Great
Chinese Film Invasion
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Shaolin Soccer
A Kung-Fu Jim Carrey

Hero
Zhang Yimou's CTHD

Infernal Affairs
Instant Good-Cop/Bad-Cop Classic

Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon Prequel
Bid for Another Miracle

GREAT CHINESE FILM INVASION of 2004

Infernal Affairs
Instant Good-Cop/Bad-Cop Classic
(August 20, 2004)

     No Hong Kong film has ever combined the level of box office success and critical caché enjoyed by Infernal Affairs. Two of Hong Kong's most popular actors are cast as moles leading opposite but parallel lives. Tony Leung is Chan, ostensibly expelled from the police academy but secretly assigned to infiltrate the organization of a triad boss named Hon. Andy Lau is Lau, sent to the academy by Hon himself to infiltrate the police force. Eleven years later both have worked their way up to trusted positions in their respective assignments. Both yearn to resume normal lives.

     The action ignites when police interception of a major drug shipment tips both sides off to the existence of the moles. The task of rooting out each mole is assigned to the mole himself. The survival of each depends on being the first to root out his counterpart. The film is unrelentingly dark, albeit slick and stylish. A literal translation of its Chinese title is "Way of Wujian". Wujian is the buddhist's bottom-most ring of hell. The psychological intensity adds to the suspense but removes the film from the realm of popular suspense thrillers.

     That makes the success of IA all the more remarkable. Released in December of 2002, it grossed US$7 million in Hong Kong alone, making it the most successful local product of all time. Given that the city's population is only 6.5 million, that's like an American film grossing $300 million domestically! It also swept the seven most important categories of the Hong Kong Film Awards, including best picture, director, actor, supporting actor, screenplay, editing and best original song. At the Golden Horse Awards it won best picture, director, actor, supporting actor and sound effects. Its success quickly inspired a Godfather-style expansion into a trilogy, with parts II and III being released within a year of the original. Little wonder Miramax picked up global distribution rights for the original. It's destined to become a classic of the genre.