Mad Detective – Santaam (2007)

Directed by: Johnnie To, Ka-Fai Wai | 89 minutes | action, crime, thriller | Actors: Ching Wan Lau, Andy On, Ka Tung Lam, Kelly Lin, Kwok-Lun Lee, Choi-ning Lee, Flora Chan, Siu-Fai Cheung, Suet Lam, Jay Lau, Eddy Ko, Jo Kuk, Ling To Yuen, Jonathan Lee, Ronald Yan

That Johnnie To is doing great! Beautiful films are made by him, such as the wonderful gangster story ‘Exiled’ (2006), in the tradition of John Woo, but with a clear signature of his own, and the incomparable two parts ‘Election’ (2005 & 2006), with the frequently recurring Simon Yam in familiar gangster role. Unfortunately not to be seen in ‘Mad Detective’, but this is nevertheless another special film.

No gangsters this time, but police officers. Just like in To’s earlier film from 2003, ‘Running on Karma’, we follow the adventures of a very special police officer, one who sees through other people flawlessly. Both films could be called a diptych, who knows, maybe a third will follow to complete the ‘trilogy of insane but brilliant detectives’, would be nice. These films are really special, if only because of their original, imaginative starting points. Not science fiction, but seriously approached and in principle plausible data, slightly exaggerated, but sincere and well-developed, so that it is credible and there is also something to experience. Because just as the very muscular and agile cop in ‘Running on Karma’ can see the past, even past lives, the insane detective in this film sees his fellow humans as they really are, with all their strengths and weaknesses depicted in real, individual persons. Floaty? It’s not that bad, they remain action films and the characters are often quirky and raw, so no soft hassle. Lots of humor too, of a certain kind. In the opening scene, crazy cop Bug has himself locked in the suitcase that a victim had been in. His partner Ho Ka-on then flicks him down four flights of stairs. Arriving downstairs, Bun unzips the suitcase and declares: “The ice cream man did it!”

This is typically one of those movies that Hollywood might start copying. Just as it happened with that brilliant film by Andrew Lau, also Hong Kong: ‘Infernal Affairs’ from 2002; the Hollywood version was rewritten a bit and got the title: ‘The Departed’ (2006), not bad either, shall we say. Incidentally, the Americans copy many foreign films, but that also has another reason in addition to extra earnings, namely that foreign films do not attract visitors in America, because the American cinema audience refuses to come to films in other languages. And since dubbing is also out of the question, we can only conclude that ‘Mad Detective’ must get an American remake, because the concept is very nice and inventive and the elaboration is idiosyncratic. You must have seen that.