Have you ever bravely stood up against fate in the lows of life? The protagonist of this story, Johnnie To, a poor boy from Kowloon City in Hong Kong, how did he turn his destiny around from a novice messenger to become an internationally renowned film director? He once strayed off the path, with “The Big Heat” being his breakthrough work, and with his recent film “Three Stories,” what emotions does it hide?
Johnnie To was born in Hong Kong in 1955, born into poverty and lived in the Kowloon Walled City. This experience became the important foundation for his later creative work and outlook on life. In an interview, he recalled witnessing social injustice in his childhood and aspiring to see a hero stand up, which led him to love watching hero movies and consequently aspire to create such works himself.
At the age of seven or eight, Johnnie To moved to Mong Kok, where he would wait for his parents to finish work at the “Eastern Music Theatre” every day after school. Unable to afford tickets, he would sneak behind the screen to watch movies. The special effects of his favorite film, “Buddha’s Palm,” fascinated him and ignited the spark of his dream of making movies.
At the age of 17, Johnnie To dropped out of school and faced a life choice. He considered becoming a police officer, working at the telephone company, or playing soccer, but ultimately chose to become a messenger at TVB. Through a series of coincidences, he joined the 4th batch of artist training class in 1974.
Although he enrolled in the acting class, he never thought of becoming an actor, always aspiring to work behind the scenes. He especially thanked Chung King-fai for accepting him in a special way, which allowed him to embark on the path of creation.
During the day delivering letters and studying at night, he also participated in small roles in “Legendary Fok” after graduation. With the guidance of Kam Kwok-leung, Wong Tin-lam, Lau Chung-yam, he gradually rose to become a director. In 1980, he directed his first film “The Enigmatic Case,” with a strong cast, but he felt he was not yet ready to be a director and returned to TVB to hone his skills.
Speaking of TV works, his favorite was “Revolving Doors,” a drama series that got abruptly cut. This work allowed him to experience the importance of the script for the first time and cultivated his perseverance in film and television creation.
After six years of TV training, Johnnie To returned to the big screen in 1986 with the film “Happy Ghost,” officially making his comeback. In 1989, with “All About Ah Long,” he made a name for himself, resulting in Chow Yun-fat winning the Best Actor award and his first nomination for Best Director at the Hong Kong Film Awards.
In 1996, he co-founded Milkyway Image with screenwriter Wai Ka-fai, producing works such as “Expect the Unexpected,” “The Longest Nite,” and “The Mission,” attempting to redefine the style of Hong Kong cinema. However, “Expect the Unexpected” did poorly at the box office, only grossing 3.15 million. Johnnie To admitted that it was an exploration of style, symbolizing the beginning of a new era for Milkyway Image.
Despite facing failures, he continued to insist on creating. In 1999, he won the Hong Kong Film Award and Taiwan’s Golden Horse Award for Best Director with “The Mission.”
The creation of “The Mission” was almost a do-or-die situation. At a time when Hong Kong cinema was in decline, Johnnie To couldn’t find investors and had to borrow 2.5 million Hong Kong dollars from a Taiwanese friend, Jeff Lau. He said, “I started filming the day after receiving the money, even without a script, shooting everything like building blocks. In 19 days, it was all done. “Ultimately, “The Mission” became a classic in Hong Kong action cinema.
During filming, to save costs, every bullet had to be carefully considered. The most famous scene was the Tsuen Wan Plaza gunfight scene, lasting five minutes with a steady pace, breaking away from the traditional fast-paced explosive style, becoming a highlight that movie fans still rave about.
In 2000, Johnnie To filmed the romantic comedy “Needing You,” which faced criticism for deviating from the Milkyway Image style. He responded, “If the market doesn’t accept it, you have to change, or else no producer will hire me.” He believed he was always a director, needing to satisfy himself while also considering reality.
“Needing You” was well-received, proving that even with a transition, he could maintain his unique style. Subsequent romance films like “Love for All Seasons,” “Don’t Go Breaking My Heart,” “Life Without Principle” were all beloved by audiences and became classics.
In 2005, Johnnie To became the chairman of the Film and Media Arts Group of the Arts Development Council and launched the “Fresh Wave” International Short Film Festival to support a new generation of filmmakers. Many emerging directors such as Wong Ching-lam (“The Defected”), Tony Chiu (“Teenager’s Diary”), Derek Hui (“The Sinking City”), Lam Sum (“End of the Road”) have emerged from Fresh Wave.
With dwindling resources for Hong Kong films in recent years, short films have often had screenings canceled, and government funding has been discontinued. He still insists, “Movies are not just entertainment, they are of great significance. When authoritarianism suppresses freedom, movies are often the first target. People all over the world who pursue freedom should support movies because they give you a voice.”
At the age of 69, Johnnie To, after a 37-year break from TV dramas, returned as a producer with the new series “Three Lives.” He admitted that returning to television was just to give young people more opportunities, allowing them to gain practical experience and prevent talent from leaving. In line with the concept of “Fresh Wave,” he is willing to give up overseas opportunities, choosing to stay in Hong Kong for his creations, simply because he understands Hong Kong and loves Hong Kong.