The life of an undercover detective is a dangerous one. The constant fear of being exposed puts the characters and audience alike on the edge of their seats. But what if not only one side infiltrates a man with the enemy? What happens if immediately two spies against each other have to compete?
The Infernal Affairs series asks this question in an exciting and humane way. With this you can currently watch an absolutely epic gangster film marathon for free in the Arte media library. You will experience a story that even… one of Hollywood’s greatest directors should inspire.
Infernal Affairs in the Arte media library pits two undercover agents against each other in a nerve-racking way
Yan (Tony Leung Chiu Wai) is tired. He has been working as a for years Undercover agent for the police and pretends to be a gangster. He’s gotten as close as possible to the boss of one of Hong Kong’s biggest triads. Together with his superior (Anthony Wong) he tries to finally bring him down. Actually, he just wants to go back to his old life and finally be a normal person.
Lau (Andy Lau) is equally exhausted and driven. He longs for a position of power in the police force, for an independent life. Because he too is caught in a role as a double agent – for the very drug lord that Yan is supposed to hunt down. When it becomes clear during an operation that both sides have spies on their respective opponents, a feverish search begins internal power struggle with fatal consequences.
Splendid film
Andy Lau and Tony Leung Chiu Wai in Infernal Affairs
Unlike other trilogies, Infernal Affairs tells stories over an epic 300 minutes not a simple, compelling story. The first part leaves us shocked, with our mouths open and questions on our minds. Infernal Affairs II – Descent into the Eighth Hell is an interim episode dedicated to the youth of its two (anti-)heroes, before Infernal Affairs III finally weaves all the timelines together.
The Infernal Affairs series is so exciting that it even inspired Martin Scorsese
The authors Alan Mak and Felix Chong build a cruel tension in an absolutely straightforward and brutally honest way. Without exception, every character in the series has the same chances of fatally failing or emerging victorious. Everyone holds the fate of the other in their hands. This (in)human relationships are the heart of the film, as Andy Lau stated in an interview with the Hollywood Reporter.
People and their motivations are a devilish affair. The line between good and evil, feelings and law, yes, between corruption and conscience is dangerously thin. Infernal Affairs depicts this more skillfully than almost any other film and therefore gives us no opportunity to predict the course of history until the last second. Infernal Affairs is frightening, real – unpredictable.
All of these motifs come from fans Gangster grandmaster Martin Scorsese probably looks extremely familiar. No wonder: the gangster epic was the inspiration for one of his most popular films, Departed. From the images and motifs known from Hong Kong cinema, he spins an Americanized, equally cruel and exciting story that will resonate for decades to come.
So if you want to be completely captivated by a nerve-wracking gangster story like Martin Scorsese, you can now do so for free in the Arte media library.