Bodyguards And Assassins (2009) – Historical Facts and fiction
The award winning Hong Kong movie Bodyguards and Assassins is a story about the Qing Imperial Government organizing assassins to kill Sun Yat Sen during his visit to Hong Kong in 1905. While Sun Yat Sen did occasionally visit Hong Kong during that period to organize and support the revolutionaries, the plot itself is largely fictitious. No evidence shows that the Qing Imperial Government had organized plans to assassinate Sun Yat Sen at that time. In fact, considering how weak the Qing Government was in the early 20th century, an entity barely struggling to survive itself, it was highly unlikely that a highly organized team of Imperial assassins could tear up the streets of Hong Kong to chase up and attempt to kill Sun Yat Sen without triggering a backlash from the British. Thus, Bodyguards and Assassins could only be seen as a fiction for entertainment.
The London Kidnapping incident
The closest the Qing Government ever came to an assassination attempt against Sun Yat Sen was in the Autumn of 1896, where Sun Yat Sen was making a visit to London, he was kidnapped by special agents of the Qing Government and was imprisoned in the Chinese embassy. However he was able to sneak out a note from the embassy which was received by James Cantlie, who was his teacher in Medicine. Under his teacher’s efforts, The Times and also the Foreign Office took note and began requesting for Sun’s release, he was eventually released and became a widely known international figure. Movie critics believe that most films based on protecting Sun Yat Sen (Yes, this one is not the only movie with Sun Yat Sen being chased around!) was inspired by this event. Sun later wrote a book about his kidnapping. In the movie Bodyguards and Assassins we can see the newspaper editor Chen Shaobai giving a copy of Sun’s book to Li Chongguang, who later sacrifices himself by acting as a decoy.
Are they fact or fiction?
Are they fact or fiction?
True historical figures in the movie
Certain characters do appear to be true historical figures. Such as Yan quyun (starring Jacky Cheung) at the beginning of the movie. Yan Quyun was the founder of the earliest revolutionary cell, and later acted as the first chairperson of Revive China Society Hong Kong Branch. In 1900, he organized an uprising against the Qing government which ended in failure. Yan Quyun had no choice but to go back to Hong Kong and started a private tutor in order to feed his wife and children. On 10th January, 1901, Yan Quyun was assassinated by an assassin called Chenyun, who was sent by the Qing Government in his private tutor, contrary to what the movie suggested was an outdoor assassination attempt.
The Chief Editor Chen ShaoBai starring Leung Ka-fai was indeed a historical figure and was the founder of Chian Daily, a prominent newspaper founded in 1900 which supported the revolutionary cause. Chen Shaobai entered Medical School when he was 21 and that was when he met Sun Yat sen who was also studying medicine in Hong Kong during that period.
The character Li Yutang is loosely based on 李煜堂, an active businessmen during the period. He also actively supported the revolutionary cause, including funding China Daily to avoid its bankruptcy. His son, Li Zichong, which Li Chongguang was loosely based upon, was also a revolutionary who was a member of Sun’sTongmenghui. Unlike in the movie, the real Li Chongguang wasn’t killed at 17 and instead lived till 1971, later in his life he quit politics and became a businessmen.
That’s all for now about facts and fictions in the movie Bodyguards and Assassins. I encourage all readers to do some research yourself on the revolutionary period of the early 20th century.