Film Name: 省港旗兵 / Long Arm of the Law
When it comes to the brothers Mak Tai-hung and Mak Tai-kit, they were hugely famous in the 1990s. Their numerous productions and series, such as “To Be Number One” and the “Lord of East China Sea” series, are all regarded as classics of the gangster film genre. This earlier film, “Long Arm of the Law,” captures the lives of the “Big Circle Boys”—a unique subculture in Hong Kong—and paints five vivid portraits of these characters.
“Red Guards” originally referred to the Cultural Revolution’s youth militia, while “Guangdong-Hong Kong Red Guards” denoted mainlanders who came to Hong Kong for illegal activities. After the Sino-British Joint Declaration was signed, Hong Kong was finally set to return to the motherland. While the mainland celebrated the Oriental Pearl’s homecoming, Hong Kong was gripped by panic—a backdrop against which “Long Arm of the Law” was filmed. Dai Dong, listed among Hong Kong’s ten most wanted criminals, seeks one last heist before retiring. He recruits several army buddies from his hometown to pull off a major job in Hong Kong. Upon arriving in the metropolis, they become lost in its superficial glamour and refuse to return. Yet beneath Hong Kong’s glittering facade lurked a thriving underworld. Could these greenhorns pull off their heist unscathed and escape unscathed? The film’s brilliance lies in casting largely unknown newcomers as its protagonists—ordinary people whose raw, unpolished performances lent authentic weight to their roles. Coupled with a tightly crafted screenplay, the character development shines. Each character possesses a distinct personality. While the plot may seem familiar, it breathes new life into old tropes. Its uniqueness lies in the unconventional attention to detail. The climactic alley battle, hailed as a cinematic masterpiece, lives up to its reputation—exceptional in both staging and choreography. The ending is particularly poignant, evoking sympathy for the protagonists’ fates.
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