R E V I E W :  City on Fire  

Reviewed 6/25/01 | Background | Movie Review | DVD Review | Recommendation

Background 

Universe / 1987 / 105 minutes
Directed by Ringo Lam Ling-Tung
Screenplay by Tommy Sham Sai-Sang; Story by Ringo Lam Ling-Tung

The role of writer Tommy Sham Sai-Sang is usually ignored when considering this film. And no wonder: his other credits are limited to the martial arts comedy Tales of a Eunuch (1983) and three films released in 1988 (No Comprise; Call Girl '88; Brief Encounter). What happened?

As for Ringo Lam Ling-Tung, it's easy to overlook the fact that his very first directorial outing (after an unhappy time in television), the horror film Espirit D'amour (1983) was financially successful, grossing HK $14 million. His follow-up, the romantic comedy The Other Side of Gentleman (1984), written and produced by Barry Wong Ping-Yiu (writer of many Sammo Hung films as well as Hard Boiled), was also modestly successful, grossing HK $11.7 million. Cupid One, a romance, was released in May 1985 and was less successful, grossing HK $6.3 million. Next, Lam next took the reins for Aces Go Places IV (according to Fredric Dannen's Hong Kong Babylon, he wanted to work with the bigger budget offered and also get to know star/producer Karl Maka. It was quite successful (grossing HK $27 million) and, Maka allowed him to make whatever type of movie he wanted. The inspiration came from a newspaper story about a jewelry shop robbery.

The film was released in Hong Kong cinemas in February 1987 and grossed HK $19.7 million.

Three more "on Fire" films were to follow (Prison on Fire, School on Fire, Prison on Fire II), although none was a true sequel to this one. Lam has developed a very fine career as a director, although his turn behind the camera for an American studio (Maximum Risk in 1996) was not a happy experience (the studio ordered changes after the film was completed that 'pulled out the root.') Most recently, however, he has bravely taken on the challenge of working with Jean Claude Van Damme again, resulting in Replicant, which was just released in Hong Kong.

Movie: plot, performances, production, rating

Plot: Ko Chow is an undercover policeman who wants out. He's tired of betraying criminals he has grown to like and admire; instead, he wants to marry his long-suffering girlfriend Hung and do something else. But his Uncle, Lau Kwang, has other plans for him. Lau has problems himself: he suffers remorse due to the death of another undercover cop, and must deal with the young, arrogant, and ambitious John Chan, who has been assigned to 'crack the big case' and is undermining Lau every step of the way. Hung out to dry by his superiors, Ko Chow befriends yet another criminal, Fu, and tries to ease his way into the gang as they plan a jewelry store heist.

Performances: Chow Yun-Fat effectively covers a wide range of emotions as Ko Chow, and fills the leading man role effortlessly. Danny Lee is also good as Fu, Roy Cheung Yiu-Yeung makes a strong impression as the unpleasant John Chan, and Carrie Ng Ka-Lai does fine in her film debut as the cool but frustrated Hung. The real stand-out for me, however, was Suen Yuet as Lau Kwang. He perfectly portrays a weary, beaten-down, yet stubborn policeman out for justice.

Production: The script is quite good, with plenty of good lines and a strong storyline. That being said, some of the bits don't quite add up, especially the motivation for Fu to develop strong brotherly feelings for Ko Chow so quickly. The direction is terrific. Scenes move along crisply, the action set-pieces are tense and exciting (Joe Chu Kai-Sang provided the action direction; he and Lam had worked together on Aces Go Places IV), and the dramatic sequences are not hurried. Wong Ming Lam did a fine job as editor. Andrew Lau Wai-Keung's cinematography (just his third job after Where's Officer Tuba and Mr. Vampire Part 2) emphasizes primary colors while maintaining a realistic feel during both day and night scenes. The musical score by Teddy Robin Kwan (the second score by the actor/producer/director) memorably emphasizes a wailing saxophone and electric piano.

Rating: Equivalent to Category IIB. Quite a few scenes depict brutal violence and explicit bloodshed.

DVD: look, sound, subtitles, and features

Look: The letterboxed (approximately 1.85:1) presentation looks average at best. Colors are reproduced fairly accurately, but appear a bit muddy and lack clarity. The source print looks worn, displaying scratches and other debris.

Sound: I listened to the post-synched and remastered DD 5.1 Cantonese audio track, and it sounded punchy. The soundfield is not particularly deep, but the surrounds are used. The sound effects and explosions do not quite ring true, but are a close approximation. Also included is a DD 5.1 Mandarin version.

Subtitles: The white removable English subtitles are easy to read and well timed. Some of the translations are phrased awkwardly, and a number of spelling mistakes are evident, but nothing too terribly distracting. Also included are subtitles in traditional and simplified Chinese, Japanese, Bahasa Indonesia, Bahasa Malaysia, Thai, Korean, and Vietnamese.

Features: Eight chapters can be selected from a still-frame menu. Stars' files are provided in both Chinese and English for Chow Yun-Fat, Danny Lee, and Ringo Lam Ling-Tung. The original theatrical trailer for the film is included, as are trailers for All About Ah Long, Prison on Fire, and Prison on Fire II. Note that the running time is listed on the back of the box as 100 minutes, but it actually times out at 105 minutes.

Buy, rent, or pass?

Buy. A personal favorite. Holds up well after several viewings. The drama and action are mixed effectively, and Ringo Lam's direction aids considerably.

 

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