Editing A Better Tomorrow (section)

== Production ==
The film is an uncredited remake of the 1967 film ''[[The Story of a Discharged Prisoner]]''.<ref>{{Cite web|date=19 August 2014|title="Burn That Film! Burn It!" Tsui Hark and Patrick Lung Kong on a Better Tomorrow|website=Filmmaker Magazine|url=https://filmmakermagazine.com/87244-burn-that-film-burn-it-tsui-hark-and-patrick-lung-kong-on-a-better-tomorrow/#.W9wSNeIRVPY|first1=Vadim|last1=Rizov|access-date=2 November 2018|archive-date=20 November 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181120031523/https://filmmakermagazine.com/87244-burn-that-film-burn-it-tsui-hark-and-patrick-lung-kong-on-a-better-tomorrow/#.W9wSNeIRVPY|url-status=live}}</ref> It was also partially inspired by ''[[The Brothers (1979 film)|The Brothers]]'', a 1979 Hong Kong crime film, plot elements of which were reimagined for ''A Better Tomorrow''.<ref name="bfi">{{cite web|date=11 July 2019|title=Heroic Bloodshed: How Hong Kong's style was swiped by Hollywood|url=https://www.bfi.org.uk/features/heroic-bloodshed-hong-kong-hollywood-cycle-influence|access-date=9 September 2019|website=[[British Film Institute]]|archive-date=22 April 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220422000032/https://www.bfi.org.uk/features/heroic-bloodshed-hong-kong-hollywood-cycle-influence|url-status=live|first1=Anton|last1=Bitel}}</ref> ''The Brothers'' had a similar plot about two brothers on opposing sides of the law, the elder brother a mobster and the younger brother a cop.<ref>{{cite web|title=The Brothers|url=http://www.hkcinemagic.com/en/movie.asp?id=1693|access-date=21 November 2017|website=[[Hong Kong Cinemagic]]|archive-date=1 December 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171201031226/http://www.hkcinemagic.com/en/movie.asp?id=1693|url-status=live}}</ref> In turn, ''The Brothers'' was a remake of ''[[Deewaar]]'' (1975), an Indian crime drama written by [[Salim–Javed]].<ref name="scroll">{{cite web|last=Mondal|first=Sayantan|title=Amitabh Bachchan starrer 'Deewar' was remade in Telugu, Tamil, Malayalam – and Cantonese|url=https://thereel.scroll.in/828031/amitabh-bachchan-starrer-deewar-was-remade-in-telugu-tamil-malayalam-and-cantonese|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170130121319/https://thereel.scroll.in/828031/amitabh-bachchan-starrer-deewar-was-remade-in-telugu-tamil-malayalam-and-cantonese|archive-date=30 January 2017|access-date=30 January 2017|website=Scroll.in|df=dmy-all}}</ref><ref name="bfi" />

The scene in which Mark Lee tells the story of being forced to drink urine is apparently based on a real incident involving [[Chow Yun-fat]] and director [[Ringo Lam]]. This scene was recreated in Woo's ''[[Bullet in the Head]],'' which was originally scripted as a prequel to ''A Better Tomorrow'' before being changed to a standalone film.

The English title likely originates from the song [[Tomorrow Will Be Better]], written by [[Lo Ta-yu]], which is traditionally sung during [[New Year's Eve]], and is featured in the film.

While Woo had become successful with a series of lighthearted comedies and dramas, he had long aspired to direct a gangster film similar to those made by [[Jean-Pierre Melville]].<ref name="10000BulletsWooBio">{{Cite book |last=Heard |first=Christopher |url=https://archive.org/embed/tenthousandbulle0000hear |title=Ten Thousand Bullets: The Cinematic Journey of John Woo |publisher=[[Doubleday Canada]] |year=1999 |isbn=0-385-25731-7}}</ref> [[Tsui Hark]] and his then spouse [[Nansun Shi]] had started their own film production company [[Film Workshop]] and as Hark had been friends with Woo and knew he was experiencing frustration and battling [[alcoholism]], having lost enthusiasm for making the films he was expected to, Hark invited him to write and direct a film for his company which would end up being ''A Better Tomorrow''.<ref name= "10000BulletsWooBio"/> The relationship between Woo and Hark during production was contentious due to Hark's hands-on producing style and Woo's independent directing process.<ref name= "10000BulletsWooBio"/>

=== Filming locations ===
[[File:HK YMT 油麻地 Yau Ma Tei 上海街 Shanghai Street near 甘肅街 Kansu Street 眾坊街 Public Square March 2020 SS2 02.jpg|thumb|right|The Tin Hau Temple Complex.]]
[[File:Tai Kwun Police Headquarters Block 201806.jpg|thumb|right|The former Central Police station building.]]

==== [[Hong Kong]] ====

* The Aberdeen Marina Club ([[:zh:深灣遊艇俱樂部|深灣遊艇俱樂部]])
* Jackson Road, [[Central, Hong Kong|Central]]
* [[Central Police Station (Hong Kong)|Central Police Station]], Central
* [[Kennedy Town]], [[Central and Western District|Central and Western]]
* [[Wan Chai]], [[Wan Chai District]]
* Saint Paul Seminary, [[Causeway Bay]]
* [[Sunning Plaza]], Causeway Bay
* [[Kowloon Peak]]
* [[To Kwa Wan]], [[Kowloon City District|Kowloon City]]
* [[Stonecutters Island]]
* [[Tin Hau Temple Complex, Yau Ma Tei|Tin Hau Temple Complex]], [[Kowloon Peninsula]]
* [[Wo Hop Shek Public Cemetery]]

==== [[Taiwan]] ====

* [[Ximending]], [[Taipei]]
* [[Renai Road]], Taipei
* Taichung Correctional Center, [[Taichung]]