A friendship is formed between an ex-gangster, and two groups of hitmen - those who want to protect him and those who were sent to kill him.
Direction
Johnnie To's geometric staging turns every room into a chessboard.
Cinematography
Golden hour gunfights that would make Leone weep.
Acting
Francis Ng's thousand-yard stare communicates entire backstories.
Director
Johnnie To
Anthony Wong Chau-Sang
Blaze
Francis Ng Chun-Yu
Tai
Roy Cheung Yiu-Yeung
Cat
Lam Suet
Fat
Nick Cheung Ka-Fai
Wo
Josie Ho
Jin
Richie Jen
Sergeant Chen
Simon Yam
Boss Fay
Gordon Lam Ka-Tung
Boss Keung
Eddie Cheung Siu-Fai
Jeff
Benz Hui Siu-Hung
Sergeant Shan
Jimmy Wong
Darkie
Tam Bing-Man
Uncle Fortune
Ronald Yan Mau-Keung
Underground Doctor
Ellen Chan Nga-Lun
Hooker
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
To originally conceived this as a sequel to The Mission, but rewrote it when original cast scheduling collapsed—explaining the spiritual rather than literal continuation.
The film was shot in seventeen days during the SARS outbreak, forcing To to improvise locations when Macau casinos shut down—hence the intimate, apartment-bound second half.
HK
