Restored Version 2021 - World Festival Premiere
Infernal Affairs
無間道 (Mou gaan dou)
Hong Kong, 2002, 101’, Cantonese
Directed by: Andrew Lau, Alan Mak
Script: Alan Mak, Felix Chong
Photography (color): Andrew Lau, Lai Yiu-fai, Christopher Doyle
Art Direction: Choo Sung-bong, Wong Jing-jing
Music: Chan Kwong-wing
Action: Dion Lam
Production Companies: Media Asia, Basic Pictures
Cast: Andy Lau, Tony Leung Chiu-wai, Anthony Wong, Eric Tsang, Sammi Cheng, Kelly Chen, Elva Hsiao, Chapman To, Gordon Lam, Edison Chen, Shawn Yue, Berg Ng, Wan Chi-keung, Dion Lam, Tony Ho
Date of First Release in Territory: December 12th, 2002
When Andrew Lau and Alan Mak’s Infernal Affairs was released in 2002, it would go on to conquer the box office, earn critical acclaim, win numerous awards, and spawn a franchise with two sequels – all accomplishments that make it one of the most important Hong Kong films produced after the 1997 Handover. But Infernal Affairs is considered to be more than just an important film – it’s a legendary one that’s a cultural touchstone and measuring stick for what Hong Kongers consider representative local filmmaking. This year, FEFF is presenting the world premiere of the film’s new 4K restoration, which was overseen by Bologna-based L’Immagine Ritrovata.
The concept for Infernal Affairs by screenwriters Alan Mak and Felix Chong instantly struck a chord. Two men, one a cop (Tony Leung Chiu-wai) and one a triad (Andy Lau), work as undercover agents embedded in the opposing side, and are assigned to find the identity of the other before their own identity is exposed. Besides being a clever look at the duality of man, the story features men struggling with conflicting identities. Hong Kong’s identity crisis has long been fodder for cinema metaphor, making this story especially resonant to local audiences. However, these are themes with universal appeal.
The film features an amazing collection of talent. Besides perennial superstar Andy Lau and internationally-renowned actor Tony Leung Chiu-wai, Infernal Affairs featured two award-winning character actors (Anthony Wong and Eric Tsang), two established starlets (Sammi Cheng and Kelly Chen), two rising young idols (Shawn Yue and Edison Chen), and finally Chapman To before he became an A-list screen comedian. Also, the film looked fabulous and sounded great, and its climax was unpredictable, complex, and satisfying.
Infernal Affairs required a different ending for its mainland China release, i.e., one in keeping with the “crime doesn’t pay” ethos assumed in China’s loose content rules. This alternative ending was ignored for the two sequels, though Infernal Affairs III delivers more or less the same conclusion as the mainland cut of the first Infernal Affairs. The result is that the first Infernal Affairs looks even more unique and uncompromising in retrospect.
Infernal Affairs also has the reputation of being a “savior” of the Hong Kong box office, thanks to its exorbitant HK$50 million gross at the time of release. This “savior” claim was mostly reactionary, but it serves as another feather in the cap of a film that had already accomplished so much. Infernal Affairs swept the top awards at the Hong Kong Film Awards, and was similarly rewarded at the Taipei Golden Horse Awards. Infernal Affairs also won popularity across Asia, and even took home the Audience Award at FEFF 2003.
Infernal Affairs is a film that stirred enormous pride in Hong Kongers. It has few flaws in its pedigree, and was executed so perfectly that it would be difficult to see how any audience would not appreciate it. Fans of movie stars love the cast, fans of commercial filmmaking enjoy the genre and the production, and critics appreciate the layered screenplay, fine performances, and uncompromising edge. Western cinephiles love Infernal Affairs too, because Hollywood remade it as the Oscar-winning The Departed (2006) and it won Martin Scorsese his first Academy Award for directing, which is something that Taxi Driver (1976), Raging Bull (1980) and Goodfellas (1990) could not accomplish. Infernal Affairs is perhaps more than legendary – maybe it’s charmed. It’s a little silly to think so, but it would explain how a single movie was able to accomplish so very much.
Andrew Lau
The directorial career of Andrew Lau (b. 1960) took off with the Young and Dangerous series (1996-2000). Lau soon became Hong Kong’s go-to director for big special effects fantasy films. Lau is internationally well known for his work as co-director with Alan Mak on the Infernal Affairs trilogy (2002-03).
SELECTED FILMOGRAPHY
1996 – Young and Dangerous
1998 – The Storm Riders
2002 – Infernal Affairs (co-director)
2003 – Infernal Affairs II (co-director)
2003 – Infernal Affairs III (co-director)
2005 – Initial D (co-director)
2006 – Confession of Pain (co-director)
2010 – Legend of the Fist: The Return of Chen Zhen
2011 – A Beautiful Life
2012 – The Guillotines
2019 – The Captain
Alan Mak
Alan Mak (b. 1965) made his directing debut in 1998 with the thriller Nude Fear. His filmmaking career kicked up a gear in 2002-2003 when he co-directed, with Andrew Lau, the Infernal Affairs trilogy.
SELECTED FILMOGRAPHY
2002 – Infernal Affairs (co-director)
2003 – Infernal Affairs II (co-director)
2003 – Infernal Affairs III (co-director)
2005 – Initial D (co-director)
2005 – Moonlight in Tokyo (co-director)
2006 – Confession of Pain (co-director)
2009 – Overheard (co-director)
2011 – The Lost Bladesman (co-director)
2012 – The Silent War
2019 – Integrity