The Corruptor (1999)

With the aid from a NYC policeman, a top immigrant cop tries to stop drug-trafficking and corruption by immigrant Chinese Triads, but things complicate when the Triads try to bribe the policeman.

Director:

James Foley

Writer:

Robert Pucci

Stars:

Yun-Fat Chow, Mark Wahlberg, Ric Young

1 nomination.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Yun-Fat Chow	...	Nick Chen (as Chow Yun-Fat)
Mark Wahlberg	...	Danny Wallace
Ric Young	...	Henry Lee
Paul Ben-Victor	...	Schabacker
Jon Kit Lee	...	Jack
Andrew Pang	...	Willy Ung
Elizabeth Lindsey	...	Louise Deng
Brian Cox	...	Sean Wallace
Byron Mann	...	Bobby Vu
Kim Chan	...	Benny Wong
Bill MacDonald	...	Vince Kirkpatrick
Susie Trinh	...	Amy San
Ho Chow	...	Black Eyes
Olivia Yap	...	Tai
Lynda Chiu	...	Kim

Storyline

Nick Chen is one of New York City's most martial police officers and the first Chinese-born immigrant on the force. Chen's job is to keep the peace in Chinatown from a turf war that has broken out between the Triads and the ruthless, and dangerous Fukienese Dragons. Chen teams up with Danny Wallace, who is terribly unaware of this situation. When the Tongs boldly attempt to bribe Wallace, Chen is forced to keep his faithfulness.

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Plot Keywords:

new york | police | triad | chinatown | undercover | 

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Taglines:

No law. No rules. No justice. [translation Dutch tagline]

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Genres:

Action | Crime | Drama | Mystery | Thriller

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for strong violence, language and sexuality

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English Cantonese

Release Date:

12 March 1999 (USA)

Also Known As:

Le corrupteur

Filming Locations:

Chinatown, Manhattan, New York City, New York, USA

Box Office

Opening Weekend:

£139,738 (UK) (21 May 1999)

Gross:

£282,919 (UK) (28 May 1999)

Company Credits

Production Co:

New Line Cinema, Illusion Entertainment Group

Technical Specs

Runtime:

110 min

Sound Mix:

DTS Dolby Digital SDDS

Color:

Color (DeLuxe) (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The close-ups of Yun-Fat Chow shooting a criminal at point blank range with a small revolver (as in the opening, and massage parlor raids) were directly inspired by the famous photograph of a Vietnamese soldier committing an execution.

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Goofs

The NYPD's 13th Precinct does not cover Chinatown, the 5th Precinct does.

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Quotes

Sean Wallace: [to his son] Got a drink? I'm drier than a ninety-year-old tit.

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Connections

Featured in Shooting the Police: Cops on Film (2006)

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Soundtracks

"Touch It"
Written by Tim Stahl, John Guldberg, Jack Knight & ScrewFace
Performed by Monifah
Courtesy of Universal Records
Under license from Universal Music Special Markets
Contains a sample of "White Horse"
Courtesy of EMI-Medley Records

User Reviews

Misunderstood - A Great Film

The Corrupter is beset by expectations of Yun-Fat Chow in another John Woo flick. This isn't a John Woo flick (and I mean the old John Woo pre-American Studio), but it does evoke moments that are very John Woo/Yun-Fat Chow esque ala The Killer and the blind girl.

This film is a character study of Nick Chen and Danny Wallace (played very well by Mark Wahlberg) as cops that must make decisions that may compromise their professional and personal integrity, but the lines drawn are not as simple as that. The film really asks people under what circumstances is it okay to bend the rules in order to achieve results that otherwise would not be possible? Would it be okay to let one guilty person go in order to catch ten more in the future? Would it be okay to convict one innocent person in order to catch a thousand guilty in the future?

Danny Wallace joins Nick Chen in the Chinatown task group. Danny is forced to ask himself whether the short term actions, and their moral implications, are worth the long term good of the force, himself, and his family.