We watched a peculiar little movie tonight, Mou gann dou. You probably don't think you've ever heard of it, but many of you have seen the remake of it staring Leonardo di Caprio, Jack Nicholson, and Matt Damon. Its western name is Infernal Affairs, remade by Martin Scorsese as 4 time Oscar winning The Departed.
Infernal Affairs is extremely similar to The Departed, with notable changes being an extreme marginalization of the female characters. Indeed, they serve as only occasional exhibits of conscience, and in the case of the psychologist (who is not in this film the romantic love interest of the corrupt cop) a means for exposition from the protagonist.
Also, the ending is not nearly as neatly tied up as The Departed, and this is both good (I always thought Mark Wahlbergs' character was all sorts of Deux-ex-Machinaed cheap) and for ill (key plot points of the ending are reserved for subtitled exposition - lazy!).
Infernal Affairs is also more meditative on its characterization, offering snippets of Buddhist thought to bookend the film, creating a more lasting impression. The Departed, however, features a lot more snappy and entertaining dialogue.
I do think Infernal Affairs was the better film, but The Departed was slightly more enjoyable to just sit and watch. Art vs. gratification, I suppose. Either way, no reason to not just watch both, is there?
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