Bullets 'n' Babes

Election is an intimate study of one of the world’s largest and complicated gangster organisations. It is incredibly rare for a film, even by Johnnie To standards, to not rush in with its “all guns blazing” attitude and romanticised view of the Triads. The principal motive is to illustrate the startling contrast between the society’s origins and modern day gangsters. Age old tradition and symbolic gestures of loyalty are negligently ignored in an era fuelled by corruption and selfishness, causing individuals to backstab and act in a less heroic manner. Johnnie To’s intention was for Election to be a cinematic landmark; he would have succeeded had he not diluted it down to a 99 minute timeslot. As a result, the film suffers from a confusing narrative and a distinct lack of characterisation. If a three hour cut were to surface in the near future then it would be warmly welcomed by this reviewer.

The DVD is a splendid package from Panorama; beautiful in ambience and quality. There are plenty of English subtitled interviews to keep one satisfied and the audio options are surprisingly dimensional for character-driven drama. The embarrassingly repetitive Hong Kong film industry still has a long climb before it can match its peak, but Johnnie To’s recent effort has provided a little nudge in the right direction.