[HKFF 2011] REBELLION (Tung moon) (2009)

In Cantonese with English and Chinese subtitles

Genre: Action/ Crime/ Thriller
Director: Herman Yau
Cast: Shawn Yue, Elanne Kwong, Chapman To, Ada Choi, Paul Wong, Anson Leung, Fung Hark-On
RunTime: 1 hr 40 mins
Rating: M18 (Violence & Sexual Scenes)
Official Website: 

Screening Dates: 14, 16 and 20 Aug

Synopsis: Po is a humourless bodyguard for triad boss Jimmy. On his birthday, Po takes a night off, and that same evening Jimmy is shot outside a gang hangout. With Jimmy's life hanging by a thread and his wife Cheung Wah on her way back from Taiwan, leadership falls to Po, and the rest of the gang are not too happy. Jimmy's number two man Blackie is especially lincensed, and immediately begins undermining Po's authority. Po cares nothing for power, and only wants to find out who ordered the hit on Jimmy - and all the obvious suspects are their own allies. Can he find the killer before the gang engages in an all-out civil war?

Movie Review:

Whereas Herman Yau’s big-screen spinoff of the popular TVB drama series “EU” made it to local cinemas, his other triad movie this year has failed to enjoy the same kind of reception. One suspects that “Rebellion” just didn’t have the star power of his earlier “Turning Point” and hence was skipped for a theatrical release here. But don’t for one second let you assume that “Turning Point” is the better of the two movies- for the truth is really the other way round.

Unlike “Turning Point”, “Rebellion” is written and directed by Herman Yau himself. With greater creative control over his materials, Yau has crafted a taut and intense triad flick that proves far more compelling than “Turning Point”. Indeed, in “Rebellion”, Yau has deliberately eschewed the flashiness of the earlier movie, opting instead for a straightforward, gritty telling of gangland rivalry.

That rivalry is twofold- first, within the ranks of Jimmy’s gang itself (Jimmy the gang leader who is fatally shot) and second, within the five gangs who share power around a particular district. The infighting is courtesy of Jimmy’s No 2 Blackie, a brash, arrogant leader incensed by the appointment of Jimmy’s bodyguard Po as in-charge and raring to use this as an opportunity to wipe out the ranks of the other four gangs. Chapman To plays the role of Blackie, and once again, displays his penchant for playing supporting characters to great colourful effect.

The other colourful characters that Yau has packed in his film are the other four gang leaders named Coffee, Sand, Jupiter and Man. Though it may seem as if four’s too much of a crowd, Yau does an admirable job of fleshing out each of his supporting characters through their power-grabbing and back-biting. Indeed, the thrill comes not just from trying to guess their next devious move, but also figuring out their motivations.

As a veteran in triad flicks, Yau knows exactly what makes a film of this genre tick. There are the colourful night scenes of Hong Kong’s neon-lit streets, the requisite scenes of gambling and prostitution and of course, the hordes of people dressed in black armed with knives going at each other right in the streets. Yes, such were the little pleasures of watching the “Young and Dangerous” series and Yau doesn’t forget them.

Nevertheless, Yau’s film suffers from the lack of a strong lead character. Despite Shawn Yue’s intense brooding performance, his character of Po is just not interesting enough to anchor the film. For more than half the time, one sees Po struggling to stay sober while being waylaid by Blackie. Worse still, Yau throws in a romantic subplot involving Po and Elanne Kwong’s waitress Ling that doesn’t need a schmaltzy Cantopop ballad to be out of place in the film.

While imperfect, “Rebellion” is still a solidly engaging triad flick that is the Hong Kong film industry’s specialty. For all the talk of production delays, including a delayed release date, and its no-show in Singapore cinemas, Yau’s film proves that he is still one of the most reliable directors in the industry. At a time when many Hong Kong directors have left for the greener pastures of China, this is one thoroughly entertaining true-blood Hong Kong flick you’ll immensely enjoy.  

Movie Rating:

(Solid triad flick that proves to be taut and intense all the way through)

Review by Gabriel Chong