‧ Chinese Name: 蔡揚名
‧ Born: 1939
‧ Place of Birth: Yunlin County (Southern Taiwan)
Did You Know?
In 1973, when Tsai Yang-ming worked for the Shaw Brothers film company in Hong Kong, he met and chatted with Bruce Lee for a while, never expecting that four days later, Lee would pass suddenly.
Tsai Yang-ming discovered his interest in movies at the age of 19, when he worked as a manager of a small theater in Taipei County. He even went on to act under the stage name Yang Ming (陽明). In 1963, "Golden Demon (金色夜叉)," in which he starred in, sold well at the box office in Taiwan, making him a hot property in Taiwanese-language cinema. Over the course of just seven years, he performed in more than 200 films. After the decline of Taiwanese-language films, Tsai moved behind the camera, directing Mandarin-language films.
In 1973, Tsai helmed the kung fu film "Beggar and Rich Girl (乞丐與千金)," which attracted the attention of Hong Kong’s Shaw Brothers Pictures, who invited him to join them to direct the film “Police Force (警察)." Hong Kong was the heart of the Chinese-language film industry at the time, and for a Taiwanese director to be recruited to work there was considered an impressive accomplishment. However, Tsai found himself unable to adjust to life there, and so despite “Police Force” pulling in an impressive HK$1 million at the local box office and being extended a tempting offer by Shaw Brothers, he ultimately chose instead to return to Taiwan. This resulted in a dispute with Shaw Brothers over breach of contract, and the court ended up ruling that he could no longer make films under the name Tsai Yang-ming, and so for several years after returning to Taiwan, he directed under the alias of Ouyang Chun (歐陽俊).
In 1979, Tsai ignited a trend for gangster movies in Taiwan with "Never Too Late to Repent (錯誤的第一步)," focused on the stories of gangsters and criminals, which made him start thinking about shooting films in the "social realism" genre. In another of Tsai's most iconic works, "Woman Revenger (女性的復仇)," gambling, criminal violence, drug trade, female exploitation and other issues are pervasive, and the theme of the fairer sex's resistance against patriarchal society related to the collective subconscious of Taiwanese people seeking to vent in the political pressure cooker that was martial law-era Taiwan.
In the 1980s, Tsai became renowned as a guaranteed box office draw. Taiwan was experiencing tremendous changes both in society and in the film industry, but despite this turbulent environment, there was still a wave of successful local gangster films in the late 1980s. It was during this period that Tsai made his famous gangster trilogy: "Gangland Odyssey (大頭仔)," "Fraternity (兄弟珍重)," and "Joe-Goody (阿呆)." As a director, Tsai has made films in a wide range of genres, including martial arts, gangster, detective, literary, and comedy. Among his nearly 70 works, his favorites are "Land of the Condors (大地飛鷹)," "Never Too Late to Repent," "Gangland Odyssey," and "The First Stitch (在室男)." When it premiered, "Land of the Condors" was a sensation. Theaters were packed morning to night, and the chiefs of the local police stations had to personally come out to direct traffic and guide the audience.
Tsai has also helped train a number of outstanding filmmakers, including the now-famous director Hou Hsiao-hsien (侯孝賢), and even movie star Jackie Chan once served as a fight choreographer for one of Tsai's films. In addition, he later set up a film and television company, and worked with his son Tsai Yue-hsun (蔡岳勳), also a director, to produce famous TV dramas such as "Friends (名揚四海)," "Pawnshop No. 8 (第8號當鋪)," and “The Hospital (白色巨塔)."
Tsai Yang-ming was awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award at the Asian Film Festival in New York in 2013. The organizers remarked that while Taiwan’s cinematic achievements are substantial and internationally renowned, few people know Taiwan's achievements in gangster movies. They added that, as the main promoter of such films, Tsai Yang-ming was more than deserving of the honor.
In 2021, 82-year-old Tsai was honored with a Lifetime Achievement Award at the 58th Golden Horse Awards. He thanked the Awards for recognizing his contribution to the film industry, and also thanked himself for having only ever chosen to make movies his career, a decision which has helped him live a full and happy life.