MovieChat Forums > Dip huet gai tau (1990) Discussion > Alternate Boardroom ending?

Alternate Boardroom ending?

posted 17 years ago by spruce_lees
14 replies | jump to latest

Can anyone tell me about thealternate ending? What was different in the boardroom?

*SPOILER* Basically Tony walks in with Jacky's skull just like the previous ending except Tony pulls out a gun, pulls Waise Lee's coat over his head and puts one in him. The screen turns black and we here a gunshot and a blood splatter. The end.

"Because anything else would be uncivilized."
-Hulk Hogan, Right Guard commercial

[–] spruce_lees 17 years ago

That ending is much better! IMO it fits the last half of the film's mood much better. Is this Woo's preferred ending though? I remember reading somewhere that his preferred ending did not make it passed the cutting room.

The last scene (Car chase and fire) alone is vintage Woo exploitation but it seemed like it didnt really fit the last half of the film. It might have been good as a finisher for Hard Boiled, or a Better Tommorow

[–] Dangerous_Lee_Handsome 17 years ago

I too prefer the boardroom ending. With so much action throughtout the film already, I felt the car chase wasn't necessary. I'm not sure if this is Woo's preferred ending however I have heard that it is the original ending before Woo decided to add the car chase ending. Perhaps after finishing the final cut, he felt the finale needed a bigger BANG.

"Because anything else would be uncivilized."
-Hulk Hogan, Right Guard commercial

[–] 17 years ago

[deleted]

[–] hkauteur 17 years ago

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cve921wgtq8&mode=related&search=

[–] lonchaney20 17 years ago

While the boardroom ending is quieter and perhaps more contemplative, I felt the theatrical ending was more tragic and resonant. A perfect ending would've been one which combined the two somehow....

Overall I prefer the theatrical ending myself, but I agree the car chase was slightly inappropriate. I'd say Tony Leung's final cry makes up for it though.

[–] McLovin87 17 years ago

I actually think the car chase at the end tied the movie together really well. When the cars were inter-cut with them cycling in the beggining i thought was great.

[–] jnagarya-1 9 years ago

Look, the film is so nuts, so deranged, so insane, so over the top about all the way through, including the point-blank shooting in the head that doesn't happen to kill its victim, then it SHOULD have the ending that goes on and on and on and on. And on and on and on and on. And on and on and on and on. Etc.

And why not? None of those engaged in all the massive and prolonged shoot-outs EVER had to stop and reload their guns. So I think keeping the insanity consistent and coherent is essential. If ya gonna drink the Kool-Aid, ya should drink the WHOLE VAT.

[–] geskhan 17 years ago

Watch the alternate ending here :

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1PG_1n8EUQ8

[–] McLovin87 17 years ago

That is a good ending. Although I still think the other one is much better.

[–] tobiasstockinger 17 years ago

Not sure which the prefered ending is but the UK Hong Kong Legends DVD (with one of the longest prints available, of existing footage, only the infamous urine scene is missing) gives two conflicting views on which is the original.

repeatedly Bey Logan states that the boardroom was the original ending and that Woo was made to make the chase ending as a studio demand to create a more traditional action experience.

However in one of the featurettes a Hong kong film figure (I think it was someone named Patrick Leung) claims that the chase ending was the original one and that the boardroom ending was created because the chase ending dragged on for a considerable amount of time and they were already having trouble fitting the studio demanded 90-something minute runtime.

Regardless of which is the true ending I prefer the chase because it brings more of the beautiful tragedy that makes Woo films so strong with the added angst of Ah Fai's skull being lost, whilst the boardroom ending is slightly abrupt.

[–] geskhan 10 years ago

While I like the car chase ending, I would pick the boardroom ending anyday because it seems more plausible that Ben would have killed Wing then and there when he denied killing Fai.

It doesn't make a lot of sense to me for Ben after going all the way to the boardroom to confront Wing, to just pack up & leave and wait for Wing to exit to the parking lot, then make his move to avenge Fai.

[–] jnagarya-1 9 years ago

NONE of the film was plausible. So it would make no sense to add a "plausible" ending.

[–] jnagarya-1 9 years ago

Too abrupt an ending. It simply doesn't fit with the prolonged, deranged and insane lunacy that goes on and on and on and on and on and on (etc.) up to that point.