Throw Down (film)

Throw Down
Directed by Johnnie To
Produced by
Written by
Starring
Music by Peter Kam
Cinematography
Edited by David Richardson
Production
company
Distributed by China Star Entertainment Group
Release date
  • 15 July 2004 (2004-07-15)
Running time
 95 minutes
Country Hong Kong
Language Cantonese
Box office US$1.05 million (HK)[1]

Throw Down (traditional Chinese: 柔道龍虎榜; simplified Chinese: 柔道龙虎榜) is a 2004 Hong Kong martial arts film directed by Johnnie To and starring Louis Koo, Aaron Kwok, Cherrie Ying and Tony Leung Ka-fai. The film was one of To's most personal to date; he dedicated it to the late Japanese filmmaker Akira Kurosawa and, in making it, had drawn upon elements of Kurosawa's debut feature, Sanshiro Sugata. Throw Down had its premiere at the 61st Venice International Film Festival.[2]

Plot

Karaoke manager and band leader Sze-to Bo (Louis Koo) was a judo expert and former champion who gave up judo a few years ago for unknown reasons and became depressed and an alcoholic. Current judo champion Tony (Aaron Kwok), a competitive fighter, admires Bo and challenges him to a duel. Bo's longtime rival, Lee Ah-kong (Tony Leung), also arrives to challenge Bo for an old unfinished competition. Bo's mentor, Cheng (Lo Hoi-pang), is old and frail and has a dementia ridden son, Ching (Calvin Choi). Wanting to save his judo dojo, which have become a depressing ruins, Cheng also asks his disciple to help him to restore the reputation of his dojo. Mona (Cherrie Ying) is a girl from Taiwan who dreams to become a singer, but was nearly forced into prostitution by her evil manager. She seeks refuge in Bo's karaoke, but thugs manage to chase her there. At this time, Bo can no longer keep his secret and reveals the true reason he gave up judo: he had developed an incurable retinal disease and his vision is gradually declining and currently only having one tenth of his vision left. When Master Cheng dies for his ideals battling on the judo stage and Bo's eyes are nearly becoming blind, Bo's heart is suddenly able to see clearly and his fighting spirit reignites. Bo is determined to defeat all his opponents before seeing the last line of light.

Cast

Notes

  1. ↑ http://boxofficemojo.com/movies/intl/?page=&wk=2004W28&id=_fYAUDOHLUNGFUBONG01
  2. ↑ Michael Ingham Johnnie To Kei-Fung's PTU 2009 - - Page 68 "Like To's follow-up film Throw Down, PTU has a strongly pictorial quality, which reveals the director's acute sense of ... Both films on the large screen were coincidentally beautiful to look at, but of course one's expectations of a Hong Kong film"
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