The Servant

Dirs: Ronny Yu, Philip Chan
Scrs: Joyce Chan, Philip Chan, William Ho Ka-kui, Ronny Yu
Cast: Paul Chu, Michael Chan Wai-man, Terry Hu Yinmeng, Philip Chan, Melvin Wong Kam-sun
1979 / Colour / D Beta / Cantonese / Chi & Eng subtitles / 85min

Crime films went through a period of vigourous learning in the 1970s, soaking up influence from the West, practising crafts in television shows and incorporating Hong Kong's unique brand of action choreography into the mise-en-scène. The Servant , co-directed by Ronny Yu and Philip Chan, rises above its run-of-the-mill thriller framework with explosive action, captivating characters and a story connected organically to everyday life. Particularly riveting is its structure of two cops versus two killers. While one of the cops is rigidly by-the-book, and the other cleverly flexible but hopelessly hooked on gambling, one of the killers is a homegrown slugger and the other a repatriate bomb expert who brags about his professionalism. Deft combinations of real settings and Wong's free-flowing editing are key to the film's success. Parallel lines of action that take place on the basketball court and the warden's office are intercut and edited into montages, pulling the audience along at tremendous speed.

日期日期 Date	時間时间 Time	地點地点 Venue
* 23/4/2017（Sun）	2:30pm	Cinema, Hong Kong Film Archive

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