Hidden Man
2018 Chinese-Hong Kong film by Jiang Wen
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Hidden Man (Chinese: 邪不压正) is a 2018 action comedy film co-written and directed by Jiang Wen and starring Eddie Peng, Liao Fan, Jiang Wen, Zhou Yun, and Xu Qing.[2][3][4][5] A Chinese-Hong Kong co-production,[6] the film is an adaptation of Zhang Beihai's wuxia novel Xia Yin. After Let the Bullets Fly and Gone with the Bullets, it completes Jiang Wen's gangster Beiyang trilogy.[7][8][9] The film was released on July 13, 2018, in China. It was selected as the Chinese entry for the Best Foreign Language Film at the 91st Academy Awards, but it was not nominated.[10][11]
He Jiping
Li Fei
Sun Yue
| Hidden Man | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Theatrical release poster | |||
| Chinese name | |||
| Traditional Chinese | 邪不壓正 | ||
| Simplified Chinese | 邪不压正 | ||
| |||
| Directed by | Jiang Wen | ||
| Written by | Jiang Wen He Jiping Li Fei Sun Yue | ||
| Based on | Xia Yin by Zhang Beihai | ||
| Produced by | Zhou Yun | ||
| Starring | Eddie Peng Liao Fan Zhou Yun Xu Qing Kenya Sawada Jiang Wen | ||
| Cinematography | Xie Zhengyu | ||
| Edited by | Zhang Qi Cao Weijie Jiang Wen | ||
| Music by | Nicolas Errèra | ||
Production companies | Wuxi Zizai Film and Television Company Limited | ||
| Distributed by | Wuxi Zizai Film and Television Company Limited | ||
Release date |
| ||
Running time | 137 minutes | ||
| Countries | China Hong Kong | ||
| Language | Mandarin | ||
| Box office | US$85.2 million[1] | ||
Plot
During the Beiyang period, north of Beiping, a young martial artist named Li Tianran witnesses his senior fellow disciple, Zhu Qianlong, colluding with Japanese spy Ichiro Nemoto to massacre their master's entire family. Li narrowly escapes death and is rescued by an American doctor named Hendler. After recovering from his injuries, Li is sent to America, where he studies medicine for years while simultaneously receiving espionage training. In early 1937, Li is suddenly ordered to return to China.
On the eve of the Marco Polo Bridge incident, Beiping is a city crawling with spies from all over the world, a chaotic mix of Chinese and foreigners, rival factions, constant temptations, and lurking dangers. Driven by revenge, Li Tianran has no idea he's being pulled into a grand conspiracy, disrupting a delicate game already in motion. Lan Qingfeng, a mysterious martial artist from the former dynasty, is closely connected to Zhu Qianlong and Ichiro Nemoto. He also shares a deep brotherly bond with Hendler, but whether he is friend or foe remains a mystery.
As tensions between China and Japan escalate, power struggles intensify. Misled by lies and having missed several crucial opportunities, Li Tianran finally makes up his mind to launch a full-scale revenge mission, with the help of a tailor Guan Qiaohong, exposing the truth behind the massacre and the secrets of everyone involved.
Cast
- Eddie Peng as Li Tianran
- Liao Fan as Zhu Qianlong
- Zhou Yun as Guan Qiaohong
- Xu Qing as Tang Fengyi
- Kenya Sawada as Nemoto Ichiro
- Andy Friend as Hendler
- Jiang Wen as Lan Qingfeng
- Yuan Shanshan as Shi Jie
- Ding Jiali as Shi Mu
- Li Meng as Lan Lan
- Junichi Kajioka as Tank squad leader
- Shi Hang as Pan
Production
Wuxi Zizai Film and Television Company Limited bought the film rights to the wuxia novel Xia Yin (Chinese: 侠隐) written by Zhang Beihai.
The film became the third in a trilogy, with two prequels, Let the Bullets Fly (2010) and Gone with the Bullets (2014).[12]
Filming locations included Xi'an, Beijing, and Yunnan.[13][14][15]
American actor Kevin Spacey was supposed to appear in a scene, but this was cut after Spacey's sexual assault allegations came to light.[16]
Release
Awards and nominations
| Award | Category | Recipients | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 55th Golden Horse Awards | Best Director | Jiang Wen | Nominated |
| Best Supporting Actress | Xu Qing | Nominated | |
| Best Visual Effects | Wang Shaoshuai and Yang Yuejuan | Nominated | |
| Best Art Direction | Liu Qing | Nominated | |
| Best Makeup & Costume Design | Dong Zhongmin, Uma Wang and Zhang Shuping | Nominated | |
| Best Action Choreography | He Jun, Kenji Tanigaki and Yan Hua | Won | |
| 38th Hong Kong Film Awards | Best Film from Mainland and Taiwan | Hidden Man | Nominated |
| 13th Asian Film Awards | Best Supporting Actress | Xu Qing | Nominated |
| Best Costume Design | Dong Zhongmin, Uma Wang and Zhang Shuping | Nominated | |
| Best Visual Effects | Wang Shaoshuai and Yang Yuejuan | Nominated | |
| Best Production Design | Liu Qing | Nominated |