“Infernal Affairs” may have won seven out of the sixteen Hong Kong Film Awards it was nominated for in 2002, including beating Zhang Yimou’s “Hero” as Best Film, but the majority of Americans probably didn’t hear of it until it was remade by Martin Scorsese four years later as “The Departed.” And while that’s a shame that it took so many people so long to discover this 2002 Hong Kong gem by directors Andrew Lau and Alan Mak, it’s great that they did discover it. Join us – Pete Wright and Andy Nelson – as we continue our Movies & Their Remakes series with Lau’s and Mak’s crime thriller “Infernal Affairs.” We talk about the title, why it’s silly to overexplain the English title, what the original Chinese title “The Unceasing Path” means and things you can read about the film from it. We discuss the actors, primarily Tony Leung and Andy Lau (not related to the director), and how so many of the actors here are performers in other capacities. (Cantopop, anyone?) We chat about the almost pathetic role the women play in this version of the story. And we hit on the taut storytelling style exhibited here which lets us really focus on the struggle the two main characters go through. It’s a wonderful film and definitely worth watching regardless of whether you’ve seen “The Departed” or not. So give it a shot then tune in!
Film Sundries
- Watch this film: iTunes • Amazon • Netflix
- Script Transcript
- Original theatrical trailer
- Original poster artwork
- Flickchart
