Film review: The Mobfathers (選老頂)

The Mobfathers was directed by Herman Yau. Honestly, more than half of Herman’s product would have a decent beginning but not ending and “The Mobfathers” can’t be the exception, the ending provided a sharp cut feeling to and ‘there should have something more to say’ to the audience.

However, this review is not going to challenge the plot or else. I would like to focus deeper, something behind the scene: The confusion about the identity of Hong Kong citizens.

If you watch the film once or go to search the review about Mobfather, you can easily notice that the film was making a satire to reflect the political situation of Hong Kong which Hong Kong do not have the general election. But who can represent Hong Kong people during the film? Some may say Anthony Wong represent the Communist Party, Chapman To and Gregory Wong represent to the Candidate of Chief Executive, other gangs represent to the Hong Kong citizens. But in my opinion, both of them are representing Hong Kong citizens.

During the film, Ar Chuck (Chapman To) and Wulf (Gregory Wong) represent a type of Hong Kong citizens that they can hold the power, they would like put efforts on it and chase it. But they never know that what they chase just an illusion.

The Godfather (Anthony Wong) would represent another type that HongKongers but using the mindset of Chinese government, they would like to making chaos between the opponents to stabilize the regime. And the end of the film we can see the Godfather suffer the bad result when he done his “mission”. So, in my point of view,

The Godfather represent the “prefix with love” (愛字頭). A group that believe themselves very powerful, but fall quickly when their mission is done.

The three uncles (天叔、地叔、人叔) just represent the typical Hong Kong people, they don’t care who rule but what they “jetso” they can gain during the fight. They know what position they stand would have the greatest benefit and safe. They

always under ruling. (just like 天叔 said 「一人之下既無奈係好Ｌ冇癮的」) but they won’t do anything to against it. If you help me to against? Welcome, but I won’t provide any help.

The film provides a feeling with all lose at the end, Chuck and Wulf dead with their war, The Godfather dead after he finish his mission, the gangs followed Chuck and Wulf fall down a lot, the uncles gained benefit but nothing change because the structure hold still. The only good end maybe is Luke, he decided leave Hong Kong with his daughter. Perhaps Herman wanted to tell us that stay in Hong Kong is a dead end, until you leave? The confusion between compromise and conflict, Left to the audience.

Ng Chung Yip (10551048 / 21860711)

Reference

Bond, M.H. (1987). Intergroup relations in Hong Kong: The Tao of stability. In

J. Boucher, D. Landis, & K. Arnold (Eds), Ethnic conflict: International

perspectives, Newbury Park, CA: Sage.

陳家樂、朱立. (2008). 《無主之城 – 香港電影中的九七回歸與港人認同》. 香港.: 天地圖書有限公司

陳家樂 (2011). 《香港電影、電視及新媒體研究》. 香港.: 天地圖書有限公司