Ringo Lam

Ringo Lam Ling-Tung
Born	(1955-12-08) 8 December 1955 British Hong Kong
Died	29 December 2018(2018-12-29) (aged 63) Hong Kong
Occupation(s)	Film director, producer, screenwriter, actor
Years active	1976–2018
Known for	City on Fire, Prison on Fire, On Fire series

Ringo Lam Ling-Tung (, born 8 December 1955 – passed away 29 December 2018) was a distinguished Hong Kong filmmaker, recognized as a director, producer, and screenwriter, particularly for his contributions to action and crime cinema during the Hong Kong New Wave era. A significant portion of his filmography falls within the heroic bloodshed genre. Throughout his career, he earned six nominations at the Hong Kong Film Awards, securing the Best Director accolade for his 1987 motion picture City on Fire. This movie initiated a series of dark, socially reflective films about Hong Kong, collectively known as the "On Fire" cycle.

Among his prominent works are Aces Go Places IV (1986), Prison on Fire (1987), Undeclared War (1990), Twin Dragons (1992, co-directed with Tsui Hark), and Full Contact (1992). Many of these films featured actor Chow Yun-fat. Starting in 1996, Lam expanded his directorial ventures to the United States with Maximum Risk, starring Jean-Claude Van Damme, followed by two additional American productions up until 2003.

In 2016, Lam was honored with the Hong Kong Film Critics Society Award for Best Director for Wild City, marking his return to filmmaking after an eight-year hiatus. His last project, a segment in the anthology film Septet: The Story of Hong Kong, premiered posthumously in 2020.

Early life and background

Born in British Hong Kong on December 8, 1955, Lam began his journey in the entertainment industry by joining the TVB Actors Training Program in 1973. It was there that he met future collaborator Chow Yun-fat, with both completing the program in 1974. After taking on several acting assignments, Lam pursued film studies at York University in Toronto, Canada. He returned to Hong Kong in 1981 to continue his career.

1980s

The first four films Lam directed were not penned by him. He assumed directing duties on Esprit d'amour after about one-third had been completed by Po-Chih Leong, brought in by producer Karl Maka as a budget-friendly replacement. Lam received sole director credit when the film debuted on December 15, 1983, in Hong Kong. His subsequent project, The Other Side of Gentleman, premiered on June 28, 1984, followed by the romantic comedy Cupid One in 1985. Although Cupid One earned HK$6.38 million at the box office, this was less than Lam’s prior two films which each surpassed HK$10 million. He then directed Aces Go Places IV, the fourth installment of a successful franchise, as a favor to Karl Maka; this film grossed HK$27 million locally.

Following the success of Aces Go Places IV, Maka granted Lam greater creative autonomy. In 1987, Lam released two films including the inaugural entry of his On Fire series: City on Fire, a gangster drama influenced by A Better Tomorrow. Released on February 13, 1987, it earned HK$19.7 million and brought Lam the Best Director award at the Hong Kong Film Awards. That same year he directed Prison on Fire, which was scripted within nine days and shot over a span of twenty.

In 1988, both Lam and Maka appeared briefly as actors in The Eighth Happiness. Lam continued expanding the On Fire series with School on Fire, released August 20, 1988; this film encountered censorship challenges in both Hong Kong and Taiwan. His last film of that decade was Wild Search (1989), which achieved HK$15.9 million at the Hong Kong box office.

1990s

Lam's initial film of the 1990s was Undeclared War (1990), which featured an international ensemble including Olivia Hussey and Danny Lee. It earned HK$5.5 million in the Hong Kong market, a figure lower than his earlier productions. In 1991, Lam directed the comedy Touch and Go, starring Sammo Hung, which was a commissioned project that saw reduced box office success. Later that same year, Prison on Fire II achieved notable commercial success, generating HK$24.4 million locally.

Collaborating with Tsui Hark, Lam co-directed Twin Dragons, primarily overseeing the action sequences and making a brief appearance as a mechanic. His 1992 release Full Contact garnered HK$16.8 million at the box office. Subsequently, Lam transitioned to period dramas with Burning Paradise, focusing on the folk hero Fong Sai-yuk, though it did not meet commercial expectations.

In 1995, Lam helmed the period action movie The Adventurers, featuring Andy Lau. Filming took place partly in the Philippines and the United States, and it accumulated HK$14.8 million in Hong Kong revenue.

Lam made his Hollywood debut in 1996 directing Maximum Risk starring Jean-Claude Van Damme, which achieved moderate box office results. Upon returning to Hong Kong, he directed Full Alert with a budget of $13 million; this film was showcased at the Rotterdam and Berlin film festivals and received accolades for best film and best actor from the Hong Kong Film Critics Society Awards.

In 1998, Lam followed up with The Suspect, filmed in the Philippines, although it earned approximately HK$10 million less than Full Alert. Though initially slated to direct the Hollywood movie Simon Sez, Lam ultimately took on only a producer role. He then directed the Hong Kong supernatural thriller Victim, notable for its theatrical release featuring alternate endings regarding whether the protagonist was possessed.

21st century

Lam's second American production, Replicant, debuted in 2001 and was released theatrically in France but went direct-to-video in the U.S. In 2003, he directed both the Hong Kong film Looking for Mister Perfect and the American direct-to-video title In Hell, each starring Jean-Claude Van Damme. After Finding Mr. Perfect failed to perform well commercially, Lam stepped away from filmmaking, expressing dissatisfaction with Hong Kong's production climate and wishing to dedicate more time to family while exploring new creative ideas.

In 2007, Lam co-directed a segment of the anthology film Triangle alongside Tsui Hark and Johnnie To. The film screened out of competition at the Cannes Film Festival, representing Lam's ambivalent feelings toward filmmaking as both a passion and challenge.

Returning to directing in 2014 with backing from Mei Ah Entertainment, Lam cast prominent actors Daniel Wu and Shawn Yue. Production commenced in June 2014 on Wild City, marking his first full-length feature in over ten years. He remarked that his current focus was on creating films for personal artistic expression rather than financial returns. In 2015, he was honored with a Lifetime Achievement Award at the New York Asian Film Festival.

Lam’s final work, Sky on Fire (2016), completed his critically acclaimed "On Fire" trilogy. He passed away on 29 December 2018 at age 63 in his home in Hong Kong. At that time, he was involved in "Eight and a Half," a collaborative project with Milkyway Image alongside directors Ann Hui, John Woo, Tsui Hark, Patrick Tam, Johnnie To, Sammo Hung, and Yuen Woo-Ping, each contributing segments reflecting Hong Kong’s history. Following John Woo’s departure, the project was renamed Septet: The Story of Hong Kong and slated for release at the 2020 Cannes Film Festival. The film had its premiere at the Busan International Film Festival on 21 October 2020.

Style

Ringo Lam's initial ventures into filmmaking were comedic works that he did not script himself. Following the popularity of Aces Go Places IV, he initiated the On Fire collection, opting for English titles that evoke dynamism and intensity. While City on Fire, Prison on Fire, and School on Fire do not share characters or storylines, each offers a stark examination of Hong Kong's societal challenges, highlighting problems such as urban violence and institutional mistreatment within the contexts of streets, prisons, and educational institutions.

In his soundtracks, Lam seldom incorporated Cantopop, instead preferring Western musical influences like the blues-infused saxophone arrangements featured in City on Fire and American rock elements present in Full Contact.

Filmography

Film projects involving Ringo Lam, including his roles

Year	Title	Director	Writer	Producer	Actor	Himself	Other	Ref(s)
1976	You Are Wonderful				yes
1983	Esprit d'amour	yes
1984	The Other Side of Gentleman	yes
1985	Cupid One	yes	yes
1986	Aces Go Places IV	yes
1986	The Thirty Million Rush					Stunt director
1987	City on Fire	yes	yes	yes
1987	Prison on Fire	yes		yes
1988	The Eighth Happiness			yes	yes
1988	School on Fire	yes		yes
1989	Wild Search	yes		yes
1990	Undeclared War	yes		yes
1990	Rebel from China		yes			style="text-align:center;" |
1991	Touch and Go	yes	| | | style="text-align:center;" |
1991	Prison on Fire II	yes	| | | style="text-align:center;" |
1992	Twin Dragons	yes	yes | | | style="text-align:center;" |
1992	Full Contact	yes	yes | | | style="text-align:center;" |
1994	Burning Paradise	yes	| | | style="text-align:center;" |
1995	The Adventurers	yes	yes	| | style="text-align:center;" |
1996	Maximum Risk	yes	| | | style="text-align:center;" |
1997	Full Alert	yes	yes	| | style="text-align:center;" |
1998	The Suspect	yes	yes	| | style="text-align:center;" |
1999	Victim	yes	yes	| | style="text-align:center;" |
1999	Simon Sez	yes | | | | style="text-align:center;" |
2001	Replicant	yes	| | | style="text-align:center;" |
2003	Looking for Mister Perfect	yes	yes	| style="text-align:center;" |
2003	In Hell	yes	| | | style="text-align:center;" |
2007	Triangle	yes	yes	| style="text-align:center;" |
2011	Tarantino: The Disciple of Hong Kong			yes | style="text-align:center;" |
2015	Wild City	yes	yes	| style="text-align:center;" |
2016	Sky on Fire			| style="text-align:center;" |
2020	Septet: The Story of Hong Kong	yes	yes	Posthumous release | %} See also Cinema of Hong Kong Bibliography External links