Infernal Affairs (2002)

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.

Directors:

Andrew Lau, Alan Mak

Writers:

Alan Mak, Felix Chong

Stars:

Andy Lau, Tony Chiu-Wai Leung, Anthony Chau-Sang Wong

24 wins & 26 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Andy Lau	...	Inspector Lau Kin Ming
Tony Chiu-Wai Leung	...	Chen Wing Yan (as Tony Leung)
Anthony Chau-Sang Wong	...	SP Wong Chi Shing (as Anthony Wong)
Eric Tsang	...	Hon Sam
Kelly Chen	...	Dr. Lee Sum Yee
Sammi Cheng	...	Mary
Edison Chen	...	Young Lau Kin Ming
Shawn Yue	...	Young Chan Wing Yan
Elva Hsiao	...	May
Chapman To	...	Tsui Wai-keung
Ka Tung Lam	...	Inspector B (as Lam Ka Tung)
Ting Yip Ng	...	Inspector Cheung (as Ng Ting Yip)
Dion Lam	...	Del Piero
Chi Keung Wan	...	Officer Leung (as Wan Chi Keung)
Hui Kam Fung	...	Cadet School Principal

Storyline

Chan Wing Yan, a young police officer, has been sent undercover as a mole in the local mafia. Lau Kin Ming, a young mafia member, infiltrates the police force. Years later, their older counterparts, Chen Wing Yan and Inspector Lau Kin Ming, respectively, race against time to expose the mole within their midst.

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Plot Keywords:

mole | police | undercover cop | neo noir | triad | 

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Taglines:

Loyalty. Honor. Betrayal.

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Genres:

Action | Crime | Drama | Mystery | Thriller

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for violence

Did You Know?

Trivia

The rooftop scene between Andy Lau and Tony Chiu-Wai Leung specifically does not allow gunfire. Hence, the scene (though having guns displayed) contains no actual gunfire.

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Goofs

When Lau goes to listen to the "sampler" CD that's been dropped off for him, he presses the button on the player and we see the CD drawer close twice - first in the long-shot, and then in a close-up that starts from a fully-open position on the drawer.

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Quotes

Keung: Remember this, if you see someone doing something but at the same time watching you... then he is a cop.

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Alternate Versions

For the Chinese version an alternate ("politically correct") ending was used. In it, Lau gets arrested when he leaves the elevator.

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Connections

Featured in Mark Kermode's Secrets of Cinema: The Heist (2018)

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Soundtracks

Infernal Affairs
Composed & Arranged by Ronald Ng
Performed by Andy Lau and Tony Chiu-Wai Leung (as Tony Leung)
Produced by Ronald Ng and Kwok-Leung Chan
O.P. BMG Music Publishing Hong Kong, Ltd./Catchy Music Publishing, Ltd.

User Reviews

This original surpasses Hollywood's knock-off "The Departed"

I ran across this movie some time ago on Netflix, and the description intrigued me. While I am not always one for subtitled films, I did not find it to be a distraction with his movie because the plot captivated me.

As many of you are aware, this movie was remade by Hollywood and released in 2006 under the name "The Departed" where it has been treated by the media as such a "fabulous" and "innovative" storyline. None of them bothered to discover that "The Departed" was a remake of this movie.

Happily, some of the classic lines such as chopping one up and feeding him to the poor survived the Hollywood chopping block, but the fabulous method of communicating secretly via Morse Code did not make the transition from Hong Kong to Hollywood.

My suggestion: if you loved this original, then do not disappoint yourself watching the Hollywood remake.

Details

Official Sites:

Official Facebook Official site

Country:

Hong Kong

Language:

Cantonese English Thai

Release Date:

12 December 2002 (Hong Kong)

Also Known As:

Infernal Affairs

Filming Locations:

Ten Thousand Buddhas Monastery, Sha Tin, New Territories, Hong Kong, China

Box Office

Budget:

$6,428,966 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$25,680, 26 September 2004

Gross USA:

$169,659

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$8,836,958

Company Credits

Production Co:

Media Asia Films, Basic Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

101 min 97 min (director's cut)

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Black and White Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1