The White Storm, which is directed by Benny Chan, is a Hong Kong-Chinese crime thriller film that was released in 2013. Benny Chan is a well known director for numerous Asian films fans. He has produced numerous outstanding works, such as Jackie Chen’s who am I and New Police Story, and The White Storm is another splendid record that he has achieved.
The film illustrates a story about Ho-tin Ma(acted by Sean Lay), who is a workaholic captain of Hong-Kong narotic enforcement department, and his best friends , Kin-chow So(acted by Louis Koo), and Tsz-wai Cheung(Nick Cheung), who are also agents of the department. In addition, Kin-chow So also works as an undercover agent for the department in drug cartels. In occasion, they went to Tailand to catch the most notorious druglord of South Ease Asia, who are called as Eight-Faced Buddha(acted by Hoi-Pang Lo). However, the operation fails, and Ho-tin Ma is threaten by the Eight-Faced Buddha that he can only save one of his best friends.
Figure1: Ho-tin Ma(left), Kin-chow So(middle), and Tsz-wai Cheung(right)
Even though the film mostly discusses the brotherhood among the protagonists, the villain, Eight-Faced Buddha, is also a highlight of the film. Unlike the Asian or Asian American criminal in the United States film, the Eight-Faced Buddha’s brutality and ferociousness of are more realistic. As the villain, he understands how to makes people suffer psychically and psychologically. In the movie, he understands the weaknesses of the protagonists are their profound friendship. Sacrificing each other is the cruelest torture for them. Therefore, he let Ho-tin Ma choose which friend he wants to sacrifice in order to keep them all safe.
Figure2: Eight-faced Buddha(middle)
Without being marginalized or depicted by their stereotypical images, the Asian villain is more like a criminal than a clown.