Review: a Classic Tale of the Gamble—‘God of Gamblers,’ 1989

Cinema is something which connects us to the world. One of the best elements about it is that it diversifies from country to county. The result of it we see in the form of craft it offers. One of the significant Asian industries is in Hong Kong; it has a higher degree of economic and political freedom than mainland China and Taiwan. The result leads to contributions to the establishment of genuinely unique concepts. 

One of them was subject-focusing gambling, which has an inherent drama because, by contrast, they’re about to endanger. It’s not exciting to see someone be prudent and cautious, but to see someone putting all on the line in a desperate, absurd hope for that jackpot.

 Asian films have their own legacy, which evolve with time, but they still are considered suitable for their thriller, martial art action flicks; but the movie that was a game-changer for the new Hong Kong era films was the 1989 picture “God of Gamblers.”

The first movie in a series, “God of Gamblers” is written and directed by Wong Jing, a second collaboration with actor Chow Yun-Fat. It’s one of the highest-grossing movies of the year, which put a new mark of cinema subjecting gambling.

The story is about Ko Chun (Chow Yun-Fat), a predominant of gambling games. His remarkable aptitude makes him stand out, along with his almost miraculous skills concerning his expertise to count cards and to hear dice rolls. He travels across the world, accepting challenges and wining, which has earned him the title “God of Gamblers” among people.

A Japanese gambler invites him to play opposite a gangster and a renowned gambler named Chan, even though Ko was caught in a trap right before the game— his head got hit, and it was set by street punk Knife (Andy Lau). Later, when he regains consciousness, his adult maturity turns into a 10-year old child mindset. Knife is a hopeful guy with a wish to own a house someday with his girlfriend Jane (Joey Wong). He gambles to earn a living and finance his dreams—and they take care of Ko.

Soon they get to know that despite having a mindset of a 10-year-old, Ko still has fantastic skills with gambling, which they use to make money; meanwhile, Ko is a wanted man who is chased by a group of gangsters who want him dead. Soon, his new crew gets to know who he is, and he regains the memory of his true self and goes to finish the ultimate gamble of his life. 

It’s a real boom of gambling movies hitting the screen back in the ‘80s/‘90s. Director Wong Jing, who has an impressive list of movies to his credit, is often criticized for his filmmaking style; undoubtedly he combines drama, comedy, and action, and the results add up to his preeminent contributions. The gambling scenes are fairly assorted in terms of the games on offer, with baccarat, dice games, and mahjong all making a showing. One of the critical aspects is the game of poker when the movie comes into its own. Rather than taking the typical set technique of immersing us in the actuality of the game, Jing makes gambling into an urban-fantasy sparring match.

One of the most stand-out scenes from the film is the opening sequence, which starts with Ko entering into the game with excellent background music—and the way he plays the game gives us a great kickstart on his character and the skills that have made him the god of gamblers.

Most of the gambling scenes play out floaty, as they are not just about the competition, but about the mise-en-scène of these subterranean pitches. The shots are visually agile and at the same time adequately exciting. It also has intricately choreographed fights.

The cast is followed by dream-team Chow Yun-Fat and Andy Lau in action. It’s not an action flick, which is what one mostly expects from Chow. Speaking of the acting, lead actor Chow plays two distinctive personalities; at the beginning he plays the role of smart, charismatic, and calculating master of a gambling, who intimidated the contender with a gaze, complete with his look of classy suits and slicked-back hair. On the other hand, he plays a weepy guy with the brain of a 10-year-old who just wants chocolate. And Lau, who plays Knife, puts marked effort into playing a selfish good-for-nothing, and later, a hopeful man with a dream. The supporting cast also does a stable job throughout.

“God of Gamblers” has it all. There is action, comedy, drama, and suspense, combing all elements well. It is a true genre-defining classic with excellent performances from the star cast. If you have not seen this movie, it’s highly recommended. It’s a gem of a movie, and a classic tale of gamble.