| Johnny To Casts His Vote in the "Triad Election" |
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Page 1 of 2 Notice: Both "Election" and "Triad Election" are currently screening at Film Forum. The run ends on May 15.  Hong Kong native Johnny To, director of the "Election" series, was in town last fall for the NY Film Festival The famous Hong Kong director has tackled everything from the role of violence in the city in his action comedy "Running on Karma" to the darker side of Hong Kong gangs in the recent "Election" film series. "Triad Election," the second film in the series (which debuted at the 2006 NY Film Festival), is set after the historic handover of Hong Kong back to China. He tackles the active role the Chinese government has since played in the internal politics of the Hong Kong triads. Audiences revisit the notorious Wo Sing triad two years after their last biennial elections for triad leader, with Chinese government forces backing the young business-savvy Jimmy (Louis Koo) in the new elections against the brutal current leader Lok (Simon Yam). Like the Machiavellian violence unleashed by gang members in both "Election" films, every frame of To's films is deliberate and carefully planned. The master director sat down with us to talk about gangs, the creative process and upcoming projects. triadelection.com   Louis Koo as Jimmy in "Triad Election"  A scene from "Election"  A scene from "Election" JT: It probably has a lot to do with the economy of film distribution. Those two movies were considered to be for a more local audience. People outside of Hong Kong would know me best for what I call my more personal movies, movies with more action in them. Maybe it's because distributors know these will perform well outside of Hong Kong. Q: Is your philosophy towards violence the same as in "Running on Karma" or are you more ambivalent towards violence? JT: I wouldn't say that I'm interested in violence; I'm more interested in action films because they have a sense of motion and beauty. I didn't make "Election" an anti-violent film intentionally. Q: Your films are almost like a very carefully choreographed ballet. There are several moments filled with twists that make the audience think you're going in one direction while you're actually going in the other; it's almost like a dance. Do you map it out like that? JT: It's hard to say because I think what I do is very personal. First and foremost, I think that a movie is about images, and I try to tell as much through imagery as possible. I will not storyboard it and I also won't let my DP set up the shots. I would set up the shots as well as the lighting and tell them to set other things up; everything comes from me. Q: How would you describe your relationship with your regular stable of actors, like Suet Lam or Simon Yam? JT: These are people with whom I've worked for a very long time. I'm kind of lazy and I like to work with the same people because they understand me. I don't have to think that much because I'll just give them directions and I know that they'll do what I want them to do. Q: Have you ever wondered what being in a triad might be like? JT: I thought about it, but it's not really something I want to do. I have friends who are gangsters. I've seen a lot of gangsters and the environment they've grown up in. Why would I want to be a gangster? Q: How do those friends react when they see themselves portrayed films? Do they feel like celebrities? JT: Normally, they get excited when they watch a gangster film because gangsters in movies are portrayed heroically. In the case of "Election" and "Triad Election," we offer a more realistic portrayal. Also, the films are really about changing times in Hong Kong, so they didn't really have a strong reaction to either of these two movies. Q: There's a scene in "Election" where a ritual performed by the first triads 400 years ago is mimicked by the contemporary triads. Are the politics of the first triads similar to the modern-day triads' agenda or have they changed? JT: Triad society originated in China 400 years ago as a patriotic organization. They were meant to overthrow their conquerors at the time; that was the original mission. Those politics are long gone by the time you get to "Election." Now all people care about is money and business. These values of brotherhood and honor are gone. |