Infernal Affairs 2002: The quest for identity

[SPOILER ALERT]

Infernal affairs (2002) is a psychic, crime-thriller movie directed by Alan Mak and Andrew Lau and written by Alan Mak and Felix Wong. It reached Hong Kong’s number one box-office hit and grossed over 55 million Hong Kong dollars, become the second highest-profiting regional movie just after Shaolin Soccer (Stephen Chow, 2001). It explores the identity crisis of two undercovers struggling with their morality and royalty in the triad and the police force. Starring high-profile figures including Tony Leung and Andy Lau as the main characters, the film also loads with popular icons Eric Tsang, Anthony Wong, Edison Chen, and Kelly Chen. It is followed by two sequels, Infernal Affairs II (2003) and Infernal Affairs III (2003).

Followed its first premiere, the film received many wins at Hong Kong Film Awards, namely Best Picture, Best Director, Best Screenplay, and Best Supporting Actor (Wong). Its success in art and commercial line is also enjoyed internationally when Martin Scorsese remade the movie as The Departed (2006) which featured Leonardo Dicaprio and Matt Damon in the role of Tony Leung and Andy Lau respectively.

Its Chinese title, read as “Mou Gaan Dou’’, means “the unceasing path”, refers to Avici, the eighth level of Hell in Buddhism, where man continuously endure eternal suffering. The English title is also a wordplay as “inferno” is the Italian word for “hell”, implicits the condition of incessant pain.

The director Andrew Lau is referred as the life savior to Hong Kong film industry in the time of creativity deprivation, he is also famous for the gangster action films that are Young and Dangerous (1996), The Storm Rider (1998). With Infernal Affairs trilogy, he not only successfully followed the predecessors of heroic bloodshed theme, but also set a new trend in modern crime drama genre. It seems that the inspiration for Lau started with John Woo’s blockbuster A Better Tomorrow (1986), Hard Boiled (1992) and Ringo Lam’s City on Fire (1987), which also about the rivalry between cops and triads with glorification of honor, loyalty and the mirror image of hero and villain. However, with added compelling factors, modern concept of mixed identity, and prolific Hong Kong stars, Lau has outdone his predecessors, both financially and critically.

The movie portraits the never-ending confrontation between Hong Kong triad and the police officers. Yan (Tony Leung Chiu-wai) is a cop and has been deep undercover for 10 years into different gangster groups; meanwhile, Ming (Andy Lau) is a secret member of the triad who successfully infiltrates into the police force for an equal time. They all rise through the ranks and hold respective positions in their “professions”. As the film progresses, both men gradually feel uncertain about their double lives. Yan experiences pressure and stress after all the years working as a mole that he starts to question his motivation and focus; the same goes with Ming when his royalty to Sam, the ruthless mafia boss whom Yan currently works for, is not in total confidence when his ambition for social status is escalating out of Sam’s reach. The plot twists as when both sides realize there is a spy within their organisations and assign Ming and Yan to uncover the identity of the other, which ironically, are themselves. Although the movie is about the rivalry between cop and villain in the modern society, its true spotlight weights on the moral war and the inner turmoil of Ming and Yan, as they are torn between the struggle of conflicted identity while feigning/maintaining their loyalties to their double bosses.

The film starts with fast-pace, brisk cutting, sudden scene-shifting effect, it alerts the struggle of men living with false identities in a structured places where border is clearly defined. As the straight hero, the crisis Yan experiences rooting from his anxiety of living a double life. At the beginning, we could see Yan requests SP Wong to ditch him off as he is tired of hiding in darkness and wants to get back to his authentic self. Although it seems like Yan has a firmer grasp on his identity, showing when he tries to stay fixed, being loyal and straight to his real boss, he is the one who constantly endures the emotional torture. More than once, he claims to Wong and Chen, the shrink, that he is being paranoid and schizophrenic. The fact that he slowly slips to criminal charges, like assaulting, snorting cocaine is the price for being undercover for so long.

But he knows who he really is. The confusion and anxiety he shows at very first of the film deviate and lead the audience into the false thought of him getting lost. The truth is, he stating “I am a cop” affirmatively to the doctor and to Ming more than once shows a strong belief to his true identity. No matter how long he activates in the mob, what crime he commits, he is still a cop. And he knows it very well.

While Ming is a cool cucumber, Yan is an emotional person. It is well depicted when he salutes his boss as the funeral car goes by. The earnest look in his eyes says much how emotional and sorrowful he feels. And then it strikes him painfully when he saw the abrupt, brutal death of SP Wong, the only person knows his true identity, and might be the only one could help him "come into the light". Yan’s facial expression and his telling eyes shows his deep shock, pain and regret that he forgets his role as a gangster, an enemy to come close to Wong’s body. Later on when he finds out the truth about Ming, he confuses but determines to follow his morality, to get Ming cuffed and hand him to the police. It is the consistently moral nature of Yan that gets him slain in later part of the movie.

Ming’s character is slightly more complex than Yan’s. While Yan seems to be outspoken with the triad; Ming, on the other hand, in the office suit and shiny police badge, is more reserved, calm and vigilant. Because he knows even a single, smallest derailment from the norm can expose his identity. Therefore, Ming’s clean cut perfomance, angular feature, unimpressed eyes make him difficult to be seen through, to perfectly covered his true self inside. If Yan is an open book, then Ming would be a closed, carefully wrapped one.

Unlike Yan who wants a comeback, Ming develops the tendency to eliminate his criminal past and become clean. As a new entrant to the police academy, Ming shows a stern, uninteresting look as he wants no part of a police life, but when the older Ming takes over, that attitude starts to change. The scene golf playing on top floor of a building witnesses his reluctance. As a respected inspector, he has great chances lie ahead: happy life with his fiancée, big promotion, “open horizon” - an essential entice for his turnaround, because if he gets exposed he would lose everything. Therefore, Ming’s reason to get out seemingly roots from selfishness and personal ambitions. That stems his sinister proceeding of betrayal, only in an attempt for his own good (he unawarely plot SP Wong’s death, deadshot his former boss and kill Inspector B, who reveals to be Sam’s mole too).

The explanation for his fluid identity can be understood as him lacking of ethical code, and this allows his character to be in flux throughout the film and ladders his mole role success. Thus, his vague persona allows him to flexibly stand between good and evil sides, without reluctance, and unharmed. This makes his character more interesting and engaging.

However, the decisive moment when Ming turns against his mafia boss falters as it fails to provide Ming with clarification on his betrayal decision. Compared to Yan’s incident of seeing his boss, his dear friend died that leads him to revenge, Ming character does not get enough twists and turns to justify his to-be-a-good-cop transformation. It is not well explained why Ming turns against his true boss, is it because of sentimental, guilty feeling for the death of SP Wong; or is it because he wants to get on the status ladder? If so, why did not he just rip off his mole role long ago? That causes Ming character look shallow, unconvincing and lack of depth, which is not what he is about. Therefore in Ming’s case, the potential is totally wasted.

In all, Infernal Affairs has a paradoxical way of building the protagonist personas that makes them to be the exact mirror image of each other with parallel fates. Yan, after going through all the hardship as undercover, wishes to live a normal life; while Ming, captivated by the upper class life, longs to keep his status as a respectful policeman. For Yan to live an ordinary life, he gets to bust Ming and claim his authentic identity as a cop. For Ming who wants to remain as a cop, must deny his pasts and eliminate witnesses who might have the possession of this information. The iconic rooftop scene is depicted as a convention of two worlds, where darkness and light all come into one, where identities are pushed back to where they belong, where Yan can finally did the very first thing he has always wanted to do, to cuff a culprit and execute his role as a cop; and Ming, for the first time, to be caught off of his fake identity.

The film is a mixture between psychology and action genre: gunfire, conspiracy, mobster, cop agents with precise and intense scenes. But what makes it special is the psychological element, the moral journey of the characters and the tragedy of being a mole. There is also the hierarchy in the triad system, the brotherhood within mobsters, and the tricks they use to foil other’s business. The film is also a great performance of Hong Kong modernisation with skyrocketing buildings, modern cityscape, advanced technology and Westernised language.

The identity crisis is one of major themes in this well-crafted work. Even both protagonists cannot tell if he is good or bad, and which side that they truly fight for, cast them in an ambiguous light throughout the movie. This dilemma is closely related to the current situation of Hong Kong. After the 1997 handover, the citizen is also torn between Chinese regime and British colonial remnants. The fate of two protagonists embodies the double identities of Hong Kong as it reluctantly accepts China as “motherland” when the Westernised lifestyle has been rooted inside its culture. Through Ming’s survival with his fluid personality, the film implicits the identity in this chaotic age is flexible rather than fixable and with his mixed identity, Ming gets away with his past. While Yan’s obsession with consistent and righteous identity, in turn, becomes inopportune in such changing reality. Therefore, the only way out for Hong Kong is to embrace its multiple roles as there would never be fixed identity with its colonial history.

Besides the rooftop scene, here is another most featured plot where SP Wong is shot and brutally dropped down to the ground by the gangster. I found an interesting Youtube video that compared this scene from the movies Departure.

Semiotics and Symbolism in Infernal Affairs

The film begins with reference to Buddhist sutra: “The worst of the eight hells is continuous hell — it has the meaning of continuous suffering.” and ends with “He who is in Continuous hell never dies”, this acts as a philosophy during the film. It connotes that both Ming and Yan, whoever involves the undercover life could never escape the guilty sensation, and the lost in identity. The film opens with the sound of a ringing bell, which symbolises the wake-up call for people of the sins to find their way back. But paradoxically, at this place, Sam bows to Buddha and reveal his ambitious quest for power. He sees himself as Caesar and uses that image to lure his recruits into his fantasy. “What thousands must die so Caesar might be great. But I don’t believe in fate. The rule is to take fate in our own hands.” They drink as a sign for their bond and obedience. As Buddha’s teaching “the root of all evil is desire”, so Sam’s unethical and devil temptation for power goes against Buddhism and deserves to cast into Avici Hell (Marchetti 2007).

Infernal Affairs blends itself with the background of cityscape, hints for Hong Kong’s modernisation and moving towards capitalism. Besides, the fact that most of Ming’s scenes take place at his claustrophobic office with grey blinds and surrounded by file cabinets suggest his growing obsession with his social status. In sharp contrast, Yan’s rooftop is a place of secret contacts with SP Wong. The stunning panorama view of the city and shimmering sunlight seems to suggest bright future, and the open blue sky, reflecting on the glass skyscrapers is his hope of being free (Law 2006).

Apart from figurative indicators, the film is filled with other semiotic signs, SP Wong also uses the tale of playing cards as a metaphor to his relationship with Sam while they both discover there is a mole within their ranks. The connotation Morse code as a secret communication channel, the imagery of a phone and a tape recording serves as dangerous as a loaded gun that can get someone in trouble. The envelope with the adjusted spelling and Ming’s tapping gesture can be used as signs to expose his identity.

The film plays with colors very well and that gets influenced from Hong Kong New Wave. Its poster mixes with blues and neon-toned green. In the drug-bust scene at the triad side, there fills with greenish color, against with neutral colors of the office. The cutting and camera movement gives the scene a muscle-clenching, suspenseful tension as both sides are playing witty cat-and-mouse game to get signals of the other. The cold and hard metallic shades of the police office contrast with warm, orange tints of Sam’s villa. The cinematography of the film moves from extra close-up to show facial expression to extreme long and wide panoramic shots of Hong Kong landscape. In the scene of SP Wong’s death, the camera comes close to capture Yan’s grief and shocked reaction. The solemn music looms in with the character’s flashback of memories, the slow motion dramatizes the plot to make his sacrifice becomes heroic. The brilliant use of cinematographic elements enhances the film experience, evokes the feeling of fears, intense, and suspense that make the movie appears more realistic.

In regard of colors, remember the part when Ming and Yan met the first time in an audio store? The music and hued warm colors, the camera span were all right in, leading the viewers to witness a scarcely ordinary aspect of these two men. They both shared a great interest for Hong Kong music to the level of expertise. And that is so far my most favourite scene during the film. Put aside the records of crime, and clandestine intension, they could be two people who understand the other most.

Infernal Affairs is a thrilling ride, a film packed with plenty of punctuated action, brisk violence and emotional suspense with moral lessons and a little bit of religion-based. This adds a new gamut to the crime action movie that can captivate the audience to the very last minute.