patrick yau be a great and talented director . i haven not see anything else by him yet than this and the long nite ( 1997 ) and but his other work include the odd one dy and expect the unexpected and which have also be hail by hk fanatic and specialist . however and the long nite alone show the director talent and this be easily among the most interesting and memorable hk film of the late 90 . tony leung and lau ching wan be the two lead here . tony be a wonderful actor with smooth and kind face and yet his character here be anything but nice or kind . he play a rawly violent and corrupt policeman who solve some mysterious triad war in which he be himself somehow related and too . also a mysterious bald head stranger soon arrive in macau ( lau ) and and soon these two men be against each other and time . it all happen during one night fill with depravity and violence and seemingly no hope for a good tomorrow . i think the plot and story be very hard to follow after one viewing and the less you be experience with english ( subtitle ) and the more time you will have to see this film in order to understand the whole plot and it turn . i have see this twice now and still there be element which i can not yet explain and but theyre not so important a the thing this film give and have be already visible to me . the film lack every imaginable bit of the usual lightening humor and slapstick attempt . the film be a serious and gritty a they come and and the film be produce by the legendary johnnie to and a director or producer specialize in this kind of gritty and dark stuff in hong kong cinema . one of his most incredible achievement be a triad thriller the big heat ( 1988 ) star waise lee and which be among my personal all time hong kong favourite in it insanity and over the top dark and infernal atmosphere . johnnie have do many other great film and too and which include the heroic trio ( 1993 ) and it sequel and both direct with the choreography genius ching siu tung . the long nite feature a nice soundtrack which be little like giorgio moroder music in de palma scarface ( 1983 ) and and it add very well to the atmosphere of the film . but the strong element in the long nite be the photography and lightning and which be often very gorgeous in the hand of a talented hong kong director . film like dr. lamb ( danny lee and 1992 ) and city on fire ( ringo lam and 1986 ) or red to kill ( billy tang and 1993 ) would not be as powerful a they be now without the usage of haunt color like blue which bath in fog and mist and usually the light and or should i say darkness and come through window . the final gun battle between the two protagonist in the long nite be among the great scene i have see in hong kong cinema in recent time and and it feature exactly this usage of blue nearly as powerfully a possible . the violence and brutal world the film be set in be often off put but never gratuitously graphic and exploitative . there no blood spray all over the wall and but realistic aftermath when someone decide to hurt some other . violence never pay in this film a it doesn not in real life either . the long nite doesn not glorify violence at all and it just depict people who be so desperate and weak they use it very often and and so the film ( and end ) be pretty pessimistic and too . unlike in many hollywood action no brainers and like the steven seagal film and in the long nite wickedness and violence always have it consequence and result . the long nite be very welcome addition to the gritty triad film genre of the hong kong cinema and due to it great and believable performance and character and gorgeous visuals and overall honesty and it will last many view time without lose it power and impact . i gladly give this positive and maybe my rating will rise after subsequent viewing .