Original Title: A Moment of Romance III
Chinese Title: If Heaven Had Feelings III: War Lovers
Production Company: Eternal Entertainment
Year of Production: 1996
Premiere Date: April 19, 1997
Country: Hong Kong, China
Genre: Romance / Action / War / Drama
Director: Du Qifeng (Johnny To)
Main Cast:
- Lau Tak Wah (Andy Lau) .......... Lau Tin-Wai
- Fong Chun Him (Alex Fong) ..... The Captain
- Wu Chien-lien (Chien-lien Wu) ..... Ting Siu-Wo
Film Length: 96 Mins
Dialogue Language: Mandarin
Subtitle Language: Chinese
Content Summary:
Du Qifeng gained fame as the best director at the Golden Horse Awards for his work on "Gunfire," reaching the peak of his reputation. In fact, over the past decade, he has been a steadfast commercial director with fluctuating quality. This film is an average production. Andy Lau and Chien-lien Wu starred in "If Heaven Had Feelings," which is a romantic love story centered around motorcycle youths. In this third installment, the backdrop shifts to the era of the war against Japan, narrating the story of a wealthy family's air force lieutenant Tin-Wai who encounters enemy aircraft attacks during a flight mission, forcing him to make an emergency landing in a rural village. He is rescued and cared for by a villager girl named Xiao He. As time passes, they fall in love, but the village head believes there’s a class difference between them and forces Xiao He to stay away from Tin-Wai. After Tin-Wai returns to the base, he requests to participate in a suicide mission to bomb the Japanese military base. At this moment, Xiao He arrives in Wuhan to find Tin-Wai. Tin-Wai realizes he has found true love, yet still must board the plane to execute the dangerous mission. The entire plot arrangement follows typical clichés, and the directing techniques lack subtlety, making it difficult to create a deeply moving dramatic effect.
In the early stages of the Anti-Japanese War, the Nationalist Government, having relocated to Wuhan, faced dire shortages of supplies and outdated military equipment, leaving them powerless against the Japanese forces, thus plunging the country into deep suffering.
The Liu family was one of the most prominent families at the time; both Liu's father and the eldest son of the Liu family were heroes who sacrificed their lives for the country. Therefore, the Liu family had significant influence in both military and political circles. The second son of the family, Liu Tianwei (played by Andy Lau), was assigned to the Air Force department as a flying lieutenant, serving as a stepping stone to enter the Military Committee to become a high-ranking official. Consequently, Tianwei was only responsible for delivering messages, tasks that carried no danger, and he had never truly engaged in combat. During a routine mission, Tianwei encountered a Japanese aircraft formation and was relentlessly pursued. After a fierce battle, although Tianwei managed to break through the encirclement, his plane was severely damaged, and he himself was injured, necessitating an immediate emergency landing. Xiao He (played by Chien-lien Wu), a village girl, was praying in the fields for a good harvest when she suddenly saw a large object falling from the sky and crashing into a deep pit. Calming down after her initial shock, she saw Tianwei crawling out, wounded, and collapsing on the ground. Xiao He immediately brought Tianwei home to save him.
Under Xiao He's round-the-clock, meticulous care, Tianwei eventually recovered from life-threatening injuries and gradually regained his health. Over time, Tianwei and Xiao He fell in love, but the village chief, noticing this, became very displeased because Xiao He had been promised in marriage to the chief's son while her parents were still alive. Thus, the chief forced Xiao He not to associate with Tianwei. Unsure of what to do, Xiao He was then informed by Tianwei that he had already contacted the base and that a plane would come to pick him up the next day. That night, after much deliberation, Tianwei decided to take Xiao He with him and wrote a letter to her. However, by dawn, Tianwei received no response, and his colleagues' plane arrived. Reluctantly, Tianwei took off. At that moment, Xiao He rushed over upon hearing the sound of the plane, but it was too late—she could only watch helplessly as Tianwei departed.
On the way back to the base, Tianwei and his companions were attacked by Japanese planes, resulting in two planes being shot down, leading to the destruction of the aircraft and the loss of life. His comrades felt Tianwei had caused everyone harm and looked down on him. Meanwhile, Tianwei's mother held a grand welcome party for him, making Tianwei feel even more uncomfortable. The Nationalist Government prepared to withdraw from Wuhan and relocate to Chongqing. To ensure the smooth evacuation, they decided to send planes to bomb the Japanese bases, executing a suicide mission. Tianwei requested to participate but was rejected by the squadron leader. Despite this, Tianwei insisted and finally persuaded the leader to allow him to join. Tianwei regained the respect of his comrades. At this point, Xiao He suddenly appeared in Wuhan to find Tianwei. It turned out that Xiao He couldn't read and only understood the content of the letter after the village chief read it to her. Tianwei, unsure whether to be worried or happy, honestly told Xiao He everything. Xiao He supported Tianwei's decision and expressed her willingness to wait for him. Tianwei also realized he had found the woman he loved most in his life. As they bid farewell at the base, Xiao He and Tianwei's mother watched him ascend into the sky, wondering if this would be their final goodbye. Time passed slowly. Base personnel informed them that the fuel should have run out, fearing Tianwei had died for his country. Tianwei's mother tearfully prepared to evacuate, but Xiao He firmly believed Tianwei would return. Not only did she refuse to leave, but she also persisted in cleaning the runway alone. Tianwei's mother was moved, and everyone at the base was touched. But would heaven be moved?
Finally, a small black dot appeared in the distance—it was Tianwei's plane returning. Xiao He silently embraced her beloved man, shedding her first tear.