City War (1988) reunites A Better Tomorrow (1986) stars Chow Yun-fat and Ti Lung for a gritty police thriller. Helmed by Shaw Brothers veteran Sun Chung, City War is more sadistic in its violence than the more popular John Woo films yet more comedic than the work of cult favorite Ringo Lam. Where Woo would be sentimental, Chung gives audiences a rape scene, and where Lam would deliver a spectacle of violence, Chung serves up Chow Yun-fat playing a goofy drinking game.
These tonal variants in City War is part of what gives the relationship between Dick Lee (Chow Yun-fat) and Ken Chow (Ti Lung) more depth. As is typical with Heroic Bloodshed films, City War focuses on two friends with a common enemy the devolves into a tale of justice and revenge. For the narrative to succeed the viewer has to be invested in the friendship that Lee and Chow share so juxtaposing scenes of blind dates with foot chases through busy streets becomes essential to Chung’s style.
Ted Yiu (Norman Chui), the villain of the piece, gets the opposite treatment. Yiu is only ever cold, sadistic, and bloodthirsty. There are no scenes of levity for Yiu; he is the antithesis of Dick Lee in every possible way. This link between protagonist and antagonist extends beyond Ken Chow’s vendetta. Yiu and Lee both love Penny (Tien Niu) and the manner in which each man interacts with her becomes instrumental in establishing that, within the pantheon of the genre, the two characters are each a different side of the same coin.
Sun Chung’s direction never reaches the stylistic heights of Woo or Lam, but City War is nonetheless one of the better Hong Kong action films I’ve seen. One just cannot underestimate Chow Yun-fat’s ability to carry a film on his charms. Fans of Chow Yun-fat and this genre should definitely check out this forgotten gem.
