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Election
黑社會
2005 101 min Hong Kong 18+
★7.4
Crime, Drama, Thriller
Director: Johnnie To
Trailers
Description
After losing an election to become chairman of the Wo Lin Shing triad, a gang leader lashes out and tries to seize the dragon-head baton, the official symbol of a chairman's authority.
Starring
Louis Koo
Actor
Suet Lam
Actor
Tony Ka Fai Leung
Actor
Awards
Cannes Film Festival 2005
— Palme d'Or
Key opinion
Election is widely recognized as a masterful, tension-filled reinvention of the gangster genre that foregoes traditional gunplay for psychological warfare and political maneuvering. The film is lauded for its intricate exploration of triad power structures and its ability to maintain compulsive momentum through a gritty, realistic depiction of moral decay.
| Direction | The film masterfully sustains high levels of tension and narrative momentum entirely without the use of gunfire. | |
| Acting | The central performances, particularly those of Simon Yam and Tony Leung Ka-fai, are exceptional in grounding the film's ruthless and cunning criminal figures. | |
| Screenplay | The screenplay provides a fresh, meticulous, and insightful look at the internal hierarchy and traditions of the Hong Kong triad system. | |
| Ending | The jarring, violent, and sudden nature of the climax effectively shatters the characters' honor codes and drives home the film's cynical themes. |