark
  • Cast Chow Yun-fat, Anita Mui, Tony Leung
  • Accessibility Assistive Listening, T-Coil

IFC Center does not generally provide advisories about subject matter or potentially triggering content in films, as sensitivities vary from person to person. In addition to the synopses, trailers and other links on our website, further information about content and age-appropriateness for specific films can be found on Common Sense Media, IMDb and DoesTheDogDie.com as well as through general internet searches.