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Infernal Affairs

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Infernal Affairs
Image:InfernalAffairs.jpg
Directed by Andrew Lau
Mak Siu Fai
Produced by Andrew Lau
Starring Tony Leung
Andy Lau
Anthony Wong
Eric Tsang
Distributed by Miramax Films ( USA )
Release date(s) 12 December, 2002 (Hong Kong)
26 October, 2004 (USA)
Running time 101 min
Language Cantonese
IMDb profile

Infernal Affairs (Chinese: 無間道; Jyutping: mou4 gaan3 dou6, pinyin: Wú Jiàn Dào) is a 2002 Hong Kong crime thriller. The Chinese title refers to Avici, the ultimate level of hell in Buddhism, and literally means "The Non-Stop Way". The English title, while similarly having connotations of Dante's Inferno, is a play on words on internal affairs.

Infernal Affairs initially received much publicity because of its star-studded cast of Tony Leung, Andy Lau, Anthony Wong, Eric Tsang, Kelly Chen, and Sammi Cheng, original plot of undercover agents from both sides, compact and swift storytelling style, which later rose to critical acclaim.

The film did exceptionally well in Hong Kong and was considered "a box office miracle". It was heralded as a revival of Hong Kong cinema which at the time was considered to be lacking in creativity. Due to its commercial and critical success, Infernal Affairs was followed by the prequel Infernal Affairs II and the sequel Infernal Affairs III, both released in 2003.

Miramax Films had also acquired the United States distribution rights of Infernal Affairs and gave this movie a limited United States theatrical release in 2004.

In 2003 Brad Pitt's Plan B Productions acquired the rights for a Hollywood remake, titled The Departed, which was directed by Martin Scorsese, and stars Leonardo DiCaprio, Matt Damon and Jack Nicholson. The Departed was released on October 6, 2006.

Contents

[edit] Plot

Spoiler warning: Plot and/or ending details follow.

Internal Affairs is about a cop named Yan (played by Tony Leung) who goes deep undercover into the Triads, and Triad member Ming (Andy Lau), who infiltrates the police department. Each mole was planted by the rival organization to gain an advantage in intelligence over the other side. The more the moles become involved in their undercover lives, the more issues they have to cope with.

The film begins, after Yan and Ming converse at a hi-fi store where Yan works without knowing who each other is. A deal between Sam (Eric Tsang) and a Thai cocaine dealer is interrupted by Police Superintendent Wong (Anthony Wong) and his team due to Yan's tip-off using Morse Code. Ming alerted Sam of the bust with enough time for Sam to order his minions to dispose of the cocaine so the police would not have any real evidence on their hands. Now Wong and Sam realize that they each have moles within their respective organizations, putting them in a race against time to root out the other mole.

At the same time, Yan and Ming are both struggling with their double identity. Yan was starting to lose faith in himself as a cop after being a gangster for 10 years; while Ming, on the other hand, becomes more and more used to the life of a righteous policeman and wants to erase his criminal background.

Eventually, after the murder of Superintendent Wong by the triads, Ming retrieves Wong's old phone and makes contact with Yan, and together they foil a triad drug-deal and eventually kill Sam. Everything seems to work according to the plan: Yan could now return to his true identity as a police officer and Ming has successfully erased his criminal connections by eradicating Sam and his gangs. However, back at the police station, Yan discovers Ming was the mole, and leaves immediately. Ming realises what has happened, and erases Yan's identity from the police computer records. Yan spends an evening with his therapist, who he was falling in love with, and sends a CD to Ming's wife with a recording that Sam kept between himself and Ming. The two agree to meet on the rooftop of the building where Wong was murdered earlier. Yan manages to disarm Ming and holds a gun to his head. Another policeman arrives on the scene shortly afterwards and threatens Yan.

The film ends with Yan entering a lift backwards with Ming hostage, when he is suddenly shot in the head and killed by the other policeman as he moved his head from behind Ming. It turns out the other policeman was also a mole for the triads. He asks Ming for future protection and benefits since he is the only one who knows his true identity. As he and Ming enter the lift going down to the lobby, Ming shoots him dead thus ensuring his identity to be remained a secret.

The original ending climaxes with Ming identifying himself to the police, and paying homage to Yan at his funeral, where he is buried next to Superintendent Wong. A flashback reaffirms the point that Ming wished he had taken a different route in his life. The alternate ending has Ming exit the lift to be informed that the police force have found evidence that he was a mole. He hands them his badge and is arrested without protest.

The screenwriters use the word Infernal Affairs to describe not only the dangerous and miserable daily lives of the undercover agents who have to live with lies and suspicions all day, but also the internal struggle between their consciences and the dark sides within themselves. [original research?] Both moles have multiple faces, leading them to doubt their true identities. The cop is bewildered at his tendency for violence and the gangster would prefer to wash clean his past and become a respectable cop. They need to make choices whether to be virtuous or villainous, but in this cat-and-mouse game, there are too many factors beyond their control.

Spoilers end here.

[edit] Cast

[edit] Awards

Infernal Affairs did very well at the 2002 Hong Kong Film Awards, beating the blockbuster Hero for the Best Film award, and also winning the following:

[edit] Trivia

  • In a brief cut, an undercover cop is wearing a Boston Red Sox hat. Coincidentally, the remake would be set in Boston.

[edit] See also

[edit] External links

fr:Infernal Affairs id:Infernal Affairs nl:Infernal Affairs ja:インファナル・アフェア zh:無間道

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