SHENTAN (MAD DETECTIVE)
Hong Kong, 2007, 95 minutes, Colour.
Tony Ching Wan Lau, Andy Oh.
Directed by Johnny To.
Mad Detective is another film from the prolific Hong Kong director Johnnie To. In the early years of the 21st century, he made a number of films, which were screened in Venice and Cannes at the festivals. They include Exiled, the two Election films, Breaking News as well as his collaboration with Ringo Lam and Tsui Hark in Triangle.
This film is more restrained than some of the gangster films of Johnnie To. It is a story of good cop bad cop. We are introduced to the mad detective immediately,
An eccentric police officer who has second sight, who reacts some of the crimes and then declares who the culprit is. However, in his eccentricity, he slices his ear to present it to his commander-in-chief on his retirement. He incurs the enmity of his squad and is dismissed.
However, another crime scene is shown and a young detective who admires the mad detective asks his help. We are introduced then into the mad world of the detective - who is divorced from his wife but continually imagines her presence, fights with her, flirts with her, and takes her to dinner. When they pursue the criminal policeman, considered responsible for the crime, the mad detective sees the seven different personalities within this policeman. They are quite varied - and the audience sees them. The mad detective then pursues the villain, interacts with the various personalities - but ultimately sees that the young officer is also timid, a child personality inside, fearful of the resolution. The resolution is open-ended as the young officer surveys three dead bodies and starts to change the guns from one hand to another, leaving the audience plenty of time to try to work out what has happened, their understanding of the mad detective, the intricacies of the plot and his psychological state.
1.The work of Johnny To, the genre films? His skill in doing crime dramas? Utilising Hong Kong locations? How well blended here?
2.The Hong Kong locations, the streets, homes, restaurants? The feel of Hong Kong? The score?
3.The variation on the good cop, bad cop?
4.The credibility of the plot, the sense of realism with the police and the crimes? The surrealism of the character of Inspector Bun, his insights and second sight? His madness?
5.The opening, the mad cop, the crime, the investigation, the young man reporting for duty, Bun asking him to put him in the suitcase, pushing him down the stairs – and emerging from the suitcase and announcing the solution?
6.The farewell to the chief, Bun cutting off his ear and presenting it? The squad’s response? The later difficulties with his ear? His being ousted?
7.The police situation, the stakeout, the bad cop, good cop, the bad cop taking the money from the wallet? Chasing the suspect, in the woods, the shooting, the disappearance of the policeman? The reappearance of the gun in robberies and murders? The mystery?
8.The young policeman, admiring Bun, coming to him for help? The problems, the visit, Bun’s reaction, Bun’s wife and her hostility?
9.Bun and his shopping with his wife, the return home, the young officer arriving? The clashes with his wife? Going to the office, the hostility of the members of the force? His punching the woman? His deciding to help?
10.Bun’s gift, seeing the personalities inside people, his reaction to these? The way these were visualised?
11.The situation of the investigation, the police, the corrupt policeman, his being at the restaurant with Bun and the young officer, Bun seeing the variety of personalities, the fat man eating, the hard policeman, the tough woman …? In the toilet and his behaviour? The response of the different personalities? The variety of the personalities?
12.Bun’s wife, at home, appearing for the meals? The young officer and his girlfriend? Audiences surprised to find that the wife was completely imaginary? Further aspects of Bun’s madness? The response of the restaurant owner? Playing along?
13.The appearance of the real wife, the divorce, a tough policewoman, her concern about Bun and his not taking his medication?
14.The build-up to the climax, the Indian as suspect, the corrupt policeman, his different personalities? The pursuit? The young officer, his being afraid, the personality of his child emerging and appearing? The expression of his fears? Bun’s reaction?
15.The end, the violent confrontation, the shootings, the deaths, and the rearranging of the guns?
16.How entertaining a police thriller? Murder mystery? An exploration of psychological states?
