Before the ill-advised British turnover of Hong Kong to Red China in 1997, there were several high-quality cop films made in the territory. Several of them, including Infernal Affairs, Hard Boiled, Police Story and City on Fire achieved international notoriety. It bought stars like Chow Yun-fat and Jackie Chan to the attention of western audiences. These films were made without the influence of the Chinese Communist Party, who generally restricted content in the Chinese film industry.
City on Fire (1987) is one of the most highly regarded Hong Kong police films, and it’s our recommendation for this installment of Weekend Buff.
The movie tells the story of undercover Hong Kong Detective Ko Chow, who is forced into yet another tough assignment. He is coming off a case where he is tormented about turning in one of the case subjects who he befriended. He is put into a worse situation when another undercover was killed by members of a jewelry robbery crew that is terrorizing the city. That cop’s cover is blown, and he is brutally stabbed and left to die in the streets. The crew then kills another uniformed cop who interrupts a heist. Two cops are dead, and this robbery crew must be stopped at all costs. Detective Chow is assigned to infiltrate the gang, despite the obvious danger and over his objections about taking on another undercover assignment. He swears that this is his last case.
The movie explores the difficulty in doing undercover work. It’s a stressful daily grind – never knowing if your UC identity is compromised. As far as a personal life is concerned, there are no benefits to working undercover. Ko Chow’s life is a mess. He is losing his fiancé, he can’t sleep, and his own department is out to get him. Despite his misgivings, he is dedicated to the point of self-destruction.
Ko Chow’s boss is also willing to take serious liberties with the law to stop this gang of cop killers. Inspector Lau allows Chow to sell guns to the robbery crew. He knows that this move is necessary for Chow to infiltrate the gang, but also knows those guns may be used to kill someone – maybe even another cop. Internal politics insert themselves into the case. A power struggle risks the case and the very life of Chow. He is placed under surveillance by his own department. In that conflict, Chow further loses himself to his undercover identity, blurring the lines between cop and criminal.
Chow Yun-fat plays Detective Ko Chow. He is a bone-fide movie star, and it’s clear why in this film. His acting is excellent. While there is plenty of action, his role doesn’t rely on fantastical displays of shooting ability or wild martial arts scenes. He sells the role, deadly serious at times, with displays of forced humor and chicanery to try to escape the character’s stress and inner demons. Sun Yueh plays his boss, Inspector Lau, an aging cop who many feel his best days are behind him. Roy Cheung is the younger and more ruthless Inspector Chan as his foil. Carrie Ng is Chow’s mercurial fiancé, Hung.
Veteran Hong Kong filmmaker Ringo Lam directs the film. He uses the streets of Hong Kong as a character in the film. The movie’s cinematography is as dark as the plot – shadowy, bleak, and dismal.
City on Fire overcomes language and cultural barriers to create a movie that cops and audiences around the world can relate to. That is not an easy task, but the filmmakers and actors accomplish it with gusto.
The movie ends with a bloodbath worthy of Quentin Tarantino. In fact, Tarantino was asked about the similarities between City on Fire and Reservoir Dogs. In an appropriate nod to the filmmakers, he acknowledged his love of the movie and its influence on his own filmmaking. Ringo Lam took the statement as a great compliment.
City on Fire runs a little less than two hours. Plenty of action, solid acting despite the language difference, and great cinematography make this a much watch. I chose to watch the English overdub of the movie, but it’s probably a better experience with the subtitles. You can find City on Fire for free on YouTube right now. This weekend, enjoy one of Hong Kong’s best actors in one of the city’s greatest cop films.
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