By Junie Quah

Hong Kong's three-pronged showstopper Infernal Affairs is making its way to the United States. Before the inevitable Hollywood makeover begins, here's a blow-by-blow account--courtesy of several prominent Chinese cinema zines--of what makes each one of them tick.

Infernal Affairs I

For the original article, please go to: http://ent.sina.com.cn/r/m/2003-01-17/1604126579.html

When audiences in Mainland China were still crazy about Hero, the Hong Kong movie Infernal Affairs was using support from the Internet, and VCD and DVD purchases (with retail prices four times less than that of Hero) as strategies to make its presence felt on the market. It soon became one of the hottest Chinese movies this winter. There were many great reviews from its young audiences compared to Hero, which was really hard to come by since the 2002 Hong Kong movie industry was virtually forgotten.

The genre of this movie is that which Hong Kong first brought into our consciousness: the crime/thriller. Andy Lau plays Ming, an undercover cop while Tony Leung plays the role of Yan, an undercover in the triad gang. The identities of these two show that to a certain degree, they belong to the same level. The film jolts you by beginning with the two characters being suspicious of each other's identity.

“Seeking one's true self” has always been the main topic in Hong Kong movies for the past 10 years. In this film, the interaction between the opposing characters is key to allowing the show. It seems to encompass a more open vision compared to the old HK movies. This is especially true of the thrilling ending, which creates a sadder plot as a complement to the main topic. It can be said that this movie is a miracle among recent Hong Kong films.

The director of this movie, Andrew Lau, is known for his commercialized filmmaking style. With screenwriter Alan Mak, he fully expresses the storyline and his editing and perfect shot techniques are well-presented. The color theme for the movie is blue, which fills it with compression. Though there are multiple shots, they are arranged in an organized way, so as not to confuse the audience. The feel of destiny in the plot of Mak's script is constant, which is similar to another outstanding Hong Kong film in the late '90s called Running Out of Time. No wonder the name of this film uses the Buddhist term “Wu Jian Dao”--being in hell with endless suffering.

Infernal Affairs II

For the original article, please go to: http://movie.kingnet.com/tw/comment.html (by: Wen Tian Xiang)

Since 1982--when Man on The Brink received the Golden Horse Awards for best director (Guo Min Chun), best actor (Di Yi) and best screenplay (Jian Chung), the idea of "undercover" has become the primary topic of Hong Kong crime movies. The appeal of this idea is not only the ambiguous identities of cops and criminals, but also the psychological aspect of the main character's struggle with moral responsibilities.

Although Infernal Affairs II is named as the second episode of Man on the Brink, it seems to function as a preface. Thus, the stars--Tony Leung and Andy Lau--are replaced by newcomers Shawn Yu and Edison Chan.
 
If the script of Infernal Affairs II was the product of the hugely successful Infernal Affairs I, it would make much more sense and flow more smoothly, letting the actors reveal their progress. Since it functions as a preface though, it allows the audience to enjoy the movie even without having seen the first; in addition, one is able to appreciate the unique logic behind the script, overthrowing cliches of past cop flicks.

Infernal Affairs III

For the original article, please go to: http://ent.sina.com/cn/r/m/2003-12-15/1406254216.html

Before the film concludes, people tend to be hopeful about its ending. Some wish that Yan (Tony Leung) and SP Wong (Anthony Wong) can have a more comfortable life, and hope that they will not sink into “hell” and suffer for the rest of their lives. Actually, not only the audience thinks this way--Ming (Andy Lau) has the same thought too.

I've always thought that the charm of Andy Lau would hinder his acting, just because the audience will always take notice of his pointed nose, and not pay attention to his eyes. In most cases, they realize how he makes eye contact even after the end of the film. Therefore, audiences sometimes blame him for not putting his best effort into acting. This time, however, he seems to have improved quite a bit, which produces good results. He stops making unnecessary poses to distract the audience. At this point, Andy Lau has completely deserted the images of the “professional killer" and the “handsome bad guy” seen in the first Infernal Affairs. He managed to play his role well enough for the audience to see the pain that he has suffered and his internal dilemmas.

The main attractions in Infernal Affairs III are the two new characters, played by Leon Lai and Dao Ming Chen. Although the movie uses six of the best leading men, the importance of each role is still quite obvious. If the first Infernal Affairs was about the combat of four characters and the second one about the competition among three, then the third is Ming (Andy Lau)'s "one man show." The black and white, good and evil of this series have been fully presented by Ming. And it's not at all a bad thing that he has others to support his role.

Published: Friday, October 29, 2004