Infernal Affairs

Directed by Andrew Lau & Alan Mak (2002) 

Hong Kong

Infernal Affairs is the Hong Kong film that inspired Martin Scorsese's Oscar-winning film, The Departed, so if you liked that one, it is only natural that you give this one a shot. Infernal Affairs is the classic story of a gangster and an undercover cop. But this time, there is a police mole in the gang and there is a gang mole in the police force. The question is, which one of them will discover the other one first?

The English title for this film is not the Cantonese title, The Unceasing Path. Infernal Affairs was chosen for the English title because the corruption in the police force is an internal affair. The original Cantonese title references the lowest level of hell in Buddhism, so the word infernal plays on that. If you try to look up the movie Internal Affairs, you will have a little trouble finding this title. 

Hollywood has the Walk of Fame,
and Hong Kong has the Avenue
of Stars with this statue of Bruce Lee.
(nexusholidays.com)

This movie is one of the successful examples of the many films that are being produced in Hong Kong. Hong Kong has become a hub for film production due to its geographic location. The cinema is popular with nearby Asian nations, and because there are so many great stories being featured in their cinema, Hong Kong films are gaining popularity in countries like the United States. More and more recognition is being paid to Hong Kong films on the international circuit, and Hollywood has their eyes set on remaking a lot of these movies for their own market. In many cases, film fans want to see the original film, allowing them to find great foreign movies like this one. This was the first film from Hong Kong I have seen, and I know I will be looking for more. No wonder Hong Kong’s film industry made $26 million USD from film exports in 2012.

If you like this title, also be sure to check out the two sequels, Infernal Affairs 2 & Infernal Affairs 3. I haven't gotten a chance to view them, but if they are anything like Infernal Affairs, they will be worth a watch.

Bonus Material: If you have seen The Departed, look out for the Boston Red Sox hat in one of Infernal Affairs' scenes. Is it just a coincidence that The Departed was set in Boston?

If You Like "Escape from Alcatraz" or "The Rock", You Will Love...

Le Trou (The Hole) – France (1960)

Le Trou is the French grand-père of Escape from Alcatraz and great grand-père of The Rock. It takes place inside a Parisian prison in 1947 where cellmates are trying to plan an escape. Whether or not they successfully make it out of the prison, you will have to find out for yourself. But this movie is now included on my top twenty-five list of all time.

My favorite thing about this movie is the minimalism. While there isn’t too much dialogue and absolutely no CGI or special effects, I sat in suspense the entire time I was watching this, wondering if the inmates would be caught as they explored the inner workings of the prison. As a viewer, you feel like you are right there with them, except for the fact you are lucky enough to be eating from a bowl of popcorn on your couch.