Sworn Brothers

Sworn Brothers

Year: 1987

Runtime: 93 mins

Language: Cantonese

Director: David Lai Tai-Wai

ActionDrama

Cheung and Lau are two men who grew up together as brothers. However, they end up as enemies who hunt each other down after following different paths in life.

Warning: spoilers below!

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Timeline & Setting – Sworn Brothers (1987)

Explore the full timeline and setting of Sworn Brothers (1987). Follow every major event in chronological order and see how the environment shapes the story, characters, and dramatic tension.

Time period

1970s–1980s

The story spans roughly a decade in Hong Kong, from the early years of Ting’s childhood through the mid-1980s. It paints a period of growing urban crime, evolving police dynamics, and shifting loyalties. Emigration plans, capital punishment, and courtroom battles anchor the timeline, reflecting a city grappling with crime and justice during that era.

Location

Hong Kong, Brazil

The film unfolds primarily in Hong Kong, a dense urban backdrop where triad power struggles collide with police work. Key events move between temples, private hospitals, and bustling streets, with a ship departing Hong Kong marking a pivotal escape attempt. The setting also repeatedly touches Brazil as a dream destination for a new life, underscoring themes of migration and consequence.

🏙️ Hong Kong 🚢 Harbor/Ship 🇧🇷 Brazil

Last Updated: October 04, 2025 at 13:46

Main Characters – Sworn Brothers (1987)

Meet the key characters of Sworn Brothers (1987), with detailed profiles, motivations, and roles in the plot. Understand their emotional journeys and what they reveal about the film’s deeper themes.

Lam Ting Yat (Andy Lau)

A loyal triad enforcer who grew up with Uncle Pau and shares a brother-like bond with Kwok. He dreams of emigrating to America and struggles to balance a personal code with ruthless underworld duties. His arc moves from hard-edged loyalty to internal conflict and a fight for a chance at a different life, ending in a brutal, fatal confrontation.

💼 Crime 🤝 Loyalty 🧭 Family

Uncle Pau (Bill Tung Biu)

A seasoned police officer who raised Ting and provides a moral center for the story. He cares for Ting and Kwok as if they were his own sons, offering guidance even as danger closes in. His later heart attack and fading health intensify the family-centered stakes of Ting’s choices.

👨‍👦 Family 🛡️ Mentor ❤️ Protective

Peggy

A singer who befriends Ting and becomes a confidant and love interest. She represents Ting’s desire for a new life together and pushes him toward risking everything for a future beyond crime. Her faith in Ting culminates in a tragic end on the voyage away from Hong Kong.

💞 Love 🎭 Performer

Yeung Tung-hoi

A ruthless crime lord who manipulates Ting and controls the gang world from behind the scenes. He orchestrates assassination plots and uses wealth to bend other players to his will. His machinations drive the central conflict and Ting’s struggle for autonomy.

💼 Power 🧪 Drug trade 🗡️ Violence

Fung Yuen-Chi

Leader of a rival gang who clashes with Ting and Yeung over territory and control. Fung’s insistence on a larger share of power intensifies the conflict, culminating in a brutal confrontation that tests Ting’s limits.

💼 Power 🗡️ Violence

Ga Lo (Ka-lok)

Ting’s underling who also acts as a temporary bridge between Ting’s world and Yeung’s operations. He dies heroically during a direct assault on Fung’s henchmen, highlighting the costs of loyalty and the price paid by those close to Ting.

💀 Sacrifice 🗡️ Violence 👨‍👩‍👦 Family

Yang Tung Hai

A powerful rival boss who collaborates with Yeung in the criminal ecosystem. His operations and family entanglements feature in the broader web of corruption and control that Ting navigates.

💼 Power 🗡️ Violence

Sgt. Shih / Portuguese

A police sergeant nicknamed Portuguese who pursues Ting across investigations and creates pressure within the law enforcement side of the story. His clashes with Ting underscore the fragile boundary between duty and personal conflict.

🔎 Police ⚔️ Confrontation

Inspector Kuo

A police inspector assigned to Yeung’s case who becomes entangled in the political and procedural friction surrounding Ting’s actions. His interactions with Ting and Kwok highlight the tension between duty and loyalty.

🔎 Law ⚖️ Authority

Kwok

Ting’s childhood friend turned police inspector who returns to Hong Kong and pursues Ting as part of the investigation. Their complicated relationship tests both family ties and law-and-order duties, culminating in tense confrontations.

🕵️ Police 🧭 Authority

Fat Kao Wei

One of Yeung’s henchmen who participates in the violent clashes that mark the film’s escalating stakes. His actions contribute to the deadly outcomes that chase Ting and his allies.

💪 Henchmen 🗡️ Violence

Last Updated: October 04, 2025 at 13:46

Major Themes – Sworn Brothers (1987)

Explore the central themes of Sworn Brothers (1987), from psychological, social, and emotional dimensions to philosophical messages. Understand what the film is really saying beneath the surface.

🤝 Brotherhood

Lam Ting Yat and Kwok share a deep, brother-like bond that crosses gang lines, emphasizing loyalty over simple allegiance. The dynamic between Ting, Kwok, and Uncle Pau shows how chosen family can shape decisions more than blood ties. Their history drives many key actions, including risking safety for one another. The film uses this bond to probe how far loyalty can or should go in a corrupt world.

🕊️ Redemption

Ting dreams of quitting crime and emigrating to America, signaling a hope for a better life beyond triad violence. His care for Uncle Pau and his internal struggle with violence push him toward a path of redemption, even as he confronts betrayals. The pursuit of a cleaner life is repeatedly tested by danger, forcing costly choices and sacrifices. Redemption remains a fragile thread woven through acts of violence and survival.

⚖️ Power & Corruption

Yeung Tung-hoi’s wealth and influence reveal how money can tilt justice, allowing manipulation of police, courts, and rivals. The narrative shows legal processes bending under pressure, with bail and courtroom tactics shaping outcomes. The tension between legitimate authority and criminal power runs through every major confrontation, highlighting how the system can be complicit or compromised.

Last Updated: October 04, 2025 at 13:46

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Sworn Brothers Summary

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Sworn Brothers Summary

Sworn Brothers Timeline

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Sworn Brothers Timeline

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