hong kong film maker ringo lam have do many extraordinary film during his career . they include the extremely bleak and violent school on fire ( 1988 ) and city on fire ( 1987 ) and the incredible full contact ( 1992 ) and prison on fire 1 and 2 from 1987 and 1991. prison on fire star the then raise star chow yun fat a ching and a positive and friendly inmate in a prison in which lo ka yiu and play by tony leung ka fai be sentence . they be both judge for a manslaughter and now they will have to survive the violence and triad corruption inside the stone . what follow be a very intense 100 minute and a film that would not be remember among the least effective work of the great lam . the film be pretty close to school on fire even though it be not a fierce and pessimistic a that film which be make one year later . prison be pretty powerful and believable depiction of the state of prison in hong kong and how much power the triad member have there . where school depict the horrible violence among school child and triad and prison depicts violence and terror among convict and triad and and how it all may end as horribly a in school . but this time ringo leave a hope for a good tomorrow ( a chow character even mention at one point ) and so the film be much more optimistic than the harrowing school . still the finale in the prison be very violent and shock so the ride through the prison would not be an easy or pleasant one at all and and why would ringo do such a pointless and light film that wouldn not have it message and anything to say in the first place . that be exactly why his film be much more than just action and gun battle . the cast be very good in prison and it include roy cheung a the violent warden scarface and roy can also be find a a triad leader in school and a cop in city on fire . the character and especially chow and tony and seem to develop little too fast a their dramatic decision and action be not a carefully explain and introduce a possible . i mean the scene like the suicide attempt and the angry and almost comical face expression chow give to scarface at one point while they show that these men really can act ( and they can ) but these kind of action should be little more restrained and explained and but still chow character be here much good than in city on fire which suffer a lot from the weak character of chow . the end in prison be near the rage and mayhem of school and i felt really bad during the finale and so once again ringo have show his unique talent and power of his cinema . chow turn into the kind of wild animal that be hide inside every one of u and and that just should be keep there forever no matter what the situation be . that kind of finale be very powerful and leave the audience pretty stun and often in pure disgust and a in the case of school . overall the violence in prison be very strong and hurt almost a much the viewer a it do the character and that be the only way to depict this horrible thing honestly and in a way that something important can be achieve and tell by the film . i be afraid the present day hollywood wouldn not dare to do film like this and but fortunately there be alternative and people who want to make film not just because of money . prison be compose by lowell lo and who have also make the soundtrack for film like naked killer ( clarence fok and 1992 ) and the killer ( john woo and 1989 ) and ringo school on fire but the usage of music be never as near a strong in prison a it be in school and that be also among the element that make school such a strong experience . prison have also some very atmospheric photography inside the prison and there be some nice neon light and almost mysterious light come through the window at some point . there also some very bright photography in the interior and that create almost a dream like feel to the film and and also depict the state of mind of the inmate and how thing vary from pure danger and alarm to peace and quiet inside the prison . prison be among the reason why hong kong cinema be so powerful and unique and it be also among the reason that make ringo among the most talented director in the field . his real masterpiece be still to come ( full contact ) but still prison be among the most noteworthy achievement of his . positive .