Infernal Affairs

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This article is about the first film of the Infernal Affairs trilogy. For Infernal Affairs II, see Infernal Affairs II. For Infernal Affairs III, see Infernal Affairs III.
Infernal Affairs
Directed by Andrew Lau
Siu Fai Mak
Produced by Andrew Lau
Written by Felix Chong
Siu Fai Mak
Starring Tony Leung
Andy Lau
Anthony Wong
Eric Tsang
Distributed by Flag of United States Miramax Films
Release date(s) Flag of Hong Kong December 12, 2002
Flag of United States October 26, 2004
Running time 101 min.
Language Chinese
All Movie Guide profile
IMDb profile
Chinese name
Simplified Chinese: 无间道
Traditional Chinese: 無間道
Pinyin: wú jiān dào

Infernal Affairs (Chinese: 無間道; Jyutping: mou gaan dou; Mandarin Pinyin: Wú Jiān Dào) is a 2002 Hong Kong crime thriller. The Chinese title refers to Avici, the ultimate (lowest) 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, and 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 direly 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 to Infernal Affairs and the film was given a limited US theatrical release in 2004.

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

Contents

[edit] Plot

Spoiler warning: Plot and/or ending details follow.

Infernal Affairs is about a cop named Yan (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 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 police officer 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 police officer 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 police officer as he moved his head from behind Ming. The other police officer reveals that he 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 remains a secret.

The original ending climaxes with Ming identifying himself to the police as an officer, 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.

An alternate ending of Infernal Affairs was created for mainland China. 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. This ending was meant to please mainland officials by affirming that crime does not pay.

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:

22nd Annual Hong Kong Film Awards

  • Best Picture
  • Best Director - Andrew Lau and Alan Mak
  • Best Screenplay - Alan Mak and Felix Chong
  • Best Actor - Tony Leung
  • Best Supporting Actor - Anthony Wong
  • Best Editing - Danny Pang and Pang Ching Hei
  • Best Original Film Song - "Infernal Affairs," sung by Tony Leung and Andy Lau
  • Nomination - Best Actor (Andy Lau)
  • Nomination - Best Supporting Actor (Eric Tsang)
  • Nomination - Best Supporting Actor (Chapman To)
  • Nomination - Best Cinematography (Andrew Lau, Lai Yiu-Fai)
  • Nomination - Best Costume Design (Lee Pik-Kwan)
  • Nomination - Best Action Design (Dion Lam Dik-On)
  • Nomination - Best Original Score (Chan Kwong-Wing)
  • Nomination - Best Sound Effects (Tsang King-Cheung)
  • Nomination - Best Visual Effects

40th Annual Golden Horse Awards

  • Winner - Best Picture
  • Winner - Best Director (Andrew Lau, Alan Mak)
  • Winner - Best Actor (Tony Leung)
  • Winner - Best Supporting Actor (Anthony Wong)
  • Winner - Best Sound Effects (Tsang King-Cheung)
  • Winner - Audience Award
  • Nomination - Best Actor (Andy Lau)
  • Nomination - Best Original Screenplay (Alan Mak, Felix Chong)
  • Nomination - Best Editing (Danny Pang Fat, Pang Ching-Hei)
  • Nomination - Best Cinematography (Andrew Lau, Lai Yiu-Fai)
  • Nomination - Best Art Direction (Choo Sung Pong, Wong Ching-Ching)
  • Nomination - Best Action Design (Dion Lam Dik-On)

9th Annual Hong Kong Film Critics Society Awards

8th Annual Golden Bauhinia Awards

  • Winner - Best Picture
  • Winner - Best Director (Andrew Lau, Alan Mak)
  • Winner - Best Actor (Tony Leung)
  • Winner - Best Supporting Actor (Anthony Wong)
  • Winner - Best Screenplay (Alan Mak, Felix Chong)

[edit] Trivia

  • In a brief cut, a bypassing civilian is wearing a Boston Red Sox hat, in a very prominent scene. Coincidentally, the remake would be set in Boston. This civilian has been commonly, but incorrectly identified as an undercover cop.
  • Incorrectly identified as a Japanese film during the 79th Academy Awards. Martin Scorsese corrected this, calling it a Hong Kong film, during his acceptance speech for winning Best Director for The Departed, a remake of Infernal Affairs.
  • As Ming (Andy Lau) exits the lift in the penultimate scene, one of the police officers waiting for the doors to open is holding a firearm awkwardly without his finger even remotely close to the trigger.

[edit] See also

[edit] External links

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Cinema of Hong Kong

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