****** - Verified Buyer
4.5
"Dog Bite Dog," [aka: Gau ngao gau] by director Pou- Soi Cheang is an extremely dark and violent film. One of the things I like about HK crime dramas lately is that not only are they gritty and dark, but they are becoming more realistic in their crime portrayals. For every 20 HK crime drama or action film I have viewed, there was probably only one from the pile that was worthy enough to add to one's cinema collection. In the film "Dog Bite Dog" director Pou-Soi Cheang gives the viewer a very gritty, dark and brutal film. I have only seen two other films by this director: The film "The Monster" [aka: Home Sweet Home] which was terribly marketed here in the states as a horror film, when in fact it was a thriller. And the crime drama "Love Battlefield," starring Eason Chan. I thought both films were very good. And I will be looking forward to more of this talented directors films in the future.One of the most important themes I noticed in this film dealt with the antagonist versus protagonist role. The 'bad guy' in the film named Pang (Edison Chen) is an assassin who takes money for killing whomever he is assigned to kill. However, the policeman who is hunting him down named Wai (Sam Lee) is not a likable character. In fact, to label him a protagonist would be an error, as he will use anyone, or break any rule of law in his relentless obsession to hunt down the assassin Pang. Clearly lines are drawn in the film with the opening sequence after Pang murders his intended target. However, the method in which Inspector Wai goes about his task of hunting down Pang does not leave the viewer with much sympathy for Wai's character. Yes, Pang is a cold blooded killer, and money is the motivating factor in his profession. However, the way Inspector Wai tracks him down leaves much to be desired on his part.Yet, for ALL the negatives that Inspector Wai has, we can understand his motivation for breaking any and all police procedural rules in his quest to capture his elusive prey. Something occurs in the beginning of the film dealing with a fellow friend and police officer named 'Fat Lam' (Suet Lam) which drives Inspector Wai on a vengeful crusade. Plus, there is another narrative taking place in the film concerning Wai's hospitalized police officer father [which the film explores], that pushes this already disturbed, but tirelessly effective police officer, to extreme measures. And as a result, Inspector Wai's character is propelled into an even darker and more distubing figure while he is in pursuit of this deadly killer. This is a very dark and brutal film: And the films narrative is further enhanced by the magnificent cinematography.Many of the scenes dealing with Wai and Pang occurs at night, and the lights and shadows give the film a more ominous tone to an already dark film. Further, the ending of the film is one hell of a brutal and vicious one. This in NOT a typical HK crime drama. Once again, the film is very dark, gritty and brutal. I recommend the film--as it is worth the purchase, and definitely deserves a watch in any case. Moreover, the film is also a major departure from many of the HK crime dramas I have seen in the past, with much more emphasis on realism, than just another shoot-em-out crime drama. And from what I have been seeing these past few years, HK crime dramas and action films are only getting better. In many ways this film reminded me quite a lot of the great film "PTU" by director Johnny To. Recommended.
