Johnnie To · 2004 · Hong Kong · 90 mins
The premiere of Johnnie To’s Breaking News at Cannes marks the moment when art cinema finally embraced the Hong Kong action genre. Here is a film as intelligent as it is tense as it is well-made. From the breathtaking intricacy of its seven-minute opening take, shot on location in a grungy side street in the New Territories, the complex oppositions that form Hong Kong society are subjected to ruthless scrutiny. The familiar opposition of cops and robbers (led by pop-star Richie Jen) is complicated by a further division between no-nonsense street cops (led by Nick Cheung) and the media-savvy inspector (Kelly Chen).
A stake-out goes wrong and a very public shoot-out leads to an official panic. When the violent, though quietly decent bandits are run to ground in a typically cramped apartment building, it sparks a media circus. Inspector Rebecca Fong (Chen) sees the whole thing as a show, as imagery to be manipulated to her advantage, but the outlaws armed with mobile phones and an internet connection, show that two can play that game. Hong Kong may be a city where media spin is king, but To delves beneath the imagery to the gritty realities that make HK truly unique.
EXCLUSIVE SPECIAL FEATURES:
- Limited first-pressing collector's booklet featuring new essays by film writer Hayley Scanlon & film historian Mike Walsh
- New audio commentary by Hong Kong cinema expert Frank Djeng
- "A Propaganda Duel" - a newly extended video essay on Breaking News (6 mins)
- Newly translated and improved optional English subtitles
Archival Extras:
- Melbourne International Film Festival 2004 Q&A with Johnnie To (19 mins)
- Two newly unearthed interviews from Cannes 2004 with Johnnie To (12 mins) and Kelly Chen & Nick Cheung* (8 mins)
- Behind the scenes (3 mins)
- Deleted scene [Mandarin only] (2 mins)
- Photo gallery
- Theatrical trailer
