There is something about gangster flicks that connect with audiences in a way that few genres can. There is a certain style that is unmistakable in these films. There is grandeur to them as the criminals perform unthinkable acts of violence while the law men chase them down to bring them to justice. One of the most appealing aspects of these movies is the strength of the code of conduct between the gangs and their members. It is strict and in its own fashion fair, at least from the perspective of the men bound by it. Transgressions are dealt with swiftly and frequently with deadly consequences. When most people think of films like this their thoughts naturally go to Chicago or New York City in the 1920s. The film by Alexi Tan, ‘Blood Brothers’ (or ‘Tian tang kou’ in the original Mandarin) takes the same basic premise and relocates it to Shanghai in the 1930s. the look and feel of this film is amazingly similar to the classic film noir gangster films popular here in the States in the thirties and forties. It is listed as being inspired by John Woo’s ‘Bullet in the Head’ but manages to take the story and characters and give a fresh twist to them. With that being said the film is an echo of what it tries so hard to emulate. There is too much of a feeling of déjà vu and it is well founded. We have seen this before; done with much more flair than displayed here. It is not a bad movie, not at all. ‘Blood Brothers’ is very much homage to the classics shown through a different culture prism.

The film was written by committee; Alexi Tan, Dan Jiang and Tony Chan. This is the first screenplay for each of them. The fundamental plot is cliché and has been used many times but it is strong enough to hold up for another run. The story is concerned with three friends, blood brothers. Two are biological brothers while the third is a best friend bound to the others as strongly as if he was born into their family. In some ways this echoes the relationship between Michael, Sonny and Tom in the definitive film of the genre, ‘The Godfather’. Instead of letting each character carve out their own niche in the underworld of crime this story places them more directly in competition with each other. This extends not only to their business but the women that they fancy. This does allow the writers here to do something not possible in a film where the spheres of influence for the brothers do not overlap; the rivalries threaten to break apart the friendship in a violent manner. The trio of writers could have spent more time developing the characters. As they appear here they come across as stereotypes of classic mobsters. There is little given in the way of motivation or drive other than the all too obvious lust and greed. Okay, there is a bit of a love story here but it is overshadowed by the violence instead of acting as a counterpoint. This is an attempt to make this thread work but just doesn’t seem to mess well enough. There is a stronger female influence here than in most action flicks and defiantly more than found in the usual gangster movie. Usually such films are purely testosterone driven but here the female perspective is highlighted. The tension between the three main characters appears contrived; it just doesn’t flow from one situation to the next in a natural fashion.

Not only is this movie the first screenplay for Tan it is his freshman effort as director. Prior to this film he was well known as a fashion photographer. This does give a vastly different style to the film. Many new directors start out in the world of music videos and their initial films are quickly cut almost like a string of vignettes pushed together. This is not the case with Tan. His high fashion background comes to play extremely well in the way he transforms the set to a virtual fashion show. The costuming by Timmy Yip is incredible. There was something about Chicago in the twenties or, in this case, Shanghai a decade later. The men looked great with their fedora hats pulled down over one eye. The flapper style dresses are juxtaposed with elegant gowns. This was one of the most recognizable styles in modern history and Tan pulls it off extremely well. What he does need more work with is the basic mechanics of film direction. He breaks the continuity many times by having different angles present characters in various orientations. Cars enter and exit on the same side of the screen. There is nothing inherently wrong in making such decisions for stylistic reasons but it is disconcerting to watch. It really points out how some very small technical aspects of direction are difficult to master. Coming from photography as he did Tan is most likely used to more stationary subjects. Some of these faults are minimized as much as possible by the incredible work of cinematographer Michel Taburiaux. He adds a touch of class to the production. This was a highly anticipated film in Hong Kong and mainland China. It features some of the A-List actors from Asian cinema. While most Hu (Tony Yang) have done better in other films they all do well here. Most have previously worked with the executive producer, the master of Asian action, John Woo. This film does not scrimp on fast paced stunts so the fans of this genre will not be disappointed.

Fung (Daniel Wu), has grown up in a rural village with his two best friends, brothers Kang (Liu Ye) and Hu (Tony Yang). With some regret Fung leaves his home to follow his friends to the big city, Shanghai. Hopefully they will find opportunities that are unheard of in such a small village. Kang is a walking contradiction. He is volatile, always ready for a fight. He can also exhibit a tender, understanding aspect to his personality. Younger brother Hu I unversed in the ways the world actually works. He is naïve and looks up to his big brother. Once in the city they find making their marks much more difficult then they had thought. It doesn’t take long before they become involved with a local mob boss, Hong (Sun Honglei). He is in love with a showgirl, Lulu (Shu Qi) but she is on love with a prolific hitman, Mark (Chen Chang). Matters only get worse when Fung falls in love with the beautiful Lulu while Hu becomes completely devoted to the boss. This places an incredible amount of stress on the two boyhood friends as one wants to make sure Lulu stays with the boss while the other wants her for himself. Kang is caught between his real brother and best friend.

The DVD of this film is being released by First Look Home Entertainment; as usual they are a great source of independent films and international cinema. This is a fun film that goes beyond the usually popcorn flick. It has some flaws but overall it is a strong piece of entertainment. If this is how Tan starts his new career in film I look forward to what he does next.