Election Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		4.0
Audio		5.0
Extras		4.5
Overall		4.0

Election Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov May 22, 2023

Johnnie To's "Election" (2005) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Australian label Chameleon Films. The supplemental features on the release include exclusive new audio commentary recorded by critics Frank Djeng and John Charles; mastersclass with Johnnie To; several archival interviews with cast and crew members; vintage promotional materials; and more. In Cantonese, with optional English subtitles for the main feature. Region-Free.

The Wo Shing Society, a powerful triad with thousands of sworn members, must elect a new chairman. His term would be exactly two years. The two main candidates are Lok (Simon Yam, Sparrow), a young and ambitious businessman with plenty of respect for the elderly members of the organization, and Big D (Tony Leung Ka Fai, Zhou Yu's Train), a flashy and outspoken mobster placing his personal interests ahead of the the Wo Shing Society’s well-being.

Before the crucial election, the two candidates work hard to secure as many votes as possible in what many believe would be a close contest. However, Lok wins convincingly. He is immediately congratulated by the most powerful triad leaders.

Big D goes berserk. He kidnaps two of the leaders who voted against him and tortures them. He also steals the symbolic Dragon Head baton, which each new chairman must have in his possession before he assumes duties, and hides in the Mainland. Uncle Teng (Wang Tin-lam, My Left Eye Sees Ghosts), a respected leader, immediately condemns Big D’s actions and warns him that if he does not return the Dragon Head baton war would be inevitable. Big D threatens to create his own triad.

Sensing that there is tension between the different factions in the Wo Shing Society, HKPF (the Hong Kong Police Force) capture its leaders and throw them in jail. A high-ranking official urges them to figure out their differences quickly and peacefully if they are to continue running their businesses. Uncle Teng gives Big D an ultimatum -- accept the election result or prepare for war.

Meanwhile, Lok and Big D’s men collide on the Mainland. Eventually, the Dragon Head baton is brought back to Hong Kong and given to Lok. Now he is officially the new chairman of the Wo Shing Society. Big D immediately congratulates him. Shortly after, he decides to test Lok and his men.

Anyone expecting to see plenty of mindless action in Johnnie To’s Election will be gravely disappointed. This is a film that explores the complex hierarchy of triad organizations without glorifying them. Furthermore, crime is addressed in a notably plain fashion, without the glamor most directors like to attach to it.

It takes a while to become comfortable with the different characters that populate the narrative. Many of them have tiny roles that initially seem incomprehensible. It is also difficult to immediately find out what faction of the Wo Shing Society they represent.

However, the sense of chaos that permeates the film is intentional. The idea is to show how incredibly difficult it is for an outsider to grasp the rules and regulations triad members follow. This transforms Election into an intricate puzzle that will resonate differently with different viewers.

Technically, Election dazzles. Cinematographer Cheng Siu-keung’s (Mad Detective) lensing is simple but elegant. The use of light -- particularly during the election and the inauguration ceremony -- is crucial to the film’s impressive look. Patrick Tam’s (Ashes of Time Redux) editing is tight, serving the narrative well. As is the case with almost every To film, music plays a very important role in Election. Lo Tayu’s (The Big Heat) score has a distinctive new-age feel to it.

Election Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Presented in an aspect ratio of 2.40:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, Election arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Chameleon Films.

I have one other release of Election in my library which Hong Kong-based label Panorama produced in 2009. (You can see our listing and review of this release here). I have performed some comparisons with it on my system. I think that it is quite easy to tell that the same master that was used to produce the original release was accessed for this release. However, the two releases produce visuals that did not look identical on my system. The previous release produces good, often even very attractive visuals. However, it is not particularly well encoded and in several darker areas these visuals became loose and begin to reveal light artifacting that is missing on this release. So, with screens now being quite a bit bigger than they were in 2009, the difference becomes easy to spot. Color balance is good. However, I suspect that if the film is fully redone in 4K in some areas saturation levels will be improved. Also, I think that the dynamic range of the visuals will be strengthened as well. Image stability is very good. On this release, the surface of the visuals tends to look just a tad superior too, but I do not think that this is an improvement that will be easy to appreciate. All in all, on my system this release produced a slightly better presentation of the film, so for the time being it is the one to own. (Note: This is a Region-Free Blu-ray release. Therefore, you will be able to play it on your player regardless of your geographical location).

Election Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

There are two standard audio tracks on this Blu-ray release: Cantonese DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 and Cantonese LPCM 2.0. Optional English subtitles are provided for the main feature. When turned on, they appear inside the image frame.

I revisited the film with the Cantonese DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track. It is a very solid track, with terrific ranges of nuanced dynamics. However, I must warn that Election is not a film that produces plenty of action footage where a 5.1 track can impress. I did not encounter any audio dropouts or distortions to report. The English translation is very good.

Election Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Commentary - this exclusive new audio commentary was recorded by critics Frank Djeng and John Charles. Mr. Djeng's commentaries follow a familiar format, so expect to hear plenty of interesting comments about the production of Election and the time period from which it emerged, the depiction of the triads and their impact on Hong Kong culture (including cinema culture), Johnnie To's detection and some unique aspects of it, the impressive cast that was assembled for the film, etc.

• Masterclass - presented here is an audio recording of a masterclass with Johnnie To from Ozasia Festival, hosted by film historian Mike Walsh in 2016. This is a very interesting program that reveals as much about Johnnie To's background, career, and enormous cinematic legacy as it does about Hong Kong as a thriving film city with a unique style and personality. Also, there are some very interesting observations about the business climate in Hong Kong -- or the way it was before China took control of the city. In English and Cantonese, with English subtitles where necessary. (37 min).

• Archival Interviews - presented here are four archival interviews in which Johnnie To and cast members discuss their work on Election. Also, there are some quite interesting comments about the conception of Election and how the events that are portrayed in it reflect reality in Hong Kong. In Cantonese, with English subtitles.
  
  1. Johnnie To. (30 min).
  2. Tony Leung Ka Fai. (16 min).
  3. Simon Yam. (7 min).
  4. Wong Tim Lam. (8 min).

• The Making of Election - a quick look at the triad culture in Hong Kong and how it is portrayed in cinema and Election. Included are clips from interviews with Johnnie To and cast members. In Cantonese, with English subtitles. (8 min).

• Photo Gallery - a galley of original publicity materials for Election.

• Promotional Materials - original promotional materials for Election. In Cantonese, with English subtitles.
  
  1. Trailer One. (2 min).
  2. Trailer Two. (2 min).
  3. TV Spots. (1 min).

• Cover - reversible cover.

• Booklet - 24-page illustrated booklet featuring Gary Bettinson's essay "A Milky Way Mob Story", Sam Ho's essay "From a Mission to Two Elections, by Way of a Unit", and technical credits.

Election Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Election is a tremendous film that makes it very easy to understand why Johnnie To is one of Hong Kong's greatest contemporary auteurs. Earlier today, I viewed this brand new release of Election from Australian label Chameleon Films, which is included in this two-disc set. It is very nice and happens to be Region-Free. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.