Man on the Brink (1981)

Fresh-faced cop Ho Wing-chui (Eddie Chan) is offered a special assignment ‚ two years undercover to infiltrate the triads. He accepts. And he vows not to tell his girlfriend or relatives, opting for a story of quitting the force to become a car salesman instead. Ah Chui heads into the underworld to hook up with fellow undercover agent Ah Tai; a senior cop who's ready to get back into uniform.

Ah Chui is swept into the triad society with ease and shows dexterity as an accomplice, though his knife-wielding skills leave much to be desired. He's in on the group's crime escapades and, with Ah Tai and the head cop (Callan Leung), he tips off each hit. The triads are far too trusting. Steadily, Ah Chui is increasingly absorbed in the gang lifestyle, taking up the gangster vices and alienating himself from the personal standards he previously adhered to in work and relationships.

Alex Cheung's follow-up to Cops and Robbers is another dense law enforcement drama. Eddie Chan as the lone protagonist is granted plenty of character depth, and is attention-grabbing as his Ah Chui is thrown to the brink of his moral, social and judicial boundaries. Through Ah Chui and his descent into the triad lifestyle, the director treats the viewer to more than the heartless chopping action of the late-90s churn of gangster flicks ‚ at various points Cheung's camera lingers on the gang members after they make their kills, showing remorse, and fear, in the warrior minions. The life he shows is far from glamourous, and inner conflict is clear in Ah Chui. The theme of public dissatisfaction with law enforcement is continued from Cops and Robbers and is highlighted by ordinary citizens meting out their own punishment on wrongdoers. Moments of comedy and a miracle recovery sequence threaten to detract from the hurtling direction Man on the Brink is headed, but such asides are few in Cheung's powerful drama.

Note: Cops and Robbers is reviewed here.

Credits:

Director/cinematographer/writer: Alex Cheung
Produced by Peter K Yang
Assistant Directors: Simon Yip and Teddy Chan
Starring Eddie Chan, Callan Leung, Kam Hing and Ada Fung