‘Infernal Affairs‘ (original title is ‘Mou gaan dou‘) is the 2002 film that inspired Martin Scorsese to direct the remake under the name ‘The Departed’ four years later. I had read in many places that this is one of those rare cases in which the American remake can be compared to the original, but only now I had the opportunity to see the film produced in Hong Kong and directed by Wai Keung Lau and Alan Mak. It is a psychological thriller combined with film noir, solid and original, which also represented a non-typical production for Hong Kong cinema at that time. Police films from there were already very popular, but most of them were based on action and especially on martial arts. ‘Infernal Affairs‘ approached the relations between police officers and organized crime in a completely different way and emphasized the experiences and dilemmas of the heroes, resembling from this point of view more the French gangster films of the ’60s and ’70s. The success of the film demonstrated that both local and international audiences were ready to accept something other than karate kicks or Kung Fu acrobatics.
‘Infernal Affairs‘ is a story about two moles – two informants infiltrated into enemy organizations. Police Inspector Lau is also the agent infiltrated into the police ranks by a mafia clan boss. Chen Wing is a gangster, but also an undercover agent who reports directly to the police chief who is the only one who knows about his existence. They were once colleagues at the police academy, but they never befriended and their paths diverged. When a major drug trafficking deal fails, the existence of the two moles is suspected by both the police and the gangster gang. Each of the two agents is looking for the other, but as the conflict intensifies, the life or death of each of them depends on the other.
The script is intelligently written and the confrontation becomes a game of minds but also of identities. When his boss is killed and because of the information he provided, Lau begins to feel remorse and looks for a way to redeem his mistakes. Chen Wing seems to get tired due to the constant fear of being discovered and doubts about his own identity. In order to survive among the gangsters, he is forced to commit abominable deeds. Has he actually become a villain too? Is there a way for any of them to recover their own identity and return to a normal life? The lead roles are played by two excellent actors – Andy Lau and Tony Leung Chiu-wai. Leonardo DiCaprio and Matt Damon had two reference models and I am not sure that they have risen to their level. The pace of the action is alert, surprises and complications abound and I think that action movies fans have nothing to complain about. The film also is a snapshot of a historical moment in the evolution of the city of Hong Kong with its streets, crowds, diversity and often violent conflicts. It is an image of a world on the verge of extinction, which takes with it, I’m afraid, some of the most original and interesting cinematography at the edge of the century.