If Johnnie To’s Election left any room to doubt that the acclaimed director disapproved of Hong Kong’s triad culture the sequel is now here to sweep those doubts aside. Where the original left no doubt that To considered the gangs completely dishonorable and motivated by nothing more than greed and lust for power this continuation of the story takes it much farther, emasculating the characters in every way that matters and casting them as nothing more than pathetic puppets dancing on the strings of their own fears at the whims of even larger powers. As to the nature of those larger powers, let it be said that To’s social criticism cuts deep and true enough that the mainland Chinese government forced major cuts to the beginning and end of the film – cuts that have nothing whatsoever to do with violence or graphic content and everything to do with direct mainland government involvement with and manipulation of the Hong Kong underworld.
Election 2 picks up two years after the original. Lok’s term as the chairman of the Wo Shing Society is coming to an end and key figures in the Society are now jockeying for position as the next head. Jimmy, a relatively minor character in the original, has prospered in the years following Lok’s rise to power and is the preferred choice of most of the Society but he wants none of it, preferring to steer a course towards legitimate business. The hot tempered Kun has made no secrets of his ambitions while Lok’s prime hitman Jet has been kept pacified through long years in hiding with promises of the Chairman’s position. Most troubling is that Lok himself is making it clear that he intends to defy Society tradition and retain the Chairmanship himself, a stance that will inevitably lead to conflict. What seems to be shaping into a direct confrontation between Lok and Kun – one that would surely mirror the Lok / Big D conflict of the first film – when a careless mistake by Jimmy forces him to enter the fray with full force.
While this is certainly a sequel in every sense To is clearly not interested in repeating the points driven home so forcefully in the first film. Instead, he sets out to shred whatever scraps of dignity his first effort may have left triad culture. While the first film cast the triad bosses as ruthlessly amoral and completely without honor it at least granted that they were proactive, powerful men – concessions that To mercilessly strips away here. Where Lok succeeded by force of will and guile in the first he is here a desperate man clinging to the remaining shreds of his power while, thanks to the closing events of the first film, his own son is justifiably terrified and repulsed by him. Jet – arguably the one character in the original who embodied the loyalty and noble fighting spirit triad culture is lauded for – has been reduced to little more than a caged dog, living in a barren apartment, his desperation for approval blinding him to the obvious truth that he is being lied to and manipulated. Jimmy, Lok’s chief rival, is effortlessly snared by mainland officials who correctly identify his desire for legitimacy as the weakness that will set him dancing to their tune. While the first Election was a clash of titans, two powerful and charismatic men locked in a last man standing brawl, Election 2 captures a reluctant conflict driven by fear of loss and the desperation to maintain control. Where Election makes its characters aggressive and proactive the sequel sees them as entirely reactive, drowning men grasping at straws.
As was the case with the first film To reflects the nature of the society he is filming in the nature of his cinematography. The triads are a shadowy, half lit world and that is reflected in the deeply shadowed interiors and the dingy grey clouded exteriors on those rare occasions when the exterior action occurs in the daylight. Like the first film Election 2 is more concerned with the internal politics of the gang – the shifting allegiances and jockeying for position – than it is with the activities of the gang which translates to more discussion than action though when the action comes it is graphic and brutal. The sprawling cast is, once again, universally strong with the bland passivity some have complained about in Louis Koo’s performance as Jimmy being entirely the point of the character. To’s desire to show just how ultimately weak these men are may make Election 2 a less immediately engaging film than the preceding entry but it is no less carefully crafted and no less effective at making its point. Singly either one of these films are a stinging slap in the face of the triads, together they make for a fascinating study both of triad culture specifically and of the corrupting and degrading nature of power in general. There is no doubt about it, these films are To’s master works.
The Hong Kong DVD release is excellent and one hundred percent English friendly. The disc of bonus features includes a trio of lengthy interviews, one each with To, Lam Suet and Lam Ka Tung, plus a seven minute Making Of feature, all of which are English subtitled. Also included are a complete set of trailers and TV spots plus a photo gallery. Disc one includes the feature with a strong anamorphic transfer that has the occasional mark or speck or dirt but is otherwise very clear with excellent contrast, an important feature for a film that spends so much time in low light. The audio includes DTS, 5.1 and 2.0 options and the English subtitles are excellent. Even the booklet comes with a full English translation and the edition being sold at YesAsia also includes a set of specially prepared post cards featuring still shots from the film.
To comments in his interview that he doesn’t look at the Election films as typical Hong Kong gangster flicks, films made primarily to entertain through stylish violence, but as serious dramas. It’s an important distinction to make, particularly from a man who has a handful of ‘heroic bloodshed’ films under his belt. Bloodshed these films may feature prominently but there are no heroes to be found.