What makes a film iconic? Some might say the cinematography, others might say its plot. However, most people tend to overlook how crucial a film’s accompanying soundtrack can be. Aside from setting the tone for the rest of the film, songs in a film can allow you to feel the emotions of the film’s characters. We combed through Hong Kong’s cinematic history and compiled this list of the most iconic songs in movie soundtracks, so you can experience these films just by listening to these songs.
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A Better Tomorrow revolves around the tale of two brothers on opposite sides of the law, one as a young police officer and the other as a triad member. Just from hearing the harmonica intro alone, this track makes us want to channel our inner Chow Yun-fat who plays Mark the trusty bodyguard in the film, throw on our trench coats and look dramatically into the distance.
Cantopop diva Anita Mui is known for her energetic, powerful stage performances but can also mesmerise the audience with her sombre and spine-chilling songs. Captivating the film’s characters with her desire to meet her lover in the afterlife despite roaming the mortal world long after her death, Mui’s haunting and sensual vocals in Rouge will mesmerise you.
Even if you aren’t a fan of wuxia films, you’ll definitely recognise this song. Typically accompanying Wong Fei-hung during his thrilling fight sequences, the traditional Chinese instruments and motivational lyrics in this song will get your blood pumping, making this a great track to add to your workout playlist to get your energy up.
Faye Wong’s soft fluttery vocals in the Cantonese version of The Cranberries’ Dreams in Chungking Express are just as enchanting as the original song. We can’t help but listen to this track every time we’re on the Mid-Levels Escalator and imagine we’re in a dream-like trance straight out of a Wong Kar Wai movie.
A Moment of Romance revolves around the classic boy-meets-girl story starring Andy Lau as a young triad member and Jacklyn Wu as a rich heiress. The lyrics of If The World Had Romance echo the strong yet bittersweet feelings that the protagonists have for each other, as they come from two entirely different worlds and aren’t destined to be together. Shirley Yuen’s beautiful voice in this song will make you feel like you’re Wu wearing a wedding dress while Lau speeds through town on a motorcycle and drives through the night.
Leslie Cheung’s vocals and romantic lyrics in Chase not only won over Anita Yuen’s character in He’s a Woman, She’s a Man, his song went on to win the Best Original Song award at the 14th Hong Kong Film Awards. While Cheung recorded an official version of this song, something about the acoustic version allows you to feel more emotions, leaving you completely spellbound.
Despite the dark and serious tone throughout Young and Dangerous, Ekin Cheung’s Friendship Years features lyrics that heavily talk about cherishing memories and seeing the good in tough situations. While we might not ever be involved in shady deals and hit operations, Cheng’s song featured throughout the Young and Dangerous movie series will make you feel like you’re roaming the city streets late at night with your fellow triad members.
Even though this isn’t technically a movie soundtrack, we couldn’t complete this list without mentioning this iconic hilarious moment between Law Kar-ying and Stephen Chow in A Chinese Odyssey Part Two-Cinderella. Right as Joker confesses that he no longer wants to be Longevity Monk’s disciple, he gets cut off by Monk’s impromptu performance of Only You by The Platters. Changing the lyrics of the song, Monk’s version is his way of convincing Joker that he’s the only person to protect the Monk from evil spirits and fulfil his true destiny as the Monkey King. No matter how many times we rewatch this film, this moment never fails to crack us up.
It makes sense for a film revolving around a love story to feature an adorably sweet song in its soundtrack, and Teresa Teng’s song Sweet Like Honey fits the bill. Despite being separated by fate, Maggie Cheung and Leon Lai’s characters in Comrades: Almost a Love Story eventually reunite much later in life. As soon as you hear Teng’s voice, the image of Cheung and Lai passing through town on a romantic bike ride together immediately springs to mind.
Infernal Affairs is a nail-biting action thriller featuring Andy Lau and Tony Leung revolving around both protagonists living with dual identities – Lau posing as a police officer and Leung infiltrating local triads. Not only did the two actors give a memorable performance to portray the arduous journey that both characters experience throughout their lives while keeping their identities a secret, they also lend their voices for the dramatic track Continuous Road.
Here are some classic Hong Kong horror movies that will surely make your hair stand on end.
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