Once Upon a Time in China (1991)
Directed by Tsui Hark · Cinematography by Arthur Wong Ngok-Tai, David Chung, Wilson Chan Pui-Ka, Andy Lam Kwok-Wah, Bill Wong Chung-Piu
R134 min61 frames
ActionDrama
Never was a Hero needed more...
Stills, screencaps & shots from Once Upon a Time in China
16 of 61 frames — the full set is searchable by lighting, lens, shot size, color and mood with a free account.
Once Upon a Time in China — official trailer
What is Once Upon a Time in China about?
In late 19th-century Canton, legendary hero Wong Fei-Hung battles foreign forces' (English, French and American) plundering of China. When Aunt Yee returns from America totally westernised, Wong assumes the role of protector. This proves difficult when his martial arts school and local militia become involved in fierce battles with foreign and local governments. As violence escalates, even Aunt Yee has to question her new western ideals, but is it possible to fight guns with Kung Fu?
Where can you watch Once Upon a Time in China?
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Who stars in Once Upon a Time in China?
Who made Once Upon a Time in China?
What does the cinematography of Once Upon a Time in China look like?
Sampled across 61 frames, the coverage of Once Upon a Time in China leans on medium shots (41% of the sample) and wide compositions (26%). The camera returns again and again to low angles. Cinematographer Arthur Wong Ngok-Tai keeps 54% of it in soft, naturalistic light. Anamorphic glass shapes the frame.
What is the color palette of Once Upon a Time in China?
The dominant colors across the sampled frames of Once Upon a Time in China (1991) are #362f2a, #ceb48f, #524e48, #d6cab2, #8e7055, #968975 — measured from the per-frame color data FrameThrower extracts for every film.
#362f2a#ceb48f#524e48#d6cab2#8e7055#968975
See the full Once Upon a Time in China colour palette — every hex with its share, plus warmth, saturation and luminance.
A reference database for filmmakers
FrameThrower is a fully machine-searchable film database and visual reference library — all 61 frames of Once Upon a Time in China (1991), and 5,000+ films besides, indexed frame by frame and readable by AI. Search it in plain language, from a reference image, or by colour; call it from an API, an MCP server or an SDK. It's the reference layer for making the next movie.
Techniques in this film
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