Gambling enthusiasts will surely feel entertained when they watch “God of Gamblers” – hailed to be the best Chinese gambling movie of all time.
This 125-minute Hong Kong-made film is also known as “Du Shen,” “Dao San,” and “Dou San,” which is its original title. Jing Wong who is both the writer and the director of the movie completed making this project in the 1980s towards the culmination of that decade.That era is said to be the time when popular Hong Kong cinema reached its hyperactive apogee in both creativity and volume.Those booming years of the Hong Kong entertainment industry involved the production of myriads of commercially successful movies. As an action movie with a mixture of adventure and comedy, “God of Gamblers” was released in cinemas on December 14, 1989. Since then, it has garnered recognition and succeeding films followed it.
A quick synopsis
The story of “God of Gamblers” involves Ko Chun (played by Chow Yun-Fat) a world-renowned gambler, who possesses the extraordinary talent to win various games of chance. Much like the game baccarat, which those who learn to play baccarat realize is very much a coin-flip game. All this success in winning has earned him the monicker, “God of Gamblers.” Ko’s popular features include a slick-backed hairstyle, an appreciation of the Feodora chocolate, and his jade pinky ring. He keeps his real identity secret, avoiding getting photographed, so people do not recognize him.
After falling into a trap set up by Knife (played by Andy Lau), which causes him to receive a concussion, resulting in amnesia and a regression into a childlike state. He is taken in by Knife who unaware of his true identity names him “Chocolate” due to the man’s seemingly obsessive love for the candy. Soon he notices “Chocolate’s” innate gambling talent and begins to exploit his abilities in local poker games.
This sequence doesn’t continue for long, but it does feature many comic relief moments. The most memorable part of the movie however is the high stakes poker match at the end which includes a very complicated method of tracking cards which doesn’t go unnoticed by the renowned “God of Gamblers.”
A commercial success
As a movie set in the glamorous world of high-stakes gambling, “God of Gamblers” was a blockbuster. The movie world recorded it as the highest-grossing film in the history of Hong Kong, raking in a whopping HK$37 million. Furthermore, the hilarious and fascinating character of Chow Yun-Fat earned the veteran Hong Kong showbiz personality the Best Actor nomination in the 1990 Hong Kong Film Awards.
For 28 years, this critically acclaimed action-comedy motion picture led to independent sequels, spinoffs, prequels, and unofficial spinoffs, which include the following movies:
1) “All for the Winner” (1990)
2) “God of Gamblers 2″ (1990)
3) “God of Gamblers 3: Back to Shanghai” (1991)
4) “The Top Bet” (1991)
5) “God of Gamblers Returns” (1994)
6) “The Saint of Gamblers” (1995)
7) “God of Gamblers 3: The Early Stage” (1997)
8) “From Vegas to Macau” (2014)
9) “From Vegas to Macau 2” (2015)
10) “From Vegas to Macau 3” (2016)
“God of Gamblers” is undoubtedly the best Chinese gambling movie of all time gaining countless praises and recognitions worldwide
