Island of Greed

Island of Greed (1997)

Genres - Action, Adventure, Crime, Thriller  |   Sub-Genres - Crime Drama, Political Drama  |   Release Date - Dec 23, 1997 (USA - Unknown)  |   Run Time - 126 min.  |   Countries - Hong Kong  |   MPAA Rating - NR
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Synopsis by Bhob Stewart

Hong Kong director Johnny Mak (Long Arm of the Law) helmed this drama detailing triad links to Taiwanese politics, with a several real-life political parallels. In 1995, a corrupt official (Li Li-chun) positions wealthy mob kingpin Chou (Tony Leung Kar-fai) as a candidate in upcoming elections. Aggressive cop Fang (Andy Lay) raids one of Chou's clubs, but Chou gets off without a conviction. However, Chou is no longer a nominee after Fang exposes his illegal tie to government construction contracts. Chou then becomes an independent candidate, proclaiming revenge on all his betrayers. Action scenes include wild gunplay in the Shihlin night marketplace and cabdrivers' riot that brings Taipei traffic to a standstill. The film's original title, Hei Jin, translates literally as "black gold," colors indicating the underworld.

Characteristics

Keywords

candidate, corruption, election, kingpin, police-officer, shoot-out

Attributes

High Production Values