Customer Reviews

Infernal Affairs (Wu jian dao)

5 star:		(49)
4 star:		(25)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

'Infernal Affairs' is the biggest box-office hit in Hong Kong in 2002, and if you see it, you won't be surprised with that fact. The film's premises are very simple; it's about a cop who is actually a gangster, and a gangster who is really a cop. With this clever version of 'undercover' theme (that was previously seen in the films like 'Donnie Brasco'), 'Infernal Affairs' presents as much tension and humanity as was seen in that Johnny Depp/Al Pacino film.

Ming (Andy Lau, 'House of Flying Daggers') is a young mole in the Honk Kong police, whose real boss is Sam, head of the Triads. He has been in police force for nearly ten years, and starts to doubt his life while faithfully swears his loyality to Sam.

At the same time, Yan (Tony Leung, 'In the Mood for Love') is an undercover cop, who has been in Sam's Triad for ten years. His superior officer Wong (Anthony Wong) is the only one who knows his real identity in the police, and Yan is also getting fed up with the life based on lies.

As the poilce force confronts the Triads, both Ming and Yan attempt to help their side anticipate the moves of the other. Finally, both sides realize that there are moles among them, and investigations and revenges make these characters lives more complex and unbearable.

DO NOT EXPECT the martial arts or so-called actions. This is a noir, and that means that it is the characters that matter, or their lives. I know, though the story is simple, it needs leap of faith. But the portraits of the people, and the pains of keeping on pretending what they are not, are vividly presented that the audiences will be sucked into the turmoil of their emotions. And the results are often nerve-shattering.

ANd the acting is all top-notch. I hear the talk of Hollywood remakes, which, I am afraid, is a tough work to do. Lau and Leung are both perfect, but more fantastic are Anthony Wong as police inspector and Eric Tsang as Triad boss. Their performances are so magnificient, even sublime at times, that you will stop caring which side would ultimately win.

Helped greatly by the moody camera (Andrew Lau and Lai Yiu Fai & 'visual consultant' Christopher Doyle, 'Rabbit Proof Fence'), 'Infernal Affairs' tells you that without John Woo Hong Kong movie industry can still produce excellent films with a touch of reality.

'Infernal Affairs' is part of trilogy, and you will see 'IA II' and 'IA III' sooner or later. 'Infernal Affairs' is the one you are watching now; 'Infernal Affairs II' is a prequel to it; and 'Infernal Affairs III' is a sequel to the original. But remember, the series is not the usual Hollywood commercial tactics to cash in on the hit movie, for some say '2' is better than the original. That's the only reason I don't give 5 stars, which 'Infernal Affairs' certainly deserves.

This is one of those movies you want to tell people about, coming from someone who's not really a Hong Kong film aficionado.

It has a simple but ingenious plot, first-rate acting, nice dollops of suspense and gunplay and a satisfying ending.

Simply put, a Triad boss places a young, up-and-coming gangster in the police academy to become a mole. Simultaneously, the police pull an up-and-coming cadet OUT of school, to become a Triad mole.

Ten years later, both moles still exist, and are entrusted by their respective bosses to, bluntly, find themselves.

The two scenes where the good guys and the bad guys dizzily interlace during attempted crimes are real corkers...as good as anything I've seen in years.

You can't watch this film and NOT think of Michael Mann's "Heat"...the cinematography, the urban gun fights, the two mercurial leads...and the rumors of a Scorsese remake only add to my fascination with this movie.

The thing keeping this from a five-star experience is that there are a few peripheral characters that feel like they should be more important, but they're not. There were a few characters who appear once or twice, but are all given these meaningful shots at the film's conclusion...

Maybe if I had seen more HK cinema, I would understand more...but I'll tell you, this is a great movie period, whether you think you like "foreign films" or not.

Infernal Affairs begins as young police cadet named Chan Wing Yan (Tony Leung) is being groomed by the highest ranks of the Academy to eventually become an inside man for the police. His keen eye and steady dimeaner makes him the perfect candidate to infiltrate the Triads, who have taken control of Hong Kong's streets and are peddling massive amounts of drugs to it's citizens. At the same time, a different road is laid out for fellow Academy officer Lau Kin Ming (Andy Lau). Although we aren't witness to the actual path he takes, Ming becomes Yan's counterpart in the film, as he uses his position within the higher ranks of the police department to keep Triad Boss Sam a step ahead of any police actions. Sam is deftly played by Eric Tsang, who gives a highly effective, authentic performance here. What follows is one of the best table-turning, catch-me-if-you-can cop stories ever put to film.

Often compared with another great epic, Heat, Infernal Affairs is quicker, brighter and goes down in 40 minute less time. It's apparent why this film became a smashing success in Asia and in turn, exploded onto the world scene. Spawning a sequel (which is actually a prequel) and then a third installment.

Returning to the story; Yan, after leaving the Academy and subsequently earning his chops
on the street as a Triad footman for 10 years, becomes a member deep in Sam's inner circle. Yan continues to work directly and exclusively with Superintendent Wong (played by Anthony Wong) feeding him information that Wong puts to good use. He brings that information to his most elite police team led by Officer Ming, who unbeknownst to Wong, relays it back to the Triads. Ming showcases his moxie and stealth inside an active command center, feeding police channels and locations to Sam in real-time, within five feet of fellow officers. Yan, at the same time, finds a way to keep Wong informed. A brilliantly scripted Felix Chong & Siu Fai Mak screenplay lends weight, tension and gravity to even the simplest scenes. Finally, Wong is able to get Sam brought in to be interviewed, but by that time, they both know that each has an undercover man inside their particular camps. In a Pacino/DeNiro-esque face-off, Wong and Sam smugly challenge each other to find their respective moles. The rest of the film is yours to enjoy.

One aspect of this film that gets as much attention and kudos as the characters themselves
is Chan Kwong Wing's stellar, powerful, moody soundtrack. The original score begins the
film along with sweeping, abstract visuals that flow gracefully across the screen, accompanied by the undulating score. What stuck with me in particular (as a first time listener to his work) was the alternately light, then heavy drum tracks as they scurried from front to back, left to right, left-rear to right-rear and diagonally back; washing the entire room with energy and life. The mood shifted from forceful grandeur to intricate suspicion and back again. The perfect audio preview to what was to follow. Deep inside the film is a heart-wrenching female vocal track that seems to signal the true beginning to Yan and Ming's respective gambits toward finding out each another, and when she sings again, yet another chapter begins to take shape. It's brilliant in depth and scope. Never a track out of step with the film and only the most appropriate volume and energy. So rarely does a soundtrack fall into line and dance so well with a film. So rarely does one set the tone for a film.

Infernal Affairs is loaded with subterfuge and intrigue. We're privy to both sides of the proverbial infiltration equation from the start, but this formula gets more complex with near misses and natural character evolutions, even as the story itself appears to begin it's resolution. At least that's what I found. There is a touch generic cop vs. cop to it (if I must find a flaw), with a couple classic stand-offs, but very little mano a mano conflict. The film's confrontations are wholly group against group; good against bad. That can't be ignored. The beauty of the film is in the interaction. It has all of the elements of many crime dramas, but Infernal Affairs is genuine and sophisticated like none other.

There are some very good reviews already posted about "Infernal Affairs", although they got some minor facts wrong (such as which actor played which role). This review will look at differences between this film and "The Departed"--for Scorsese fans who enjoyed his version and now wonder if they should see the original.

Yes, they should see the original.

Scorsese did a remake which followed the original storyline closely. Scorsese's style, as always, is marvelous. His work is more controlled than usual--no digressions into extended violent scenes (as in Casino, although "The Departed" film is much more violent than "Infernal Affairs"), no plot diversions into draft riots during the Civil War...etc.

However, the Scorsese film--which I enjoyed and was his best film in years--left me unsatisfied, while "Infernal Affairs" was extremely satisfying. Both films are tragedies, but the drama is far more deeply felt (for me) in "Infernal Affairs" than in "The Departed".

Why?

The answer lies in the difference in approach between the film making cultures of Hong Kong and Hollywood. Between what each culture feels the audience wants. Between the pressures of a higher budget and bigger stars. Scorsese, whether the actors asked for it or not, clearly felt a need to give the principal actors meatier roles. The film brothers who made the Hong Kong original only wanted to get the job done--a crisp story that did what it needed to, and then got out.

The Hollywood version takes a lot of time to provide additional detail to the story to flesh out the characters and give them showy scenes. "The Departed" runs about forty minutes longer than "Infernal Affairs". It adds a love interest (which really goes nowhere) and a lot of character details. Probably worse...

SPOILER ALERT SPOILER ALERT

...the Scorsese film attempts "justice" at the end. It is perhaps an American need to tie up loose ends, to make things right. Maybe it is the pressure stemming from a bigger budget, and needing to satisfy a larger audience. But dramatically, the Hong Kong version had it much better.

REALLY SPOILERS, REALLY! DON'T READ IF YOU HAVEN'T SEEN THE DEPARTED!!!! STOP!!! WHAT'S WRONG WITH YOU???

In the Scorsese version, an additional character, played by Mark Whalberg, is added to create justice--someone, in the end, to bump off the Matt Damon character. The problem with this is dual. First, it creates a huge plot hole--if Whalberg is around, then there is someone to prove that the DiCaprio character is really a cop, so much of how the film ends simply makes no sense at all. DiCaprio does not need to get Damon to prove he is an undercover cop if Whalberg is around. And, why does Whalberg remain in the background instead of going directly to his superiors? Why does DiCaprio not seek out Whalberg?

No, sorry Marty. None of it really works. Whalberg is only there to kill Damon in the end.

But this is very misguided. I personally felt a lot of involvement with the DiCaprio character. When the bad stuff happened to him, I felt the tragedy, but when Whalberg bumps off Damon, I felt cheated.

If the movie was going after justice, why not just have an ending with DiCaprio living? But this is the big budget American idea of entertainment, I guess--a more or less happy ending, even if it completely screws up the story.

So while I enjoyed the film, I walked out unsatisfied.

Then I watched, a few days ago, the Chinese original. The ending is far more cynical, and as a result works a lot better. There is no Whalberg character, no big plot hole. In addition, the film was faster and cleaner, much less showy. No bigger role for Nicholson to strut his stuff. No extraneous love interest. Not as much explicit violence to give the audience a cheap thrill.

Less Hollywood over the top and pandering to the audience was what makes "Infernal Affairs" the superior film--and one worth buying, as you'll never see it on tv.

Oh well, guess this means Scorsese will send Joe Pesci after me!

I decided to check out Infernal Affairs after it got a lot of positive word of mouth at the Denver International Film Festival a couple years ago. I was not disappointed. The storyline is immediately engaging, as the police and a major crime gang each place an undercover member into the opposing organization. From that point on, the groups race against each other to find the mole that has infiltrated their ranks. The storyline's twists and turns keep the viewer guessing until the very end. The movie is fast-paced and suspenseful throughout.

Martin Scorsese is currently shooting a remake of this film. The American version will be called The Departed. I question whether a remake is necessary, since Infernal Affairs easily stands on its own, and as it is it should be accessible to American audiences. However, since Scorsese always puts his own stamp on his works, I'm eager to see his take on this fascinating thriller.

Look at the crappy poster design for this outstanding movie. I just hate how Western versions of Asian films ruin the look and feel of a good movie. The poster makes it look like this movie is a love triangle of some sort or a cheap police crime story. If you can get a copy of the original DVD release in Hong Kong (3 movies in total), get those instead. The posters and covers are much better. They have removable English/Chinese subtitles as well. This is probably the best Hong Kong film of the last decade, so it's worth a shot if you're interested. There's great character development and interesting plot twists that will keep the audience intrigued until the last moments.

This film is the original Hong Kong film which has become a classic in not only Asian cinema, but also crime suspense thrillers as well. Most of you already know that the story of undercover gangsters and cops infiltrating each other was magnificently written that Martin Scorsese optioned the rights and remade the an American version called The Departed starring Jack Nicholson, Matt Damon, and Leonardo DiCaprio. While the remake is very good on it's own, anyone who has seen this original version will tell you this original still stands head and shoulders above Scorsese's excellent remake. Infernal Affairs is more suspenseful, tighter, and packs a much greater emotional wallop thanks to the excellent acting of Tony Leung Chiu Wai as the undercover cop suffering from a long and extremely dangerous assignment as the number 2 in the Triad group (very reminiscent of his equally strong performance in a nearly identical role in John Woo's Hardboiled). The handling of the OCTB Chief who is the only one who knows Leung's true identity as an undercover cop is equally handled with finesse and drama by Hong Kong veteran Anthony Wong. His nemesis, the Triad leader played expertly by Eric Tsang is equally amazing to watch. The heat between Wong and Tsang is beautifully generated in a scene at the police station and is unrivaled by any of the scenes in the Departed by the parallel American actors Martin Sheen and Jack Nicholson. For anyone who has seen and enjoyed The Departed, or just anyone who enjoys a crackerjack crime suspense thriller, this film is an absolute must see.

It is very, very bad taste for whoever designed the cover picture of the American version of this DVD. The original picture of the movie just shows the faces of the 2 main characters. Why do they think it is necessary to put a Bond-girl-like figure on the cover while that girl is not even in the movie? What for? To make it look more "Asian", and more "chinatown"? Just absolutely terrible and disturbing. It is ruining this otherwise wonderful movie. I have watched this movie 2 times when it first came out in 2002. The suspsens is brilliant. Both Tony Leung and Andy Lau are just perfect for their roles. The twists and turn are unexpected. The whole time I was on the edge of my seat. The best part about this movie is that it leaves you breathless. Two minutes into the movie you will feel you are into their world. I also liked how it shows rather realistic side of high-tech and highly professional police operations in Hong Kong. I heard that Hollywood purchased the copyright of the movie script and made it into the movie "The Departed" to be shown in Oct 06. I am eager to see how Leonardo DeCaprio and Matt Damon measure up to Tony Leung and Andy Lau.

This is what a simple walk through Chinatown got me...finding a gem of a cop-triad flick!

Just rented Infernal Affairs Three. It's a nice rap up and a bit sad in the end...

Fave one still has to be Infernal Affairs Two, you see how one of the gangsters get more evil.

Haven't seen that cover that's advertised here.. The DVD cover(s) from HK are better.

For the Hollywood remake...they're copying films from other countries since nothing new or refreshing is coming out of that place. Let Hollywood burn.

I practically grew up on chinese movies, and what I loved most about these movies were the action. Movies like Once Upon A Time In China, Drunken Master and Police Story all bring back fond memories of the best kung fu and martial arts moves in movie history. But I've never really been impressed with the storyline of chinese movies, although they brought fun to a whole new level, there was yet to be an intelligent movie from Hong Kong....until now. I just watched Infernal Affairs and I have to say, this movie blew me away.

The story breaks the mold of "if it's not broken, don't fix it". The story challenges the viewers to think, and we never know how the story ends until the very last frames of the movie. Sam is a triad boss and he plants a mole, Lau in the police force. Similarly, the Police Superintendent Wong plants their own mole, Yan in the triad. After 10 long years, Yan and Lau have fit in their roles perfectly. Lau has since impressed his superiors that he is given a promotion to Inspector. Meanwhile, Yan has earned the respect of Sam and is now in his trustworthy circle. Things start to heat up and it's not long before both parties realize they have a mole in their side. The movie continues with a cat and mouse game of figuring out who exactly is the informant and concludes with a spectacular finale that puts most Hollywood movies to shame.

First things first, I LOVED the story. It is not a story of good guy vs. bad guy. It's about who they become. The movie questions, the moles have been in reverse sides for so long, is it possible they take on that role permanently? If they don't, what's to stop them? Is it trust or the fact that people can't change who they are no matter how hard they tried? The events that unfold throughout the movie, when the police is trying to outsmart the triad and vice versa, is also something to shout about. As is when the 2 moles are trying to find out who the other person is. Trust me, they make very good adversaries and they are always one little step behind each other, no one seems have the advantage and that is what makes the story so thrilling. It keeps us guessing, there are no obvious conclusions. And while there are gunfight scenes, they exist largely to strengthen the story and not the other way round. One thing's for sure, Infernal Affairs is banking on it's intelligence more than it's action and personally, I found it refreshing. Kudos to the writers for doing a fantastic job keeping us at the edge of our seats the entire time.

With an already great script, they needed good actors. Andy Lau and Tony Leung mesmerize us with their performances. These characters are a delight to watch, never have there been a pairing like this since Vince and Jules in Pulp Fiction. Their confidence never seems to waiver as they're trying to outdo each other, yet we get a sense of emotional degradation as time goes by and we realize, they want to go back to living a normal life. They are tired of the lies and deceit, not only to themselves but to the people they care about. These two give such commendable performances that they tend to overshadow the quality acting of two Hong Kong movie veterans, Anthony Wong and Eric Tsang, as the Police Superintendent and triad boss respectively. Although sharing less screen time than the two leads, they gave brilliant performances as well to further push the movie to perfection.

In the end, I really have to admit that this movie is superb in all accounts thus the 5-star rating. I am not rating this movie as a "Hong Kong movie" but as a movie in general. I enjoyed this movie thoroughly for it's original script and wonderful acting. Rarely do I enjoy a movie this much and I can say with a degree of confidence, this movie is so much better than most Hollywood movies out there. Watch it and you'll know. Definitely a classic in my books. Note: This movie won multiple "Best Movie" awards in Asia, as did the actors for their acting here.

p/s I read that the great Scorsese is making a movie based on Infernal Affairs, starring Leo DiCaprio, Matt Damon and Jack Nicholson. I can't wait! Here's to hoping Scorsese will breathe new life to this already great movie.