The Longest Nite (1998) User Reviews

Great and dark Hong Kong triad film

[Bogey Man · 8/10 · 15 October 2002]

Patrick Yau is a great and talented director. I haven't seen anything else by him yet than this, THE LONGEST NITE (1997), but his other works include The Odd One Dies and Expect the Unexpected, which have also been hailed by HK fanatics and specialists. However, THE LONGEST NITE alone shows the director's talent and this is easily among the most interesting and memorable HK films of the late 90's.

Tony Leung and Lau Ching Wan are the two leads here. Tony is a wonderful actor with smooth and kind face, yet his character here is anything but nice or kind. He plays a rawly violent and corrupted policeman who solves some mysterious triad war in which he is himself somehow related, too. Also a mysterious bald headed stranger soon arrives in Macau (Lau), and soon these two men are against each other and time. It all happens during one night filled with depravity, violence and seemingly no hope for a better tomorrow..

I think the plot and story is very hard to follow after one viewing and the less you are experienced with English (subtitles), the more times you will have to see this film in order to understand the whole plot and its turns. I have seen this twice now and still there are elements which I cannot yet explain, but they're not so important as the things this film gives and has are already visible to me.

The film lacks every imaginable bit of the usual lightening humor and slapstick attempts. The film is as serious and gritty as they come, and the film is produced by the legendary Johnnie To, a director/producer specialized in this kind of gritty and dark stuff in Hong Kong cinema. One of his most incredible achievements is a triad thriller The Big Heat (1988) starring Waise Lee, which is among my personal all time Hong Kong favourites in its insanity and over-the-top dark and infernal atmosphere. Johnnie has done many other great films, too, which include The Heroic Trio (1993) and its sequel, both directed with the choreography genius Ching Siu Tung.

THE LONGEST NITE features a nice soundtrack which is little like Giorgio Moroder's music in De Palma's Scarface (1983), and it adds very well to the atmosphere of the film. But the strongest element in THE LONGEST NITE is the photography and lightning, which are often very gorgeous in the hands of a talented Hong Kong director. Films like Dr. Lamb (Danny Lee, 1992), City on Fire (Ringo Lam, 1986) or Red to Kill (Billy Tang, 1993) would not be as powerful as they are now without the usage of haunting colors like blue which bath in fog and mist, usually the light, or should I say darkness, coming through windows. The final gun battle between the two protagonists in THE LONGEST NITE is among the greatest scenes I've seen in Hong Kong cinema in recent times, and it features exactly this usage of blue nearly as powerfully as possible.

The violence and brutal world the film is set in is often off putting but never gratuitously graphic and exploitative. There's no blood spraying all over the walls, but realistic aftermath when someone decides to hurt some other. Violence never pays in this film as it doesn't in real life either. THE LONGEST NITE doesn't glorify violence at all, it just depicts people who are so desperate and weak they use it very often, and so the film (and ending) is pretty pessimistic, too. Unlike in many Hollywood action no-brainers, like the Steven Seagal films, in THE LONGEST NITE wickedness and violence always has its consequences and results.

THE LONGEST NITE is very welcome addition to the gritty triad films genre of the Hong Kong cinema and due to its great and believable performances and characters, gorgeous visuals and overall honesty, it will last many viewing times without losing its power and impact. I gladly give this 8/10 and maybe my rating will rise after subsequent viewings.

Dark fevered dream of a violent nightmare

[dbborroughs · 8/10 · 11 July 2009]

This is a bleak dark nasty ugly film of the sort Hong Kong no longer makes. Tony Leung plays a corrupt cop who is trying to make a peace between two of three powerful crime lords on Macau. Things are going from bad to worse as word hits the street of a contract on one of the crime bosses. A tall bald headed fellow is wandering about and seems intent on collecting the cash reward no one knows who is offering. Worse for Leung is the fact that someone seems intent on making his life miserable beginning with a naked dead man in his apartment. Things only go down hill from there as Leung tries to unravel the plot and stay out of increasing trouble.

A fever dream of foul things this was started by one director, Patrick Yau, who shot five scenes before hitting a creative brick wall and then was finished by the producers Wai Ka-fai and Johnnie To who stumbled around trying to stitch it together. The result is a really violent, bloody affair with no hope and no light. Much of the film operates in a seeming dream logic as it becomes clear that a greater power is operating just beyond Leung's view. Its all comes together in the end but until then its like being trapped in blood soaked nightmare with an occasional severed head. I'm kind of at a loss for words, this movie operates on a level somewhere underneath the surface and sends out shock waves.

I really like the film but at the same time find it rather disturbing. Its the sort of bleak rough edged crime drama that Hong Kong excelled at in the 1980's and 1990's but which it seems to have stopped making.

Recommended if you can find yourself a copy and like rough edged mind warping crime dramas.

An excellent mob thriller following the dark spiraling descent of one corrupt cop.

[tntokmenko · 8/10 · 7 February 2013]

The Longest Nite follows Tony Leung as a corrupt detective struggling to keep his head above water when he ends up caught in a crossfire between two gang rivalries. Meanwhile a mystery begins to unravel where Leung faces some serious career-ending dangers in which he must take specific actions to avoid. Lau Ching Wan plays a riddle in an enigma who hides in the shadows to conduct and puppeteer the actions of many other characters. Leung is consequently one of many mice who must compete to stay alive through what might possibly be "the longest night" of his life. This is a very strongly written thriller with moody cinematography throughout the nighttime streets of Hong Kong, an excellent film of Johnnie To's one of his best. The performances by Leung and Lau are great as well they really make great adversaries like you'd expect from the cover. Although the reason I don't rate this thriller higher are some erratic moments of absurd bloodshed which are almost comical in execution. "R-rated Looney Tunes styled death sequences". They only last but seconds, regardless they were enough to take me out of the film. Another detractor is the sense of limited closure on specific characters which I would have liked to see more development on in the conclusion. Besides a few minor complaints I still love this movie, and will enjoy watching it again. -8/10

The Usual Suspects in Macao

[ChWasser · 30 September 1999]

Of all the great Johnny To / Lau Ching Wan collaborations this is my favourite. Reason: Patrick Yau directs and Tony Leung Chiu Wai co-stars with a performance that gives many academy award winners a run for the money. Think of "The Usual Suspects" set in Macao and you get an impression of the tense atmosphere in this film. It's a violent world where nobody can be sure to survive the next day. Although Leung's character is quite clever and unscrupulous for a cop he's just not clever enough for the intricate set-up that he is pushed into by a mysterious man in the background. The plot-twist at the end is even more surprising IMO than the end of "Expect The Unexpected", Yau's other great film.

A must see for all fans of hardboiled crime stories (and for all people with good eyes, because the Milkyway- subtitles are tiny!)

Very good, no doubt... But...

[Liquid_Nuke · 7/10 · 28 July 2006]

At the expense of sounding a bit cliché, it wasn't on par with the best of the genre (Such as John Woo's better films), and in my opinion it wasn't quite on par with a more closely related title, The Big Heat. Why? The constant music was nothing special, and at it's worst, slightly annoying.

There are a few somewhat wooden performances. Tony Leung Chiu Wai was far better in Hard Boiled. I don't think Tat-Chi Yau knew how to wring all of the potential Tony has out of him for this film, and it shows.

There was a certain dynamic that's almost a staple of the HK action/crime genre missing... The power of the weapons wasn't conveyed as I've seen it numerous films over the years. What I mean is that the guns didn't truly seem as powerful as they should of. The shots, underpowered, and it's a bit underwhelming when I'm used to even pistols coming across as these loud, near deafening, definitive things. Small thing but it ran through the entire film and I think it's worth mentioning.

Could of been about 20 minutes longer, with more characters being fleshed out a bit more. Film could of benefited a lot from that.

Bad subtitles. Quite a few misspelled words and I'm sure I missed the gist of multiple things because of the poor subs. Ah well.

Those are all relatively small issues I had with though, and on the flip side it's got a lot more positive things going for it. A great build-up of suspense at multiple times through the film, a pretty complex interweaving plot, two very interesting, I might dare say original action scenes which made me grin...

To boot, it was brutal and uncompromising. No humor (Though the random, unexplained vomiting kind of teetered on it) A few nice, brutal for this kind of film scenes that pleased the inner gore hound in me. The coloring throughout the film, as mentioned by others, was nice and added a nice dynamic to the film.

Hehhehehee, the movie also stars, without a doubt, the most unrelentingly sweaty character in the history of film. Tony Leung literally wipes his face down with a towel every few moments for almost the entire film. Hey, it's the little things that I get a kick out of. He kept washing his hands and what not too. I think he had some kind of sanitation issue.

Overall, a 7.5 out of 10 in my very personal opinion. Well worth hunting down and adding to your collection, as it's a very solid entry in a sadly still declining genre.

One word : GREAT!

[lyle-5 · 10/10 · 4 March 1999]

Pic probably tops all Hongkong films in presenting triad warfare intrigue, and the horror and intricacy of a well-oiled set-up. The scripter and director weave a clever interlocking plot complete with tense and heart-stopping atmospherics. Tony Leung's bad cop performance is a class on its own, particularly when he finds out that he's been set up and is now in an untenable situation. But pic's originality is in the end let down by the final shoot out in a dilapidated warehouse, which is both shop-worn and pretentious.

Darker Crime Thriller with lots of Johnnie To elements

[jimniexperience · 7/10 · 28 December 2017]

Two Triad Leaders, Mr. K and Mr. Lung, control the underground of Macau .. The Old Triad Lord, Mr. Hung, is upset he's been left out .. He orders for both groups to pay dues but instead , they decide to join forces to maximize business ..

Overnight , a rumor spreads Mr. K has ordered a hit on Mr. Lung for over 50 grand .. Negotiators from both sides have 24 hours to get to the bottom of this before things get ugly ..... Simultaneously a mysterious character arrives in town and is stirring up trouble everywhere he goes ..

Think "The Spanish Prisoner," but faster-paced and R-rated.

[MIles-11 · 9/10 · 18 October 1998]

An almost completely satisfying 85 minutes; I'd have a hard time coming up with five minutes of the movie I'd like to see cut out. The movie starts off slow but intense, and gradually builds to fast and even more intense. Both leads are, of course, great. There are a lot of plot holes and logic jumps, but that's almost a given in a conspiracy-themed movie. Aside from that, there are really only a few small complaints to make; the action ending seems a little contrived. Some of the Foley work is pretty weak. A major character meets his/her demise in an extremely unsatisying manner. There's a couple of sloppy edits towards the end. The establishing shots are stolen from NYPD Blue. But really, when I'm so desperate for downsides that I'm nitpicking the EDITING, you know it's a great movie! Patrick Yau is well on his way to becoming one of the best directors in Hong Kong.

Bounty

[Genkinchan · 6/10 · 17 April 2021]

The plot of the movie is quite simple as the movie start off.. it just kind of explain everything through the narrator..

The Macao gang consist of two boss fighting for control And there is an much bigger boss behind who pays Sean Lau to frame a corrupted cop played by Tony Leong.

Firstly let's talk about casting this is one of the few movies we see Tony Leong actually plays the corrupted and kind oh villainy role which is quite impressive the acting is believable. Sean Lau like always play very well the role of an assassin.

Secondly talking about the numbers of cameo and smaller parts roles were all executed very well and believable

Thirdly like all 90's period Hong Kong action/drama the subplot usually don't make sense such as the killing of Wing Siu, K and the aftermath of the cop which was killed by Sean were not properly explained, you could easily shown them by flash back around two minutes.. Yet you spent most of the movies torturing suspects.

Finally it is an okay movie with a lot of loopholes in plot which surely can be remedy through an extra 10 minutes of running time and just another thing to be add are most of the actors were dubbed from their original voice.

Just a normal 5-6 star for me.

A good thriller out of Hong Kong...

[benz0325 · 8/10 · 3 January 2000]

Lau Ching-Wan continues to amaze me with his transformations into his character. This was a great acting vehicle for both Lau Ching-Wan and Tony Leung. The story was good, and the direction was tightly wound and suspenseful. Unfortunately, all the tension unravels into an extremely unsatisfying ending.

A director to watch out for.

[lyle-5 · 10/10 · 4 March 1999]

The psychological complex about "the end" is still in full force. But the script is more rational and integral than Intruder. The mysterious set-up is a spin-off from Lost Highway. Pic's strength is setting the action in Macao in turbulent times (thus setting it up as a metaphor of Hongkong), and giving full vent to Wai Ka-fai's pessimistic world view of inexorable doom. Yau Tat-chi shows impressive improvement with images: the confrontation in the cell, the chase at the pier and the duel in the hall of mirrors are all totally self-sufficient set pieces. A director to watch out for.

Scorsese Meets Woo

[eibon09 · 27 June 2001]

Tony Leung Chiu Wai is cast against type as the corrupt and violent Police officer in this Noir thriller. He gives his most deepest and powerful performance since playing the mentally tough protagonist of John Woo's Bullet in the Head(1990). In the tradition of the pessemistic noir pictures of the 1940s. A complex and thrilling story with surprising plot twists. Mixture of Martin Scorsese, Fernando Di Leo, John Woo, and Takeshi Kitano.

Another fabulous movie from Patrick Yau with his tight and taut direction. Has Patrick Yau done anything recent as it seems he hasn't done anything since Expect the Unexpected(1998). The most talented director from Hong Kong of the late 1990s. Involved in the production was Johnny To who is known for his dark and grim action and crime thrillers. The sequence in the warehouse is stunning.

Ching Wah Lau is terrific as the cool and enigmatic stranger. The whole gangster poltics in the movie echos the ideas of Martin Scorsese's mob flicks and Fernando Di Leo's Italian Crime movies especially Il Boss/The Boss(1973). The gunbattle between Tony Leung Chiu Wai and Ching Wah Lau reminds me of the best of John Woo. The final scene reminds me a lot of the final sequence from the Takeshi Kitano movie, Violent Cop(1989). The Longest Nite(1997) is more closer in tone to Takeshi Kitano than John Woo.

Deliriously entertaining, nasty and comedic

[Groverdox · 8/10 · 16 July 2017]

"The Longest Nite" is a deliriously entertaining Hong Kong crime flick with style to spare. It also has an unexpected dash of humour to offset the grim proceedings.

Crooked cop Sam (played by the usual charming "Little Tony", Tony Leung Chiu-Wai) is attempting to broker a meeting between Triad figures in Macau. He is a brutal figure, shattering a man's hands with a sauce bottle in a restaurant, and doling out gruesome torture to an alcoholic hostess played by Maggie Siu.

A suspicious, menacing bald man, Tony (played by Lau Ching Wan) appears out of the blue and becomes an ever-present thorn in Sam's side. Who is he? And what does he want? Well, I'm going to level with you, reader: I don't really know. Presumably the movie revealed that at some point, but I don't think it's really important. This movie was riveting, entertaining from start to finish, with many humorous and nasty touches. Lau Ching Wan was perfect as the shadowy bald man, and although the camera loves little Tony, I think he may have been a bit miscast as the crooked cop.

I didn't understand every aspect of the plot but I'm not sure you're meant to. I mean, have you ever understood every detail of a Hong Kong crime flick?

Good HK crime yarn

[searchanddestroy-1 · 8/10 · 23 October 2022]

It is violent, gritty, bloody a bit confused too, not really easy to follow. Produced by Johnny To, we then understand easily that stuff is not lousy. Macao by night, helped by the Giorgio Moroder's and Nino Rota - GODFATHER's music - score, where it is question of gang wars, triads, and when a borderline rotten cop is on the loose too, expect action, torture, in this fast paced and never boring Asian crime film. The quality of this feature can't be denied and I think it deserves a better release. It is short, not as long as Korean crime movies for instance, but the atmosphere is very close and far from Hollywood clichés. Unlike some Asian films that I have seen recently.

The Bleakest Nite

[SpearheadBT · 9/10 · 21 June 2011]

The Longest Nite is really something. If you, like me, love those violent, dark and gritty - evoking an almost apocalyptic atmosphere - Hong Kong crime films, like The Big Heat (another Johnnie To film even if Tsui Hark had a firm hand on the creative process), then you ought to get glued to the screen in a similar fashion. But unlike The Big Heat, the comedy here is totally nonexistent. The city of Macau depicted here is ridden with criminals and corrupt cops, who sometimes associate themselves with one of the two major gangs. Both have been at each other's throat for some time, making some businesses go down in the process which displeased an old but powerful triad boss who owned a lot of them. He then threatened both to stay low and to preferably leave the city. Tony Lung delivers a very good performance as the protagonist, a corrupt cop – violent but surprisingly calm – who tries to keep the peace between both gangs. Unfortunately a price is put on the head of one of the two bosses, and it is rumoured it could be the other one who did so. Things then become sour, setting the stage for this gripping crime thriller.

Lau Ching Wan plays this badass outsider – a mean one, but not from the cool breed – with a mysterious purpose. He initially seems more like a nuisance to Tony Lung's character, Sam, but as the movie advances his unknown motives start to feel all the more distressing. In the bleak world of The Longest Nite, there's no real good characters to root for. Sam is the closest to a good guy as you'll find, but early on his bad side is more obvious as he is not the victim he'll become later, the story taking unexpected turns and unfolding in a fashion reminiscent of Se7en.

The film starts with a short narration briefing you on the situation right before throwing you deep into the mess. Afterwards, you'll need to assimilate as much as possible of what is happening to understand well what is happening, and it can sometimes become hard to follow when you forget which boss is who. Anyway, the filming style is great too, the camera often looks around while not being so steady, giving a certain grounded feel, making you feel a witness of the events the movie shows you. The title being quite appropriate, the whole thing mostly takes place during a single night. The film isn't that long so things can become a bit hectic; not rushed, but you can feel how stressed and always on the edge the characters probably are. All this can be felt through the visuals too. Almost the totality of the film is taking place at night, occasionally under the neon lights of the Asian city. Add in smoke here and there, some other lighting work and the likes, and you've got everything to love about the aesthetics of Hong Kong crime cinema, further reinforcing the gritty and bleak mood conveyed through the story and characters.

The Longest Nite is an essential viewing for anyone into these intense, violent and gritty Hong Kong crime films. Not necessarily like the more romantic and theatrical work of John Woo – feeling almost like Greek tragedies – but more down to Earth stuff even if it's quite unrealistic in how bleak the whole thing is.