Infernal Affairs [SEP] cast member
Hell in Buddhism, where one endures suffering incessantly. The English title is a word play, combining the adjective 'infernal' (concerning hell) with internal affairs – the police department concerned with investigating its own officers.
Pre-release publicity focused on its star-studded cast (Andy Lau, Tony Leung, Anthony Wong, Eric Tsang, Sammi Cheng and Kelly Chen), but the film later received critical acclaim for its original plot and its concise and swift storytelling style.
The film had been selected as
that the largest ensemble cast of any Hong Kong film that year. "Infernal Affairs" became a huge box-office success in Hong Kong, even being deemed as a "box-office miracle" at a time when Hong Kong cinema was said to have been lacking in creativity. "Infernal Affairs" also marked the first of several collaborations with co-director Alan Mak, and screenwriter Felix Chong. Other films made by the directors and screenwriter include the sequels to "Infernal Affairs" ("Infernal Affairs II"