Online Review: New Police Story

The action film “New Police Story” is directed by Benny Chan in 2004. The main characters are Jacky Chan, Nicolas Tse and Daniel Wu. This story is about a middle-aged Senior Inspector Chan Kwok Wing (Jacky Chan), who underestimates the gang and falls into a trap with his squad. He leaves the police force and drinks every day because he is the sole survivor. Later, he meets Fung (Nicolas Tse). With the encouragement and assistance from Fung, Chan recovers from the depression, and starting to find and catch the gang again.

This film is different from the traditional police and gang films, it depicts an image that hero is not unbeatable. In traditional films, the plots should be policemen find out a crime, and start to investigate and catch the gang finally. However, this film is different. It demonstrates an elite police loses all confidence after one failure. It breaks the traditional image of police and expresses a message that hero is a normal human being as well.

Representing the contemporary society

First, older generation is afraid of teenagers, because they love to play and immature. In the film, the villains are the teenagers who like to play, and they treat killing police like playing a computer game. The more police they kill, the better reward they earn.

Second, the discrimination towards Chinese is shown in the film. At the end of the film, there is a flashback about Fung’s father tried to steal some food because Fung was hungry. Actually, this is a stereotype that the mainland people are poor, so they come to Hong Kong. Although they come to Hong Kong, they will not have a good end. Finally, he is killed by a truck. Later, the police arrive and kick his body forcefully.     

Challenge of the existing stereotype

‘Comparing to Chinese, it seems Hong Kong people are privileged’, this stereotype is challenged in the film. This film tries to raise the influential power of China. In the movie, the relationship of China and Hong Kong is ambiguous, rather than hostility. First of all, the name of the leading character is Chan Kwok Wing(陳國榮). He represents a Hong Konger in the film obviously, but one of the interpretations of his name is that ‘feeling the glory for the country (China)’. Why doesn’t he call 陳港榮? Another example is related to the character Fung, he is a Chinese, and wants to help Chan to recover his mental scars, even catches the gang. Finally, Chan accepts the assistance from Fung. It implies that the only way to success is Hong Kong co-operates with China. In fact, CEPA was signed between Hong Kong and China in 2004. After that, Hong Kong movies have more opportunities to access Chinese market. Undergone the economic damage by SARS, this may be the best way to save Hong Kong film industry. New Police Story is one of the products after signed CEPA, so, it may be one reason to explain why this film challenges the stereotype which related to the relation between Hong Kong and China.

Identity Issue

The Identity problem of Hong Konger is implied in the film. At the beginning, it shows Chan is drunk and quit police (lost their identity and frustrated) because his teammates are dead (Handover of Hong Kong). Later, Fung (China) helps Chan (Hong Konger) to find the confidence of being a policeman (identity).

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Ng Sing Ho Chester (10456088/21233961)