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Election AKA Hak Se Wui
R1 - America - Tartan Video Review written by and copyright: Noor Razzak (16th February 2008). |
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The Film
 "Election" from director Johnnie To, is very much like a whole season of "The Sopranos" (1999-2007) focused into 97 minutes. Whether or not you'd feel that was a good thing probably depends a lot on your own personal taste. But let's be honest, in a general and stereotypical sense, Asian gangsters are a lot cooler than Italian-American ones... Hong Kong's oldest Triad society, the Wo Shing, have many traditions. One of which is that every two years the older bosses elect an up-and-comer to the position of Chairman. This year there are two candidates and, you guessed it, they are polar opposites. Big D (Tony Leung Ka Fai) is brash and violent, a real mean kind of customer who isn't above bribing his supporters and his way into the inner circle. On the other side we have Lok (Simon Yam) who is shown as a family man and runs his businesses with a calm and confident edge. The two embark on very different campaigns which leaves the bosses with a difficult decision. But when the decision of who to elect is made, another problem rears its head; there is a sacred baton that is presented to each new Chairman...and that baton has gone missing. Without the baton there will be no peace between the dissenters. And that is the first two acts (this easily could have been a trilogy using the entire plot that is featured in this one). The third act deals with whether or not they can all co-exist peacefully or will they have to split apart and go to war... The above comment on it being like a "The Sopranos" season is apt because it really does feel like 22 episodes were shunted into a movie format. There are multiple plot threads and shifts in the story arcs, coupled with the last 20 minutes of the film which had about five points where it could have ended satisfactorily. This is actually what I like about non-western films. The general flow of the movies is hard to predict because their storytelling methods differ. It means you are usually guaranteed an off-kilter experience to what you are usually exposed to. Not that the feeling of 'multiple endings' is entirely positive. There is a slight sense of frustration that comes from thinking you've seen the climax of the film, only to find out there is another four of those types of scenes to come. This will come down to personal taste over how you like your storytelling. The last half hour is really where "Election" kicks into high gear. It is intense and violent. The first half of the movie only gives you a few glimpses of how far the filmmakers are willing to go violence-wise and that leaves you with a twisted sense of anticipation, as you know there must be worse to follow...and follow it does, whole-heartedly and without compunction. What you think you know about these characters and their lives are played with and eventually shattered by the explosive finale. There are few faults with "Election" as a whole. It is well-acted and competently directed. One sticking point for people will be the violence, which is sparse yet uncompromisingly in your face. It's not that they show a lot of gore, it is the duration and viciousness that causes one to flinch. Still, if you like your gangsters tough and mean, and feel like something a little different than what you'd normally see, give it a try.
Video
Presented in the film's original theatrical ratio of 2.35:1 this anamorphic transfer is for the most part good but could use some improvements in certain areas. While clean of dirt and specks the overall image falls a little flat, softness is a problem and some background detail is lost as a result. I also found the transfer a bit dark, which crushes the shadow detail. Some minor edge-enhancement was also spotted.
Audio
Three audio tracks are included all of which are in the film's native language of Cantonese. The tracks are in half bit-rate DTS 5.1, Dolby Digital 5.1 and Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo. For the purposes of this review I chose to view the film with its DTS soundtrack. For a film that deals with Triads one would expect a lot of action and violence but these scenes are sparse and spread out, the result is a lot of dialogue scenes. So the track does a fine job of balancing those elements, dialogue is clear and distortion free, music and sound effects come across well and the occasional violent streak is covered well with aggressive sounds that add a punch to those scenes. Optional subtitles are included in both English and Spanish.
Extras
Tartan has ported over some of the extras found on the Hong Kong release of the film, these include interviews, a featurette and a collection of bonus trailers. Below is a closer look at these supplements. First up we've got an interview with the film's director Johnnie To which runs for 28 minutes 52 seconds, this clip is in Cantonese with subtitles. In the clip the filmmaker comments on the creative idea for the film, why he wanted to make it, the research undertaken about Triad society, the political intentions of the film, the Hong Kong style and the subject being the most important to people from that part of the world as well as his approach to directing among other things. Next are a collection interviews with the actors: - Simon Yam runs for 6 minutes 57 seconds, the actor comments on collaborating with the director, similarities with the character he plays and one from "PTU" (2003), as well as his creative input. - Wong Tin Lam runs for 7 minutes 45 seconds, in this clip the actor comments on his success from appearing in the film, his relationship with the director, how he started in the film industry and how it's changed, he also comments on his favorite films, who inspired him and maintaining consistency in a career that's spanned over 300 films in 30 years. - Tony Leung Ka Fai runs for 16 minutes 2 seconds, in this clip the actor talks about collaborating with the director, the creative input he had, on the differences between the character in this film and one he's played in other films. He also comments on Triad society, the last scene in the film and the challenge of acting. Next up is "The Making of Election" a featurette that runs for 7 minutes 10 seconds (listed as a documentary but it's actually a featurette) this includes the standard interviews with cast and crew as they comment on their characters and on making the film as we get some behind-the-scenes footage. Rounding out the extras are a collection of bonus trailers for: - "Tartan Asia Extreme" spot which runs for 1 minute 14 seconds. - "Triad Election" which runs for 2 minutes 17 seconds. - "Old Boy" which runs for 1 minute 48 seconds. - "Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance" which runs for 1 minute 26 seconds. - "Lady Vengeance" which runs for 1 minute 54 seconds. - "Divergence" which runs for 1 minute 54 seconds. - "Another Public Enemy" which runs for 2 minutes 9 seconds.
Packaging
This DVD is packaged in an amaray case housed in a cardboard slip-cover.
Overall
This film has been reviewed by Stevie McCleary, the specs and extras reviewed by Noor Razzak. Copyright © 2008 Stevie McCleary/Noor Razzak.
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