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The System, Peter Yung's debut feature, is based on the connections and information he gathered while making Opium: The White Powder Opera (1976–1977), a documentary about the drug trade, years prior. The film intricately portrays the relationship between drug dealers, the police, and informants, earning high praise. Inspector Chan (Pai Ying) persuades drug lord Hung's assistant, Tam (Sek Kin), to cooperate and gather evidence against Hung. The operation, however, does not go smoothly and is sabotaged by another team within the police, further complicating the situation.

The film’s solid and detailed depiction of investigations and drug trafficking, combined with documentary techniques such as handheld cinematography, captures a wealth of scenes on location without resorting to convenient dramatisation, allowing it to stand out among the many works of Hong Kong’s first wave of New Wave cinema. Its distinctive and cohesive style is not found in Yung’s subsequent works.

The film offers profound and contrasting portrayals of its two main characters, without a dichotomous portrayal of good and evil. Instead, it delicately explores their nuanced relationship as both adversaries and allies, highlighting their interdependence. Additionally, the film reveals the in-fighting within different anti-drug trafficking departments, illustrating how the entire drug trafficking and law enforcement system is inextricably linked through mutual interests. The film is filled with memorable scenes, particularly the police's undercover operations in street-level surveillance and Inspector Chan's solitary journey up the mountain to spend the night and observe birds at dawn.

About the Director

Peter Yung (b. Hong Kong, 1949) was already a renowned photographer when he came to specialise in making documentaries on the drug trade in the 1970s. The System is his debut feature on the same topic that has a strong documentarian influence in both form and content, unprecedented in its thorough understanding of the drug trade and its different players on a human level.

He is unique among his generation of Hong Kong filmmakers as a pioneer and an independent director who often produced his own films. In the history of Hong Kong cinema, The System is a unique example of merging tragic pathos and investigative journalism with a raw shooting style. His other works include Life After Life (1981) and The Rickshaw Boy (1982), as well as Warlords of the Golden Triangles (1987), the continuation of his exploration of drug-related themes.

Restoration details

The restoration was made using the original 35mm picture and sound negatives, preserved at the Hong Kong Film Archive, Leisure and Cultural Services Department. The digital restoration was undertaken at L’Immagine Ritrovata, with colour correction completed at One Cool Production.

Set in San Francisco, Love Massacre follows college student Ivy (Brigitte Lin) who inadvertently becomes involved in an affair with Chu Chung (Chang Kuo-Chu), the brother of Joy (Tina Liu), while Joy falls into depression after a breakup. Chung suffers from a hereditary mental illness, which ultimately leads to a violent outburst as he breaks into Ivy’s dormitory and goes on a killing spree. The film relentlessly shifts genres—from drama and romance to thriller and slasher.

Director Patrick Tam successfully channels elements of European arthouse films and American thrillers in this unsetting and visually striking New Wave gem. The script was written by Joyce Chan, a long-term writing partner of Tam in his television dramas. This marked Tam’s first film that showcased the impressive modern sensibility he developed during his television period. The film, which was set in the United States to accommodate Brigitte Lin’s schedule, completely transformed Lin's previous image as the golden girl of Taiwanese romantic drama, allowing her to enter a new phase of her career in Hong Kong cinema.

The film is most notable for its captivating visuals, utilising bold colours to express emotions with an experimental spirit. Although the box office performance and critical reception at the time were unexceptional, this does not diminish its pioneering role in New Wave cinema. In his debut as art director, William Chang Suk Ping elevated the role to a level that does not go unnoticed.

About the Director

Patrick Tam (b. 1948, Hong Kong) started his career in television at TVB. He directed his first feature film The Sword (1980), an innovative wuxia film that helped usher in the era of the Hong Kong New Wave. His knack for visual flair continued to flourish in Love Massacre (1981), Nomad (1982), and Final Victory (1987). He is also known for his work as an editor for films such as Wong Kar-Wai’s Days of Being Wild (1990) and Ashes of Time (1994). He was awarded Best Director and Best Screenplay at the Hong Kong Film Awards for After This Our Exile (2006).