DVD Review: Infernal Affairs

Director: Andrew Lau & Alan Mak
Cast: Tony Leung, Andy Lau, Anthony Wong and Eric Tsang

The following is a combination of portions of my review from the US theatrical release, as well as additions to that review and my opinion on the DVD extras, sound, etc. My original review (0/26/04, http://indiefilm.weblogsinc.com/entry/7280753642917386/) was written from a memory of a screening almost 2 years prior, so I felt I had to expand on it after viewing the DVD.

Infernal Affairs, the long-awaited and utterly brilliant Hong Kong crime thriller from Andrew Lau and Alan Mak was released in the US by Miramax on September 24th, 2004 and closed just 4 weeks later, grossing a paltry $92,584 (according to http://www.boxofficemojo.com). This result is not the fault of the film but rather the result of US distributor Miramax simply dumping this masterpiece on the US market and walking away. That action amounts to an artistic criminal act, as the film is an absolute gem and one of the best things to come out of Hong Kong since Mr. Phooey. Not only that, it is superior to any American crime thriller in decades, including Reservoir Dogs, Heat, Ronin and To Live and Die in LA, to mention but a few. Yes, I know you loved Dogs and how dare I go about dissing the pop culture darling Q.T. You know what? I loved Reservoir Dogs too, but considering Tarantino's love of Asian cinema, I suspect he (and his ego) can handle being placed behind something of such quality as Lau and Mak's triumph. This film harkens back to pictures like The French Connection and Serpico but is in no way a copycat of American films from the 70's. Affairs is instead infused with the singular style of Hong Kong filmmaking and at the same time is far from the usual by-the-numbers Hong Kong shoot 'em up.

Messers Lau and Mak have crafted a taut and suspenseful crime thriller from a smart screenplay by Mak and Felix Chong. The script is as tight as a drum and not a single 5-minute physics-defying martial arts fight is to be seen. Master cinematographer Christopher Doyle (Hero, In the Mood For Love) who has been working in Asia for ages is listed as a visual consultant and the camera work by DP’s Lau and Yiu-Fai Lai is excellent, helping to portray the troubled and ambiguous nature of the piece.

The story revolves around two Hong Kong police officers, with two very different undercover assignments. Chan (Tony Leung) is a brilliant police cadet assigned to a deep undercover life as a member of Hong Kong’s triads while Lau (Andy Lau) is a gang member working as a mole on the police force. Both actors deftly convey the emotions of men living so deeply in their false roles that they have trouble separating them from their real lives with Leung’s performance especially notable. When undercover as a gangster, his face registers as a bright mask with twinkling eyes and a wry sense of humor, but when alone or with his superior, Superintendent Wong (the only person on the force who knows his true identity as a policeman) his look relaxes into the utter despair and soulful vulnerability of so many years undercover without a real life. Leung’s eyes are among the most expressive in cinema today.

As the cat and mouse game between the gangsters and the law heats up, triad boss Sam (Eric Tsang) is brought into police HQ and confronted by Wong (Anthony Wong). The two have a long history on opposite sides of the law and as both know the existence of a traitor within their ranks, the race to uncover the moles is ratcheted up to an even higher level. Lines begin to blur as phrases such as “honor among thieves” and “the brotherhood of police” start to take on real meaning for both Chan and Lau. Making matters worse, they are each assigned to find the moles within their respective organizations, literally searching for themselves. The film escalates in intensity, rife with twists, shocks and red herrings until a climax with an emotional impact unusual for an action thriller.

Miramax’s “marketing” of the DVD release is about as shameful as their theatrical effort. The cover features the faces of the two leads separated by a woman in a tight micro-dress holding a gun. The problem is, there are no women in the film that carry a gun nor any female characters you would expect to do so. The image is simply there to drum up impulse rentals. Well if it works, then more people will see this genius work of cinema but that doesn’t mean the cover of the Hong Kong release wouldn’t have worked as well.

The film has also won multiple awards. To see a list, check out the IMDB at: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0338564/awards

The disc comes with Dolby Digital 5.1 sound and the original Chinese language soundtrack with English subtitles. There is an option to listen to a dubbed English track, but if you use it I will kill you. Extras include an alternate ending, “Confidential File” - A Behind the scenes look at Infernal Affairs, a “making of” featurette, the international trailer and the original Chinese trailer. Of the two mini-docs on the disc, the “making of” piece is the superior effort. It features talking-head interviews with this fantastic cast and crew members, most of whom may be unfamiliar even to US audiences with a passing interest in Asian cinema.

All photos except bottom © Buena Vista Home Entertainment. Bottom Image © Media Asia