My comprehension and understanding of PTU may be questionable seeing as the subtitles that were attached to my copy were strangely unnatural and confusing, the wrong verb tenses and technical vocabulary making me believe they were created by someone with a Cantonese/English dictionnary. However, the fact that I was still hooked into the film is a testament to its strong visual appeal and creative approach to the police drama genre. Narratively, PTU (Police Tactical Unit) can essentially be explained as being about revenge, duty and a fool's quest for a missing gun, the title's special unit working behind the scenes to cover all three. While the originality of the narrative escalation is noteworthy in itself, the film's true appeal stems from its fomal treatment, both images and sounds working together to build one of the most unconventional crime films I've ever seen. Taking place almost entirely at night, the picture brings the streets of Hong Kong to life through the prominent use of high-contrast lighting that makes cigarette smoke shine like diamonds in a coal mine. Every frame is carefully crafted, each an important piece responsible for making the whole seem removed and otherworldly. This feeling is strengthened by the characters themselves, caricatural in their representation of specific stereotypes. Furthermore, the unusual choice of musical accompaniment adds to the discrepancy between the actions themselves and how they are meant to be perceived by the audience. As for violence, its practice is much more glamorized and aestheticized than his Election films, slow-motion and shots staring into the barrel of a gun accentuating the climactic nature of its usage. Special in many ways, PTU uniquely stands out amongst HK productions as it refuses to abide by the rules of convention, a quality I've always admired.
There's a pretty good sequel that's worth checking out as well.
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