Besieged City (2008) User Reviews

Realism Meet Sadness - Review of "Besieged City"

[kampolam-75813 · 6/10 · 22 January 2023]

Lawrence Ah-Mon who has been dormant for many years, 2008 can be described as his "harvest year". Three films were released within a year, including "Besieged City", "City without Baseball" (co-directed with Scud Danny Cheng Wan-Cheung) and "Ballistic". Among them, "Besieged City" most easily reminds the audience of Lawrence Ah-Mon's debut period, especially the social realistic films of the TV department of RTHK, as well as his famous film "Gangs" (1988), which happened to be a work from 20 years ago.

Lawrence Ah-Mon used the same method to deal with the youth problem in Tin Shui Wai, which was described by the media as a "city of sadness". The film was shot in housing estate in Tin Shui Wai, and it was full of substance. Under Lawrence Ah-Mon's careful guidance, several actors showed the problem of youth in trouble. The psychological state belongs to the realistic film of the director returning to his early years.

"Besieged City" pays attention to Tin Shui Wai and youth issues, as well as Lawrence Ah-Mon's realistic style, which reflects the reality with extreme restraint. To a certain extent, the film is still quite consistent with the sadness and helplessness of his "Gangs" twenty years ago. "Besieged City" is more pessimistic about the predicament of young people than "Gangs".

At the beginning, the dream of Ho Ling-Kit, the protagonist played by Tang Tak-Po, and at the end, the orphan wandered in Tian Shui Wai, looking for dead relatives, as if they were destined to escape. However, the siege-like Tin Shui Wai cannot escape the dead and caused by poverty and family environment. The problem of Tin Shui Wai is complex, which is inseparably related to the current structure of Hong Kong society. Lawrence Ah-Mon still interprets it from a humanistic and realistic standpoint, which appears to be insufficient and outdated. First, it's unable to describe the deep structure of the problem in depth. Second it's the film that cannot provide a glimmer of hope and a way out to these young people in Tin Shui Wai.

By Kam Po LAM (original in Chinese)

The wonderful portrait of the young people

[dswmovie · 8/10 · 26 November 2008]

Is that true if Lawrence said it was hopeless in the shaggy estate like in the film. It can be true if we turn an blind eye to it. Ling Kit hated to hear the evil around him. He wanted to live in peace, especially when he see the evil at home. What a father he followed. A gambler would never blamed things on himself because it was his younger son that talked to him at the wrong time when he thought he would win a billion. The question is he could be a good father, right? I didn't think he would. He set up a bad example to his sons. Ling knew he was became a victims if he said his father was wrong. In Chinese society, they have to agree with their parents.

Moreover, his mother still keep the mouth shut. How can he start to complain about that? the younger one complained that it was late to say sorry but he did not know that earlier.

The misunderstanding and great expectations from us to others ruins everything one day. The destruction builds up because we live only by our beliefs, not the actually loving half of us all.

Youth is a bit of fool but sometimes I don't pity Hoi Kit because he was much deeply into "not wanna let you care" thing. He blamed Ling Kit on not stopping the abuse. He didn't know that it was putting his brother in dilemma soon.

All we have something not desired to let others know. It soon would become our problem because we believe we would hurt if we mentioned to others. It is foolish to think like that.

Lawrence made you think of things that you don't even wanted to think, especially in the time of entertainment. It is not a farce but a undeniable fact that you and I could witness every day. If the writers takes the wrong way, it would become a typical melodrama but now it goes so well and remarkable, the most important thing is the great cast, they make it a lively performance, without making it into just another film that pleased all.

I will recommend to those that in favor learning of human mind to see this masterpiece. It will be worthwhile if you dare to care more about the people around you, even though they seem to be cold actually. All they need is love, that is all.

Coming of age story: Drugs and gangs

[simon_li-310-980852 · 9/10 · 16 February 2017]

Besieged City is a coming of age story that explores the relationship between domestic abuse and social acceptance. Without loving parental figures, the main character grows to be an outcast neglected by the social norm. When the only place of acceptance is the life of a street kid.

When at home, Chun was verbally and physically abused by his parents and in school, he was bullied by his peers. With no friends for support and an estranged older brother who turns a blind eye, Chun chooses to run away. Given his lack of friends, he was easily recruited into a small group of delinquents whose influence turn him into another person.

The film looks at some of the issues faced by youths today such as bullying, drugs, gangs and stealing. It also shows the issue of societal acceptance which is especially important to teenagers. This is one of the few HK films that explores drug use from a middle-school drop out's perspective. Realistic and unfiltered.