Daai si gin (2004)

User Rating:

6.6/10   

Director:

Johnny To

Writers:

Hing-Ka Chan (written by) &
Tin-Shing Yip (written by)

Release Date:

2004 (Hong Kong)

Genre:

Action | Crime | Drama

Plot:

When an ambulatory TV news unit live broadcasts the embarrassing defeat of a police battalion by five bank robbers in a ballistic showdown...

Plot Keywords:

Long Take | TV | Sniper | Television | Escape

Awards:

5 wins & 8 nominations

Cast

Richie Ren	...	Yuen (as Richie Jen)
Kelly Chen	...	Commissioner Rebecca Fong
Nick Cheung	...	Inspector Cheung
Siu-Fai Cheung	...	Eric Yeung (as Cheung Siu Fai)
Shiu Hung Hui	...	Hoi (as Hui Siu Hung)
Suet Lam	...	Yip (as Lam Suet)
Yong You	...	Chun (as You Yong)
Haifeng Ding	...	Long (as Ding Hai Feng)
Haitao Li	...	Chung (as Li Hai Tao)
Simon Yam	...	Asst. Commissioner C.K. Wong
Maggie Siu	...	Grace Chow (as Maggie Shiu)

Directed by
Johnny To		(as Johnnie To)

Writing credits
Hing-Ka Chan		(written by) (as Chan Hing Kai) &
Tin-Shing Yip		(written by) (as Ip Tin Shing)

Produced by
Cao Biao	....	producer
Catherine Chan	....	associate producer
John Chong	....	executive producer
Sanping Han	....	associate executive producer (as Han Sanping)
Tao Jiang	....	administrative producer (as Jiang Tao)
Shirley Lau	....	associate producer
Johnny To	....	producer (as Johnnie To)
Buting Yang	....	executive producer (as Yang Bu Ting)

Original Music by
Ben Cheung
Chi Wing Chung		(as Ching Chi Wing)

Cinematography by
Siu-keung Cheng		(director of photography) (as Cheng Siu Keung)

Film Editing by
David M. Richardson		(as David Richardson)

Production Design by
Bruce Yu

Art Direction by
Raymond Chan

Costume Design by
Steven Tsang

Makeup Department
Kit Ling Chan	....	on-set dresser (as Chan Kit Ling)
Miko Chu	....	makeup artist (as Mico Chu)
Rachel Kong	....	hair stylist (as Rachel Kwong)

Production Management
Elaine Chu	....	project manager
Jackson Ha	....	production manager
Eric Huen	....	assistant production manager
Dong-ming Shi	....	production in charge (as Shi Dong Ming)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Wai Chu Chan	....	second assistant director (as Chan Wai Chu)
Wai Hung Chan	....	first assistant director (as Chan Wai Hung)
Derick Lau	....	second assistant director
Wing-cheong Law	....	associate director (as Law Wing Cheong)

Art Department
Joey Chan	....	assistant art director
Wai Kin Lam	....	property master (as Lam Wai Kin)

Sound Department
Chun Wang Au	....	foley artist (as Au Chun Wang)
King Fai Choy	....	foley artist (as Choy King Fai)
Wing Hong Fung	....	foley artist (as Fung Wing Hung)
Shek Key Kwong	....	foley artist (as Kwong Shek Key)
Hon Chiu Lam	....	foley artist (as Lam Hon Chiu)
Wai Lun Lam	....	dialogue recordist (as Lam Wai Lun)
Sin-kwok Lee	....	sound recordist (as Lee Sin Kwok)
Charlie Lo	....	sound editor
Charlie Lo	....	sound
May Mok	....	dialogue recordist
May Mok	....	sound mixer
May Mok	....	sound
Kwok Fai Ng	....	boom operator (as Ng Kwok Fai)
Kwong Heung Yam	....	foley artist (as Yam Kwong Heung)
Chi Man Yu	....	foley artist (as Yu Chi Man)
Tomy Yu	....	foley artist

Special Effects by
Peony Lam	....	special effects coordinator

Visual Effects by
Ping Hin Kong	....	CGI animator (as Kong Ping Hin)
Pak Chung Kwan	....	CGI animator (as Kwan Pak Chung)
Sui Lun Leung	....	CGI animator (as Leung Siu Lun)
Stephen Ma	....	visual effects supervisor

Stunts
Bun Yuen	....	stunt coordinator (as Yuen Bun)

Camera and Electrical Department
Ting Fung Kwong	....	best boy (as Kwong Ting Fong)
Hirotake Okazaki	....	still photographer
Hung Mo To	....	cinematographer: second unit (as To Hung Mo)
Kwok Chiu Wu	....	gaffer (as Wu Kwok Chiu)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Kitty Chau	....	assistant costume designer

Editorial Department
Christy Chan	....	post-production coordinator
Simon Fung	....	assistant editor
Aaron Lau	....	assistant editor
Calmen Lui	....	post-production executive

Other crew
Kenneth Cheung	....	continuity
Yuin Shan Ding	....	film coordinator (as Ding Yuin Shan)
Yuin Shan Ding	....	translation consultant: English subtitles (as Ding Yuin Shan)
Ching Ting Law	....	set runner (as Lu Ching Ting)
Wing-cheong Law	....	associate director (as Law Wing Cheong)
Maggie Lee	....	translator: English subtitles
Chiu Chi Shing	....	location manager (as Chiu Chi Shing)

Production Companies

• Media Asia Films
• China Film Group
• Milky Way Image Company

Distributors

• Media Asia Distribution (2004) (worldwide) (all media) (world sales)
• Media Asia Films (2004) (Hong Kong) (theatrical)
• Alberto Bitelli Intl. Films (2005) (Brazil) (DVD)
• Bright Angel Distribution (2004) (Netherlands) (theatrical)
• Kinowelt Home Entertainment (2005) (Germany) (DVD)
• MTV Netherlands (2006) (Netherlands) (TV) (first national airing)
• Magic Hour (2005) (Japan) (theatrical)
• Palm Pictures (2006) (USA) (theatrical) (subtitled)
• Palm Pictures (2006) (USA) (DVD)
• Pathé (2005) (France) (theatrical)
• Shaw Organisation (2004) (Singapore) (theatrical)
• Solar Films (2006) (Philippines) (theatrical)
• Tartan Video (2007) (UK) (DVD)
• Time Code (2005) (Italy) (theatrical)
• Total Film Home Entertainment (2005) (Netherlands) (DVD) (rental)
• Total Film Home Entertainment (2006) (Netherlands) (DVD) (retail)
• Visionary Thinking (2004) (Serbia and Montenegro) (all media)

Other Companies

• China Star Production Services Limited  post-production facilities
• Milkyway Creative Team  written by
• Brilliant Genesis Limited  cgi animation
• Cubists  cgi animation
• Showreel Film Facilities  studio
• Milky Way Image Company  studio
• Milky Way Image Company  camera and lighting equipment
• Cinerent  camera and lighting equipment
• Tai Fung (Tsu's) Co. Ltd.  film stock
• Shaw Brothers  laboratory
• Mandarin Laboratory (International) Ltd.  subtitles
• i Zone Sound Design  foley design

Also Known As:

Breaking News (Hong Kong: English title) (Philippines: English title)
Da shi jian (Hong Kong: Mandarin title)

Runtime:

Philippines:88 min (cut) | Hong Kong:90 min | Argentina:90 min (Mar del Plata Film Festival)

Country:

Hong Kong | China

Language:

Cantonese | Mandarin | English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

Germany:12 | Australia:M | Malaysia:18SG | Hungary:14 | Philippines:R-13 (MTRCB) | Hong Kong:IIB | South Korea:15 | Singapore:PG | Canada:13+ (Quebec) | Argentina:13 | Sweden:15 | Switzerland:12 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:12 (canton of Vaud)

Company:

Media Asia Films

Goofs:

Continuity: When the Police Commissioner calls a meeting after the humiliating defeat of his police that was broadcast on television, he sits down in front of a large projection screen television that features a Microsoft Windows desktop. The Windows clock at the beginning of the scene displays the time of 10:55. Seconds later it reads 11:10, and by the end of this 2 minute scene, the clock reads 12:53.

Movie Connections:

References Finding Nemo (2003)

Thrilling Cinematography, Editing and Mordant Wit of Very Urban Crime War

"Breaking News (Dai si gein)" is one of the most urban crime thrillers I've ever seen, using the density and verticality of a modern city as an intense frame for the fast-paced action.

Hong Kong here seems to have visually become like the futuristic cities with satellite cameras of "Blade Runner" and "Code 46," with almost all the action taking place with 360 degree views of narrow streets, crowded plazas, dark hallways and elevator shafts. There's a door-to-door attack in a corridor that throws down the now classic scene from "Oldboy" as so much balletic nonsense compared to this gritty but very beautiful realism, with cinematography by Siu-keung Cheng.

Director Johnny To grabs our attention in the enthralling opening scene of a shoot-out on a Hong Kong street. With almost no dialog we can figure out that this is a stake-out going horribly wrong. While the scene dizzyingly must have been shot on a cherry-picker zooming up and down and around as if we are on on external elevator or hanging from windows with a zoom telephoto lens, the angles are always important as the camera swoops and narrows and broadens our view from shooter to victim to shooter to victim as we swivel to where the shots are heard. I felt like I was in the antenna of the aliens in "War of the Worlds." The visuals are always directly related to the sounds, as edited by David M. Richardson.

Though I could only infer some of the internal politics within the police bureaucracy with the significance of some using English names and others traditional Chinese names amidst the various competing levels of authority, some of whom spoke stilted English, it was easy enough to pick up on the techie criminalist statistician vs. the on the ground street cop (a terrific Nick Cheung, who is like a thinking cop's Bruce Willis), let alone the difficulties a woman cop (Kelly Chen) has on the force. Her need to prove herself and her modern approach is a driving theme in the film and gives it considerable difference from a more conventional crime drama. She may be a neophyte at being in charge, but she is not an idiot.

There are parallel old school/new school, gangsters vs. assassins with different rules and technology that get caught up in the siege though I wasn't sure of the details of all their intersecting plots. The criminals are considerably more charismatic than all the cops except "Inspector Cheung", and have a sense of humor during an amusing hostage taking.

The instant, real-time new and old media attention in what is as much a door-to-door war between cops and criminals as in "Black Hawk Down" becomes part of their battle plans. It is as violent as a Paul Schrader or Martin Scorcese film, but has the mordant cynicism and humor of Billy Wilder, as the violence mocks the continued blandishments we see from the government officials about the falling crime rate.

While script writers Hing-Ka Chan and Tin-Shing Yip may have intended the high tech PR-controlling official to be a satire like "Wag the Dog" in having controlling the press be an essential component of controlling crime, it is just a very small step beyond the NYC Police Department techniques innovated under former Mayor Rudolph Giuliani. So it's a running gag that a kid with access to the Web can outwit their media manipulations. Survival seems to be based more on the results of the battle for public opinion.

I wasn't sure if the Hong Kong police force always looks like storm troopers or if the production design was making a political point. Clearly there was some point to the hostages being surrounded by commercial symbols of Western capitalism and culture.

The music by Ben Cheung and Chi Wing Chung supports the tension very effectively, including electronica and traditional instrumentation.

Unfortunately, the film as distributed in theaters in the U.S. had the worst subtitles I have ever seen. Not only are they filled with spelling and quizzical grammatical errors, as well as frequently white on white, they seem to have been translated using an antique English dictionary. The most egregious distraction is constantly calling these bloody murderers the charming appellation of "bandits" -- how about thugs or gangsters or criminals or crooks or bad asses, and so forth. Why didn't a native English speaker look over these subtitles? At least the credits were mostly bi-lingual.