A story between a mole in the police department and an undercover cop. Their objectives are the same: to find out who is the mole, and who is the cop.A story between a mole in the police department and an undercover cop. Their objectives are the same: to find out who is the mole, and who is the cop.A story between a mole in the police department and an undercover cop. Their objectives are the same: to find out who is the mole, and who is the cop.
- Awards
- 24 wins & 26 nominations
Tony Leung Chiu-wai
- Chen Wing Yan
- (as Tony Leung)
Anthony Chau-Sang Wong
- SP Wong Chi Shing
- (as Anthony Wong)
Ka-Tung Lam
- Inspector B
- (as Lam Ka Tung)
Ting Yip Ng
- Inspector Cheung
- (as Ng Ting Yip)
Chi-Keung Wan
- Officer Leung
- (as Wan Chi Keung)
- Directors
- Writers
- All cast & crew
- Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaWhen Yan and SP Wong are waiting at the elevator, the digital floor counter skips the 4th floor. In China and Hong Kong, the number 4 is considered bad luck because it sounds similar to the word 'death'.
- GoofsShawn Yue (Young Chen Wing Yan) is taller than Anthony Chau-Sang Wong (SP Wong Chi Shing), and there is a brief shot of them standing together. Tony Chiu-Wai Leung (Chen Wing Yan) is clearly shorter than Anthony Chau-Sang Wong, so the character has apparently shrunken.
- Quotes
Lau Kin Ming: I have no choice before, but now I want to turn over a new leaf.
Chan Wing Yan: Good. Try telling that to the judge; see what he has to say.
Lau Kin Ming: You want me dead?
Chan Wing Yan: Sorry, I'm a cop
Lau Kin Ming: Who knows that?
- Alternate versionsFor the Chinese version an alternate ("politically correct") ending was used. In it, Lau gets arrested when he leaves the elevator.
- ConnectionsEdited into Infernal Affairs III (2003)
- SoundtracksInfernal Affairs
Composed & Arranged by Ronald Ng
Performed by Andy Lau and Tony Leung Chiu-wai (as Tony Leung)
Produced by Ronald Ng and Kwok-Leung Chan
O.P. BMG Music Publishing Hong Kong, Ltd./Catchy Music Publishing, Ltd.
Featured review
Thrilling Chase of Cop Vs. Cop
I'm late in discovering the Hong Kong crime thriller genre so I can only compare "Infernal Affairs (Mou gaan dou))" to its Hollywood compatriots. It grippingly is the equal of such intense examinations of the anguish of undercover cops as "Donnie Brascoe" or dirty cops such as "Narc" or "Training Day."
Key is the dynamic opposite pairing of two leonine, charismatic actors, Tony Leung Chiu Wai, the self-sacrificing heart throb from "Hero (Ying xiong)" and the languid lover from "In the Mood for Love (Fa yeung nin wa)" here as an antsy, anguished too long undercover cop versus Andy Lau as his crisply efficient, ambitious counterpart.
The plot, propelled as well by the music, unpredictably twists and takes hairpin turns from the beginning so that even with helpful flashbacks it's a thrilling roller coaster ride to try to follow the constantly changing loyalties, manipulations, deals and revelations, not unlike the TV series "The Wire."
Regardless, you get that the real battle is for the characters' souls as much as their lives and you hold your breath to the last surprising minute. The initial motivations for how the men came to be at this crossroads will doubtless be explored in the prequel and sequel that haven't been released in the U.S. yet.
The women are just the girlfriends, but they do have separate lives, jobs and choices that impact the men in their lives.
With noted cinematographer Christopher Doyle is listed as a "visual consultant" in the credits, the great bulk of the film takes place at night, like a comparable chase film "Collateral," so it was unfortunate that the print I saw was not pristine.
It was also annoying that the subtitles were white on white illegible and that ideograms that are shown in the scene are not translated, even when the camera rests on them for a length of time that makes one assume something significant is written there.
Key is the dynamic opposite pairing of two leonine, charismatic actors, Tony Leung Chiu Wai, the self-sacrificing heart throb from "Hero (Ying xiong)" and the languid lover from "In the Mood for Love (Fa yeung nin wa)" here as an antsy, anguished too long undercover cop versus Andy Lau as his crisply efficient, ambitious counterpart.
The plot, propelled as well by the music, unpredictably twists and takes hairpin turns from the beginning so that even with helpful flashbacks it's a thrilling roller coaster ride to try to follow the constantly changing loyalties, manipulations, deals and revelations, not unlike the TV series "The Wire."
Regardless, you get that the real battle is for the characters' souls as much as their lives and you hold your breath to the last surprising minute. The initial motivations for how the men came to be at this crossroads will doubtless be explored in the prequel and sequel that haven't been released in the U.S. yet.
The women are just the girlfriends, but they do have separate lives, jobs and choices that impact the men in their lives.
With noted cinematographer Christopher Doyle is listed as a "visual consultant" in the credits, the great bulk of the film takes place at night, like a comparable chase film "Collateral," so it was unfortunate that the print I saw was not pristine.
It was also annoying that the subtitles were white on white illegible and that ideograms that are shown in the scene are not translated, even when the camera rests on them for a length of time that makes one assume something significant is written there.
helpful•5815
- noralee
- Oct 15, 2004
Details
- Release date
- Country of origin
- Official sites
- Languages
- Also known as
- Vô Gian Đạo
- Filming locations
- Ten Thousand Buddhas Monastery, Sha Tin, New Territories, Hong Kong, China(opening scene: temple)
- Production companies
- See more company credits at IMDbPro
Box office
- Budget
- $6,428,966 (estimated)
- Gross US & Canada
- $169,659
- Opening weekend US & Canada
- $25,680
- Sep 26, 2004
- Gross worldwide
- $8,836,958
- Runtime1 hour 41 minutes
- Color
- Sound mix
- Aspect ratio
- 2.35 : 1
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