A Better Tomorrow (英雄本色; 1986), filmed and produced in Hong Kong, was voted the second best Chinese film ever made by the Hong Kong Film Awards Association in 2005.
A Better Tomorrow (Chinese: 英雄本色; Jyutping: Jing1 hung4 bun2 sik1; literally: 'True Colors of a Hero') is a 1986 Hong Kong action film directed by John Woo, and starring Ti Lung, Leslie Cheung and Chow Yun-fat. The film had a profound influence on the Hong Kong film industry, and later on an international scale. It was a landmark film, credited with setting the template for the heroic bloodshed genre, which was considerably influential in Hong Kong action cinema, and later Hollywood.
Although it was produced with a tight budget, and was relatively unknown until it went on screen (due to virtually no advertising), it broke Hong Kong's box office record and went on to become a blockbuster in Asia. It is highly regarded, ranking #2 in the Best 100 Chinese Motion Pictures. Its success also ensured the sequel A Better Tomorrow II, also directed by Woo, and A Better Tomorrow 3: Love & Death in Saigon, a prequel directed by Tsui Hark.
Although Ti Lung was the film's lead actor, co-star Chow Yun-fat's breakout performance outshone him, solidifying the latter's status as one of the top superstars in the Hong Kong film industry. Chow's character "Mark Gor" was imitated by many fans even decades after the film's release.