Jiang Hu (2004) (DVD) (Hong Kong Version) DVD Region All

"Jiang Hu" is the shining star of the Hong Kong movie industry in 2004 with its A-listed cast. After "As Tears Go By" and "A Moment of Romance", Andy Lau teams up in the gangster world again with Jacky Cheung and Jacklyn Wu. "Jiang Hu" introduces a brand new production crew including independent movie director Wong Ching-po and Creative Media undergraduate To Chi-long.

The first impression "Jiang Hu" brings to the reviewer is whether it is simply another follower of "Jiang Hu-The Triad Zone" (2000). While the Lam Chiu-yan production turned a new page of triad movies by making a fool out of the typical gangsters, "Jiang Hu" has no intention to follow in Lam's footsteps but rather retraces the traditional mafia world. It is a triad movie that highlights and glorifies the value of brotherhood and comradeship in the underworld.

In the old made-in-Hong-Kong combat movies Chinese chivalry and knighthood was nobly honored just as the fictions written by Jin Yong and Gu Long can look back on a long history with similar themes. In these stories the world is anarchical, factions are constantly fighting and the Chinese knights tend to have a fuzzy foe-or-friend relationship. This kind of movie once enjoyed a huge overseas market, which unfortunately led to rash productions and even to a dead-end situation in its latter era. Gangster movies, which have spread their influence since the 1980's, went on to input new concepts in the old chivalry framework. While sword fighting among knights was replaced by gunfire exchanges among gangsters, fatalism, brotherhood and other themes popular in the traditional chivalry movies can still be located in the revamped gangster films. Examples include John Wu's "A Better Tomorrow" and "Hard-Boiled", the "Young and Dangerous" series, Johnny To Kei-fung's "Milkyway Image" movies featuring contests of wits in the underworld and the award-winning movie "Internal Affairs".

While "Jiang Hu-The Triad Zone" gives a sarcastic reflection on the triad world, "Jiang Hu" re-establishes the deep-rooted law and order common in the old chivalry and knighthood movies. While Turbo's (Edison Chan) loyalty to his best buddy is contrasted with Wing's (Shawn Yue) determination to steal the throne, Lefthander's (Jacky Cheung) ruthlessness is contrasted with Brother Jiu's calm wisdom. The scene where Lefthander and Brother Jiu are caught in a vendetta in a diner can also be considered as a tribute paid to the Hollywood production "The Godfather" and the idea of anarchism in the old Chinese chivalry movies. The role of women has not changed much either in "Jiang Hu". Emily and Yoyo the prostitute still share a similarity with other women in the traditional chivalry world bringing nothing but chaos to the androcentric domain.

"Jiang Hu" and "Internal Affairs" almost feature the same actors with a few differences in so far that Tony Leung was replaced by Jacky Cheung and Anthony Wong by Miu Kiu-wai and Norman Tsui Siu-keung. "Jiang Hu", however, should not be treated as another series of "Internal Affairs" or a look-alike of "Jiang Hu-the Triad Zone". When "Jiang Hu" first hit the local market, what stole most of the limelight was not its underlying message but the scene where Turbo, played by Edison the teen idol, was punished to have sex with a dog. Other common criticisms include the too-fancy post-modern filming techniques and the confusing storylines. Putting all controversies aside, "Jiang Hu" can be seen as a modern chivalry movie featuring an underworld where the concept of black and white is not as clear-cut as that in the past anymore.

Source: City Entertainment (reviewed by Wei Lan)

Translated by Holly (Hong Kong)