gfanikf
02-15-2007, 05:31 PM
The Philosopher and the Gangster: The Influence of Machiavelli on Hong Kong Triad Cinema
A famous economist once said that if you wanted to see capitalism at work, then you should go and visit Hong Kong. The reasoning behind such a statement is that Hong Kong was a vastly unregulated free-market economy where one could see capitalism at work without factoring in extensive government regulation. Despite the fact that Hong Kong was a colony of the United Kingdom, the British had very little interest in regulating the economy. The lack of complex and restrictive rules allowed business and profits to flourish in Hong Kong. The colony rapidly became one of the richest areas in the world (it outranked the wealth of many “sovereign” countries, and was known for having the most Rolls Royces per capita). Hong Kong was generally given some of the highest ratings on reports that gauged economic freedom in various countries and still does so to this day.
However, a by-product of this massive and unregulated capitalism was the growth of the triads (the Hong Kong version of the mob or the Yakuza). The triads had existed in Hong Kong and Southern China since the fall of the Ming Dynasty and the rise of the Qing (Manchu) Dynasty. The original founders of the triads were said to be Shaolin monks who fled when the Manchus’ destroyed their temple (for their alleged loyalty to the Ming Dynasty). These men formed an underground brotherhood with the famous call-to-arms, “Overthrow the Qing and Restore the Ming,” and made plans to overthrow the government. As noble as many of these founding myths may appear to be, the triads shed itself of its nobler founding principles eventually (if these stories were ever true). It eventually gave way to a criminal association that became a part of Hong Kong and Southern China and would eventually spread around the world wherever Chinese immigrants appeared (though it should be noted that this is the same with many other ethnic based crime organizations). The triads also exist in various different branches (there is no unified triad leadership) in the way the mafia does in America (or more accurately the “Russian” mob). The influx of capitalism and its non-regulation allowed gangs to experience amazing growth in resources and earnings. This high-risk and high-stakes environment quickly led to gang wars and fighting within the various triads and is a theme that recurs in films set in Hong Kong. In fact, the triads to a certain degree are accepted as one infamous quote from a Chinese security head indicates that “’The members of triads are not always gangsters,’ he said. ``As long as they are patriots, concerned with maintaining the prosperity of Hong Kong, we should respect them’” (Viviano).
Capitalism helped the triads grow, but Nicolo Machiavelli, a medieval Italian political philosopher helped govern the way they acted (in regards to the use of violence) and through that how they have been portrayed in Hong Kong popular cinema. This can be seen in the various depictions of triads in Hong Kong popular cinema, as many of the members observe the rules Machiavelli sets forth in The Prince for being a wise ruler by knowing how to use violence effectively. This will be done by examining passages concerning violence and cruelty in both The Prince and various plots in Hong Kong triad films. Part of the reason for this linkage as we shall see, is that Hong Kong and Florence both had similar traits in regards to politics and economy. Examining and analyzing these types of characters will be a two-fold advantage as it will show the pervasive influence of Machiavelli and how it manifests itself in Hong Kong popular cinema.
From this analysis, we will see that Machiavelli and his views on violence and cruelty has influenced a country’s films, despite the actors never even mentioning the name of Machiavelli. This is because of the timelessness of Machiavelli’s advice. If one wants to see capitalism at work, indeed, one should go to Hong Kong; if one wants to see Machiavelli at work, one should watch Hong Kong triad films. Before we start this paper we should explain the process in which we will be examining Machiavelli and the Hong Kong triad genre.
To understand these films and the connections between them and a famous medieval Italian political philosopher we must first examine the man himself: Machiavelli. Understanding Machiavelli and his surroundings will prove to be an important part of this paper. I hope to show that Florence, at the time, had, similarities in structure, economy, etc. that were comparable to Hong Kong. This will help to show that Machiavelli’s teaching may have had such a large impact on the Hong Kong triad genre because Florence and Hong Kong had similar conditions that helped to create a society that would value the concepts of Machiavelli (or at least create elements that would apply to the creation of The Prince). Some interesting surface comparisons of Florence and Hong Kong are that they were both city states, and were governed by a system that was by and large undemocratic. In the case of Hong Kong, even with the brief experience of a representative legislative body under Governor Chris Patton, Hong Kong for the vast majority of its colonial period and today as a SAR (Special Administrative Region) lacks full democratic representation. Florence was technically a republic; though power was often concentrated in the hands of few. Hong Kong and Florence were also strong trading hubs and despite lacking political freedom, economic freedom was greater than in the states surrounding Hong Kong and Florence. We will demonstrate how Florence and Hong Kong are similar, which will help to show why The Prince and the surroundings that created it would be right at home in Hong Kong and in its cinema. In a sense with conditions similar to each other, it should not surprise readers that Machiavelli and his advice on violence and cruelty resonate so strongly in Hong Kong triad films.
However, we must serve to educate the reader on the history and background of the triads. As a powerful group that has always been a part of Hong Kong since it first came into being as a Crown colony, they have survived the British, the Japanese during World War II, and now the Mainland Chinese. We will scrutinize their operations in order to place the films examined into context as the triads often play a large role in most of the organized crime in Hong Kong (non-triad crime organizations tend to be foreign or immigrant communities). After considering the history of Hong Kong and its parallels to Florence along with a cursory look at the triads, we will begin to apply the works of Machiavelli to Hong Kong cinema and see how The Prince manifests itself in the gangster genre.
We will attempt to look at what are some of the more relevant sections of The Prince that could relate to organized crime and violence and cruelty and would be of interest to a budding triad member as depicted in cinema. This examination will help show the relevance of Machiavelli’s writings and how they can be employed by members of organized crime and ,thus, would also appear in fictional representations of the triads. Not all of Machiavelli’s advice is of use to a gangster, but there are many nuggets of wisdom in his works that would be of particular value and interest, especially his discussions on violence and cruelty. This will serve to expose the more useful parts of the text. In a sense, this is the theoretical part of the paper, while the films will be the application. However, after this is done we will shift in focus from The Prince to that of the Hong Kong triads in film.
We will take all of our knowledge that has been gained from the work and research of the previous sections and put the teachings of Machiavelli to work where they are quite at home in the Hong Kong gangster genre.
Election and Election 2 are films directed by Johnnie To and are two of the most critically acclaimed triad films to come out of Hong Kong in recent years. These films give one a chance to study how the concept of only using cruelty when necessary and when forced to implement cruelty, one should do so overwhelmingly, as Machiavelli writes about in his text. This concept was the basis of my presentation in class and I feel it would be an excellent to start to the application of the theories of Machiavelli, as they demonstrate the dangers of excess of violence and cruelty. Jiang Hu and Young and Dangerous also depict how the Hong Kong gangster genre follows Machiavelli’s advice on the danger of being overly cruel as will be shown by comparing passages from the text and scenes from the films.
I should issue some cautions in regards to the citations of film. I will often describe the scene and actions as opposed to direct quotations for the majority of my analysis. The reason for this is that often the original intent is lost in the translation and that even recent films suffer from poor English subtitles which often take a sixth sense in order to properly figure out what is being said.
Throughout this paper, I hope I will be able to show how the work of Machiavelli and The Prince on violence and cruelty resonate strongly in the Hong Kong triad genre. This work will help to illustrate the influence of Machiavelli via analysis of the triad films and The Prince. Moreover, this paper will also show one that pf the key reasons why Machiavelli and his influence on the Hong Kong triad genre is worth study is due to the similarities of Machiavelli’s Florence in politics and economics with that of Hong Kong.
The world of medieval Florence and Hong Kong were quite similar as has been pointed out earlier. Florence was often described as being an important center of capitalism, such as these two historians who wrote:
To the extent that any location can be considered the birthplace of mercantile capitalism, northern Italy, and especially Florence, is that place. Double-entry bookkeeping, marine insurance, partnerships with branches, holding companies, bills of exchange, and international banking in general all of these accoutrements of modern business and finance were invented in northern Italy. (McLean and Padgett 209)
It is not difficult to recognize how Florence was a center of commerce during the life of Machiavelli and was a vital part of his surroundings when he wrote The Prince. The fact the that rulers of Florence were the Medici whom were some of the greatest financers of the time who were involved both in trade and banking was an important feature in allowing Florence to become a center of trade. The Medici were very interested in enriching Florence and themselves through the continuation of international trade. Still this did not limit the growth of other business in attempt to expand their capital. Richard A. Goldthwaite takes care to point out in his workings on the Medici bank that out the Medici and their banks were just one of the many banks that were operating in Florence (6). However, in the area of politics the government of Florence growth was something that was not in mind of the ruling family. Joseph Femia even writes, “In Florence, the most culturally dynamic of the city-states, political power rested in the hands of a closely knit oligarchy, led by the Medici family” (1). Further, more Femia states that while Florence was a republic franchise was limited and elections controlled (1). This combination is important to remember because it shows despite the fact that political freedom was heavily controlled and most ordinary citizens lacked any say in there government they did possess economic power. Hong Kong itself is very similar to Florence in that it is one of the most well known centers of modern capitalism today. Hong Kong for example received some of the highest marks possible in the areas of economic freedom by The Frasier Institute and The Heritage Foundation/Wall Street Journal. In fact both reports listed Hong Kong as having the freest economy in the world placing number one in both reports. (Heritage/Wall Street Journal Report and The Frasier Report). In regards to economic freedom the Heritage Foundation/Wall Street Journal states:
Hong Kong remains a model of economic freedom. It is a free port with no barriers to trade; has simple procedures for starting enterprises, free entry of foreign capital and repatriation of earnings, and transparency; and operates under the rule of law (Heritage Hong Kong).
However, another report by Freedom House gave the county a lower score overall because of the fact that political process is not free in one category rating electoral process scored lower than areas administrated by the Palestinian Authority among many others (Freedom House). These numerous comparisons help show that both Florence and Hong Kong are two city states that share a great deal in common such as exceptional high economic freedom in regards to the financial opportunities and instruments available to merchants (in banking and trade) and in the case of Florence the invention of them. The two city states also share a common factor that while enjoying great deals of economic freedom conversely suffered from a lack of political freedom and representation. It is interesting how these two centers of capitalism despite having no direct contact with each other hundreds of years later share many of the same macro-economic and political settings. With this shown it should not be too surprising that the work of The Prince written with the direct experience of Machiavelli observing and being a part of the Florentine city would be quite applicable in a city like Hong Kong and because of that would also appear in the fictional representations of organized crime.
        The triads are organizations that have been a part of Hong Kong since its days as a crown colony and still continue to this day in Hong Kong as a SAR. In fact the triads have been around even before Hong Kong became a crown colony.
        As was briefly mentioned early the modern triad societies like to trace themselves back into the period that saw the fall of the Ming Dynasty. The story surrounding there origins (which is often incorporated into many triad initiation rituals) was that a Manchu Emperor requested the help of the Shaolin monks in a battle and promised them vast amounts of treasure (Lintner 41). However, the Shaolin monks apparently did to good a job in brining the Emperor Kang Xi victory, he grew extremely nervous and had the monks burned alive as they slept in their temple (41). The survivors of this massacre are said to have formed Heaven and Earth societies to overthrow the Qing, although when they first appear in the historical record near the beginning of the 19th century it is related to an extortion attempt in regards to robbing travelers on the road (44). From these “humble” origins of extortion, the triads soon moved into any and all forms of criminal enterprises possible. The triads are also well linked to the Hong Kong film industry and several majors figures in the Hong Kong film industry are linked to triads. Charles Heung who is the owner of Chinastar is even the son of one of the more well known triad groups in Hong Kong. Heung even had a recurring role in the film series God of Gamblers as a Vietnamese bodyguard for main character Ko Chun (played by Chow Yun Fat). During the golden age of Hong Kong films many films were funded by triads as it was a way to increase revenue as Hong Kong films were often made on an extremely quick and cheap schedule that almost always ensured a return on the investment. One of the most notorious examples of this was by a Macau gangster who was named Broken Tooth who was known for his media hungry personality. He funded the production of Casino starring Hong Kong actor Simon Yam in a picture where Yam played Broken Tooth in all but name only. The film was essentially dedicated to the goal of the glorification of Broken Tooth. It was reported that during the premiere of the film when Broken Tooth’s name appeared in the credits the “audience” burst into applause.
        However, there is a dark side to this involvement of the triads in the film industry (until the industry eventually slumped and it no longer became the bona fide moneymaker it used to be). Simon Yam talked about how he was forced to make movies that he had no interest in even appearing simply because of powerful figures who wanted him in their films (Cinema of Vengeance). Other actors have been threatened at various time including Chow Yun Fat who had a dead cat thrown on his property as a message. Hong Kong film director Wong Jing lost a lot of his teeth and spent time in a wheelchair because he did not speak positively of a triads girlfriends attempt at acting. As we can see the Hong Kong film industry has very close ties to the triads and it should not surprise one to see them as a fertile subject for films made in Hong Kong. Before we discuss these pictures in depth, we should first look at the areas of Machiavelli that will be applied to these films. Are goal will be to show certain passages that can be analyzed in conjunction with Hong Kong triad movies.
        One of the most important quotes from Machiavelli is from Chapter 8 of The Prince when he writes:
        Hence it is to be remarked that, in seizing a state, the usurper ought to examine         closely into all those injuries which it is necessary for him to inflict, and to do         them all at one stroke so as not to have to repeat them daily; and thus by not         unsettling men he will be able to reassure them, and win them to himself by         benefits (3).
        This quote is extremely relevant to the mind of a gangster because unlike the world of modern politics or business leadership and the settlement of disputes can often rely far more on the use of violence than say the process of conflict settlement or negotiations. The use of violence was something Machiavelli recognized was something that would be required in many situations. In this chapter he even gives two notorious examples of the swift use of violence. That brings us to the keep importance of advice to the gangster in this text and that is the use of violence is fine (even though Machiavelli will not say so explicitly), but that it should be tempered and not used wantonly without any concept of tact or strategy. For Machiavelli when violence must be used it should be done as quickly as possible so that the population affected by these actions will be able to digest it and move on. For the gangster this advice is quite apt and one that has cinematic examples not just in Hong Kong cinema. One of the most famous examples of this would be the end of the first Godfather movie. The use of violence is swift and massive much like the ascension of Agathocles who in one full swoop murders any and all of his opponents clearing the way for him to obtain power (1). In fact, Machiavelli issues a strong warning on why violence should be used only when it is done massively and quickly when he states:
        He who does otherwise, either from timidity or evil advice, is always compelled         to keep the knife in his hand; neither can he rely on his subjects, nor can they
        attach themselves to him, owing to their continued and repeated wrongs. For         injuries ought to be done all at one time, so that, being tasted less, they offend         less; benefits ought to be given little by little, so that the flavour of them may last         longer. (3)
This advice and warning is even more centered to the world of the gangster in that a gangster who cannot strike at once will forever be forced to be looking over his shoulder for both his soldiers and those whom he has wronged. For a gangster who has many business interests to always be focused on his own personal safety. Thus the business side of the criminal enterprise will always suffer because of the inability to act forceful and quickly. Characters whom tend to always be violent are often forced to take time away from their businesses and are preoccupied with violence.
        Machiavelli states though that in the use of violence one should not incur the hatred of others when he wrote:
        Nevertheless a prince ought to inspire fear in such a way that, if he does not win         love, he avoids hatred; because he can endure very well being feared whilst he is         not hated, which will always be as long as he abstains from the property of his         citizens and subjects and from their women. (3)
The importance of this quote to the gangster is very clear. It is entirely possible and may even be preferable that a gangster be feared by enemies because they will be less likely to strike at him. However, when people hate you they are sometimes willing to risk their own property and livelihood against you. This is especially true if you have committed offences against them in which you have injured or seized either your opponent’s property or woman. When you have wrong a person so much they are often more than willing to put more than they normally would on the line just so they can have there vengeance. Machiavelli cautions in regards to seizing property, “but above all things he must keep his hands off the property of others, because men more quickly forget the death of their father than the loss of their patrimony” (2). This expands on some of the ideas that I have been talking about how if you push a person so much they will eventually lash out against you. Machiavelli effectively sums up the most important thing to be remembered by a gangster and that is, “he must endeavour only to avoid hatred” (3). If a gangster fails this as we shall see in the analysis of these films he will only survive his time on the top for a short time. We will see this come into play as we now begin the task of analyzing the films. It should be noted that for the sake of clarity and uniformity all Chinese names and titles are taken from the Hong Kong Movie Database (www.hkmdb.com) and LoveHkfilm (www.lovehkfilm.com). Citiations from the film will not be included as they are listed on the work cited page and it is evident that I am referring to the film in question.
        The Young and Dangerous film series is one of the most influential triad film series in modern Hong Kong cinema. It spawned countless imitators (some of which star the actors of the series itself) and six official sequels (or five if you do not count Born to Be King) which is a number usually only reserved for horror films and Star Trek! One thing that made the series unique was it signaled the end of the old generation of actors (such as Chow Yun Fat and to an extent Andy Lau) representing the public face of triads to a younger generation (Ekin Cheng, Jordan Chan, and others). The film also used new experimental camera angles, which set it apart for older films. Young and Dangerous was so successful that it played for over two months (which is quite an amazing length consider even blockbusters in Hong Kong then and today only played for usually a month). The film serves as an excellent example to look at the influence of Machiavelli on the Hong Kong triad genre. The plot of Young and Dangerous deals with the story of a close knit group of friends and their trials and tribulations in the triads and their conflict with other branches of the Hung Hing triad society. It is important to note that I say branches and not other organizations as their conflicts are of intra-conflicts in the organization at large. One way to simplify this is to point out that a chairman governs a triad society but individual branches form a major part of it (similar almost to a federal system of government). The teachings of Machiavelli make themselves apparent in the character of Ugly Kwan (play by Francis Ng). He is a man who seems to violate every principle of the rules Machiavelli sets forward in The Prince. Not surprisingly he is the main villain of the film. One of the key aspects that Machiavelli talks about is that violence should not be used to an unjustified amount as it will created the feeling not just of fear for the person but of hatred.
        Ugly Kwan beings the film right away by violating this principle and actually attacks the main heroes of the films when they are kids for no reason except to be cruel stating that they cannot occupy a basketball court in his territory. When informed by the children that they are allowed to he breaks a coke bottle over one of their heads and orders his gang to beat the group of children down. This immediately setups up a character who is not inflicting all his injuries at once as Machiavelli advises but instead does so on a daily period. This behavior is one that is extremely counterproductive as it only engenders hatred in Ugly Kwan. In fact the boys eventual patron Uncle Bee (played by Frankie Ng, a former triad member himself) seems to have been setup to serve as a counterpoint to the behavior of Ugly Kwan as he himself at the beginning of the movie is the one who orders Ugly Kwan to stop his beating of the children. He is a man who does use violence in the film for the elimination of a gang member however, following the wisdom of Machiavelli he does so extremely quickly and only targets the man himself not those around him or his family members.
        However, this is not the case of Ugly Kwan who eventually launches a decapitation strike against Uncle Bee by having him along with his wife and two children murdered together and buried in a ditch as part of a power grab. Ugly Kwan even rejects the pleas of Uncle Bee in asking that the lives of his family be spared because of the fact that they have nothing to do with this conflict. This is what shows the fatal flaw of Ugly Kwan is that he is a person who uses violence without any regard to the scope of his actions, he acts only like a petty tyrant. He never really causes that other characters such as the main heroes Nam (Ekin Cheng) and Chick (Jordan Chan) to fear him but to hate him intensely. In fact Ugly Kwan despite the fact Nam has been forced from the Triads launches an attack against him by burning down his restaurant. However, the main heroes show that they are students of Machiavelli in how they strike back at Ugly Kwan. They do not use violence in the piecemeal and ultimately pointless manner the Ugly Kwan does they launch a major and massive attack against Ugly Kwan. They have his clubs bombed, have his porno studio raid by Hong Kong police who find cocaine hidden in film reels, and as a diversion beats up his mom (who is a thoroughly despicable person much like her, still she is not killed). This action forces Ugly Kwan in the street chasing after them and eventually leaves him trapped with a weapon in his hand where he is shoot by a patrol office that he threatened earlier in the evening for telling him to move his car. In a sense we see that the heroes of Nam and Chicken are true students of Machiavelli. When they use violence they do so massively but they only truly target Ugly Kwan in their attack, as noted the attack his mother but she is only shaken up by the attack which is clearly meant to cause Ugly Kwan to leave the premises as opposed to simple being violent for the purpose of using violence. They clearly become people who are to be feared (although they also well respected by other triad members), but they are not hated as there attack a coordinated attack against Ugly Kwan and occurs massively and quickly. These are clearly people who will not have to keep a knife near them (which is quite apt as most Triad members actually use machetes as their main weapon) because of themselves becoming hated. Ugly Kwan on the other hand constantly used violence and has attacked the families and properties of others which Machiavelli has cautioned against. While it can be said that Nam and Chicken do the same thing it should be noted that the clubs of Ugly Kwan that are attacked are more side business then primary property. When viewed in connection with their operation as a whole, at this point in the film Nam’s restaurant is essentially a small street grill with some plastic chairs and tables and more personal than Ugly Kwan’s properties. From this film we see the consequences from excess cruelty we should further examine that concept and the consequences of it further as6 they ideas described by Machiavelli play a great role in the Hong Kong triad genre. The next films that we will be examining is Johnnie To’s Election and Election 2 which show important these concepts dealing with the use of violence play in Hong Kong films.
        Election deals with the story of a triad branch electing its new Chairman and the consequences of the election results. The two main characters are Lok (played by actor Simon Yam) and Big D (played by Tony Leung Kar Fai) whom are both contesting for the position of chairman. Lok is constantly presented as this model of Confucian value as a man who is honorable, humble, a family man, and not overly violent. Big D is the complete opposite he is a man whom is willing to use bribes to win the Election and failing that will use the threats and actions of violence, even threatening to form his own triad society which will cause triad warfare on a large scale (Election). he is also loud and arrogant a seemingly polar opposite to that of Lok (Election). Big D and Ugly Kwan at first appear to be very similar personalities. Big D is a person who also cannot seem to understand the Machiavellian concept of not using violence daily. In response to losing the Election to Lok, Big D tracks down two people who were supposed to vote for him (although unknown to the characters one person didn’t vote for Big D because he felt the bribe was too small, in actuality it was partial stolen by an underling to pay a gambling debt) and extracts a horrific revenge. He has both men nailed up in wooden crates (it should be noted that one of the characters in the crate is an elderly man) and then repeatitly thrown up and down a cliff side as he chats with Lok. This type of cruelty exemplifies the behavior of Big D. One major plot point of the film is that a man cannot assume the position of Chairman unless he actually possess the dragon baton (a triad symbol of authority). Big D forces the previous Chairman to declare that it does not recognize the results of the election and hit the item in mainland China. At one point when telling the person to give him the baton Big D is arrested. Big D after assaulting the man when being arrested forces him to run into the street in an attempt to escape Big D where he is promptly run over by a truck. The depravity of Big D knows no bounds as he hears the man will talk to the police he has his lawyer meet with the main in medical custody and show him a news paper which indicates that his son was run over by a truck and seemingly indicates that it will happen to others in his family if he talks. Big D not only uses cruelty without restraint he makes himself hated as his actions do not make others want to fear him but quite the opposite makes others want to see him dead. Eventually Lok convinces Big D to concede the election after he cans control of the dragon baton despite the best efforts of Big D to find it (including once again the use of violence). Big D promises to support Lok in exchange for Loks support of him in the next election and money. They seal there deal in a way but murdering an opponent to the triad. However, it is a ruse eventually Big D cannot slake his thirst for power and when fishing with his wife and Lok and his son. Big D proposes that they share the posistion of chairman. Lok claims he would have to get approval. In a scene that Machiavelli himself would approve of (or at the very least find his words being implemented effectively) when Big D goes to get his reel (during his fishing it is angered at the success of everyone else in fishing and suggests using hand grenades) Lok bashes his skull in with a large rock nearly two dozen times. When Loks son and Big D’s wife returns from going to the bathroom Lok throws his keys to his son and tells him to lock himself in the car. He then grabs a shovel left by a construction crew and beats Big D’s wife to death with it and then buries both of there corpses (in a sickening note you can clearly see Big D still moving as dirt is being dumped on top of him). Lok shows that he is truly the child of Machiavelli as he commits his act as if he was one of the ancients that is being described by Machiavelli. He commits an amazingly brutal and violent act but he does so quickly and massively in eliminating his opponent. Now one may argue that the killing of Big D’s wife may be exactly the type of thing that would have been opposed by Machiavelli, but in reality this is not the case and unlike he murder of Uncle Bee, Big D’s wife is clearly a part of his activities along with the fact that no one knows who actually killed Big D as his death and who may have possibly done it does not come up at all in Election 2. By waiting for the chance to strike and not using violence and any and all avenues Lok exemplifies the principles of Machiavelli. In a way I believe this is why many viewers are shocked and completely caught off guard by the ending of the film. It is so fast and shocking that we the viewer cannot believe the complete reversal of roles. If anything we expected an attack on Lok by Big D not the other way around. The fact that we do this shows just how Machiavellian Lok is. He has managed to fool everyone including the audience. However, like so many in power once there they don’t often want to leave. This is the downfall of Lok in Election 2.
        In Election 2 Lok finds himself unwilling to give up power. In order to remain in power Lok as begins to murder those who may threaten him. He even push the former leader of the triads do the stairs and kills him because he is threatened by him. In the end Lok is strangled to death in the back of his car by men he thought were going to protect him which is one of the things that is explicitly warned by Machiavelli as a consequence of being overly cruel. The same problem as is the cause of a downfall of another character in a triad film.
        In the film Jiang Hu the character Lefty (played by Jackey Cheung) is a man reknown for his cruelty and violence so much so that he and his boss are eventually murdered because of it. His friend and boss Hung Yan-Chau (played by Andy Lau) is planning to retire and is eyeing a new replacement, he has doubts about Lefty because of his extreme concept of vengence and murdering those who anger him. He is a man who would laugh at the face of Machiavelli and his belief to only use violence sparingly. Lefty is a man who is truly feared and hated by others. The worst possible state in the eyes of Machiavelli is exactly how Lefty feels he should behave. His fear that his bosses associates are disloyal leaves him to arrange for them all to be murdered. Hung catches wind of this and manages to have them all rescued in time. One of the bosses wants to place a call but is unable to because of fear he would disclose something to Hung. We later find out that all of the bosses have plotted to murder Hung which in a sense validates the fear of Lefty. The irony is not that Lefty and Hung are killed at the end of the film. It is that had it not been for Lefty’s continous and murderous actions than Hung would have never been at risk at all. This is concept of violence leading to the downfall of one as we have shown is one that runs very deep in Hong Kong cinema. Those who follow the rules of Machiavelli in regards may not always survive (such as Uncle Bee) but those who disregard these rules are often hated and become marked for death.
        Throughout this paper, we have attempted to discuss the concept that Machiavelli had an important influence on the concepts and ideas of Hong Kong triad cinema. We were able to accomplish this task of examining Hong Kong triad cinema by taking one part of Machiavelli’s writings (in this case his discussion of violence) and noted how his basic principles constantly displayed in various cinematic examples. As we are capable of observing from Ugly Kwan and Big D in their obsession and lack of judgment in the use of violence, those who fail to understand Machiavelli are doomed to suffer the consequences. Through this application of historical theory to film, we are able to gain a better appreciation of the value of both Machiavelli and Hong Kong triad cinema by looking at their interconnectivity. This examination has helped to show the value of viewing films outside of Western culture in the context of Machiavellian political theory and hopefully such applications will lead to innovative analysis of non-Western cinema for years to come.
Works Cited
Cinema of Vengence. Dir. Tobby Russell. Videocassette. Eastern Heroes.
Election 2. Dir. Johnnie To. Perf. Simon Yam, Louis Koo. DVD. Panaroma, 2006.
Election. Dir. Johnnie To. Perf. Simon Yam, Tony Leung Kar Fai. DVD. Panaroma, 2005.
Femia, Joseph V. Machiavelli Revisited. Cardiff: University of Wales P, 2004.
Freedom in the World 2006 Country Subscores. Freedom House. 2006. 7 Dec. 2006 <www.freedomhouse.org/temp...page=278>. (http://www.freedomhouse.org/template.cfm?page=278>.)
Free the World. Fraser Institute. Fraser Institute. 7 Dec. 2006 <www.freetheworld.com/cgi-...info.cgi>. (http://www.freetheworld.com/cgi-bin/freetheworld/getinfo.cgi>.)
Goldthwaite, Ricahrd A. "The Medici Bank and the World of Florentine Capitalism." Past and Present 114 (1987): 3-31.
Index of Economic Freedom 2006- Hong Kong. Heritage Foundation/Wall Street Journal. New York: Wall Street Journal, 2006. 7 Dec. 2006 <www.heritage.org/research...HongKong>. (http://www.heritage.org/research/features/index/country.cfm?id=HongKong>.)
Jiang Hu. Dir. Ching-PO Wong. Perf. Andy Lau, Jackey Cheung, and Eric Tsang. DVD. Mei Ah, 2004.
Lintner, Bertil. Blood Brothers: the Criminal Underworld of Asia. New York: Palgrave Macmillan, 2002.
Machiavelli, Nicolò. The Prince. Trans. W.k. Marriott. 1908. 1 Dec. 2006 <www.constitution.org/mac/prince00.htm>. (http://www.constitution.org/mac/prince00.htm>.)
McLean, Paul D., and John F. Padgett. "Was Florence a Perfectly Competitive? Transactional Evidence From the Renaissance." Theory and Society 26 (1997).
Viviano, Frank. "Hong Kong Triads' New Frontier." San Fransico Chronicle 28 May 1997. 6 Dec. 2006 <www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/ar...5477.DTL>. (http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/chronicle/archive/1997/05/28/MN25477.DTL>.)
Young and Dangerous. Dir. Andrew Lau. Perf. Ekin Cheng, Jordan Chan, and Simon Yam. DVD. Mei Ah, 1996.
A famous economist once said that if you wanted to see capitalism at work, then you should go and visit Hong Kong. The reasoning behind such a statement is that Hong Kong was a vastly unregulated free-market economy where one could see capitalism at work without factoring in extensive government regulation. Despite the fact that Hong Kong was a colony of the United Kingdom, the British had very little interest in regulating the economy. The lack of complex and restrictive rules allowed business and profits to flourish in Hong Kong. The colony rapidly became one of the richest areas in the world (it outranked the wealth of many “sovereign” countries, and was known for having the most Rolls Royces per capita). Hong Kong was generally given some of the highest ratings on reports that gauged economic freedom in various countries and still does so to this day.
However, a by-product of this massive and unregulated capitalism was the growth of the triads (the Hong Kong version of the mob or the Yakuza). The triads had existed in Hong Kong and Southern China since the fall of the Ming Dynasty and the rise of the Qing (Manchu) Dynasty. The original founders of the triads were said to be Shaolin monks who fled when the Manchus’ destroyed their temple (for their alleged loyalty to the Ming Dynasty). These men formed an underground brotherhood with the famous call-to-arms, “Overthrow the Qing and Restore the Ming,” and made plans to overthrow the government. As noble as many of these founding myths may appear to be, the triads shed itself of its nobler founding principles eventually (if these stories were ever true). It eventually gave way to a criminal association that became a part of Hong Kong and Southern China and would eventually spread around the world wherever Chinese immigrants appeared (though it should be noted that this is the same with many other ethnic based crime organizations). The triads also exist in various different branches (there is no unified triad leadership) in the way the mafia does in America (or more accurately the “Russian” mob). The influx of capitalism and its non-regulation allowed gangs to experience amazing growth in resources and earnings. This high-risk and high-stakes environment quickly led to gang wars and fighting within the various triads and is a theme that recurs in films set in Hong Kong. In fact, the triads to a certain degree are accepted as one infamous quote from a Chinese security head indicates that “’The members of triads are not always gangsters,’ he said. ``As long as they are patriots, concerned with maintaining the prosperity of Hong Kong, we should respect them’” (Viviano).
Capitalism helped the triads grow, but Nicolo Machiavelli, a medieval Italian political philosopher helped govern the way they acted (in regards to the use of violence) and through that how they have been portrayed in Hong Kong popular cinema. This can be seen in the various depictions of triads in Hong Kong popular cinema, as many of the members observe the rules Machiavelli sets forth in The Prince for being a wise ruler by knowing how to use violence effectively. This will be done by examining passages concerning violence and cruelty in both The Prince and various plots in Hong Kong triad films. Part of the reason for this linkage as we shall see, is that Hong Kong and Florence both had similar traits in regards to politics and economy. Examining and analyzing these types of characters will be a two-fold advantage as it will show the pervasive influence of Machiavelli and how it manifests itself in Hong Kong popular cinema.
From this analysis, we will see that Machiavelli and his views on violence and cruelty has influenced a country’s films, despite the actors never even mentioning the name of Machiavelli. This is because of the timelessness of Machiavelli’s advice. If one wants to see capitalism at work, indeed, one should go to Hong Kong; if one wants to see Machiavelli at work, one should watch Hong Kong triad films. Before we start this paper we should explain the process in which we will be examining Machiavelli and the Hong Kong triad genre.
To understand these films and the connections between them and a famous medieval Italian political philosopher we must first examine the man himself: Machiavelli. Understanding Machiavelli and his surroundings will prove to be an important part of this paper. I hope to show that Florence, at the time, had, similarities in structure, economy, etc. that were comparable to Hong Kong. This will help to show that Machiavelli’s teaching may have had such a large impact on the Hong Kong triad genre because Florence and Hong Kong had similar conditions that helped to create a society that would value the concepts of Machiavelli (or at least create elements that would apply to the creation of The Prince). Some interesting surface comparisons of Florence and Hong Kong are that they were both city states, and were governed by a system that was by and large undemocratic. In the case of Hong Kong, even with the brief experience of a representative legislative body under Governor Chris Patton, Hong Kong for the vast majority of its colonial period and today as a SAR (Special Administrative Region) lacks full democratic representation. Florence was technically a republic; though power was often concentrated in the hands of few. Hong Kong and Florence were also strong trading hubs and despite lacking political freedom, economic freedom was greater than in the states surrounding Hong Kong and Florence. We will demonstrate how Florence and Hong Kong are similar, which will help to show why The Prince and the surroundings that created it would be right at home in Hong Kong and in its cinema. In a sense with conditions similar to each other, it should not surprise readers that Machiavelli and his advice on violence and cruelty resonate so strongly in Hong Kong triad films.
However, we must serve to educate the reader on the history and background of the triads. As a powerful group that has always been a part of Hong Kong since it first came into being as a Crown colony, they have survived the British, the Japanese during World War II, and now the Mainland Chinese. We will scrutinize their operations in order to place the films examined into context as the triads often play a large role in most of the organized crime in Hong Kong (non-triad crime organizations tend to be foreign or immigrant communities). After considering the history of Hong Kong and its parallels to Florence along with a cursory look at the triads, we will begin to apply the works of Machiavelli to Hong Kong cinema and see how The Prince manifests itself in the gangster genre.
We will attempt to look at what are some of the more relevant sections of The Prince that could relate to organized crime and violence and cruelty and would be of interest to a budding triad member as depicted in cinema. This examination will help show the relevance of Machiavelli’s writings and how they can be employed by members of organized crime and ,thus, would also appear in fictional representations of the triads. Not all of Machiavelli’s advice is of use to a gangster, but there are many nuggets of wisdom in his works that would be of particular value and interest, especially his discussions on violence and cruelty. This will serve to expose the more useful parts of the text. In a sense, this is the theoretical part of the paper, while the films will be the application. However, after this is done we will shift in focus from The Prince to that of the Hong Kong triads in film.
We will take all of our knowledge that has been gained from the work and research of the previous sections and put the teachings of Machiavelli to work where they are quite at home in the Hong Kong gangster genre.
Election and Election 2 are films directed by Johnnie To and are two of the most critically acclaimed triad films to come out of Hong Kong in recent years. These films give one a chance to study how the concept of only using cruelty when necessary and when forced to implement cruelty, one should do so overwhelmingly, as Machiavelli writes about in his text. This concept was the basis of my presentation in class and I feel it would be an excellent to start to the application of the theories of Machiavelli, as they demonstrate the dangers of excess of violence and cruelty. Jiang Hu and Young and Dangerous also depict how the Hong Kong gangster genre follows Machiavelli’s advice on the danger of being overly cruel as will be shown by comparing passages from the text and scenes from the films.
I should issue some cautions in regards to the citations of film. I will often describe the scene and actions as opposed to direct quotations for the majority of my analysis. The reason for this is that often the original intent is lost in the translation and that even recent films suffer from poor English subtitles which often take a sixth sense in order to properly figure out what is being said.
Throughout this paper, I hope I will be able to show how the work of Machiavelli and The Prince on violence and cruelty resonate strongly in the Hong Kong triad genre. This work will help to illustrate the influence of Machiavelli via analysis of the triad films and The Prince. Moreover, this paper will also show one that pf the key reasons why Machiavelli and his influence on the Hong Kong triad genre is worth study is due to the similarities of Machiavelli’s Florence in politics and economics with that of Hong Kong.
The world of medieval Florence and Hong Kong were quite similar as has been pointed out earlier. Florence was often described as being an important center of capitalism, such as these two historians who wrote:
To the extent that any location can be considered the birthplace of mercantile capitalism, northern Italy, and especially Florence, is that place. Double-entry bookkeeping, marine insurance, partnerships with branches, holding companies, bills of exchange, and international banking in general all of these accoutrements of modern business and finance were invented in northern Italy. (McLean and Padgett 209)
It is not difficult to recognize how Florence was a center of commerce during the life of Machiavelli and was a vital part of his surroundings when he wrote The Prince. The fact the that rulers of Florence were the Medici whom were some of the greatest financers of the time who were involved both in trade and banking was an important feature in allowing Florence to become a center of trade. The Medici were very interested in enriching Florence and themselves through the continuation of international trade. Still this did not limit the growth of other business in attempt to expand their capital. Richard A. Goldthwaite takes care to point out in his workings on the Medici bank that out the Medici and their banks were just one of the many banks that were operating in Florence (6). However, in the area of politics the government of Florence growth was something that was not in mind of the ruling family. Joseph Femia even writes, “In Florence, the most culturally dynamic of the city-states, political power rested in the hands of a closely knit oligarchy, led by the Medici family” (1). Further, more Femia states that while Florence was a republic franchise was limited and elections controlled (1). This combination is important to remember because it shows despite the fact that political freedom was heavily controlled and most ordinary citizens lacked any say in there government they did possess economic power. Hong Kong itself is very similar to Florence in that it is one of the most well known centers of modern capitalism today. Hong Kong for example received some of the highest marks possible in the areas of economic freedom by The Frasier Institute and The Heritage Foundation/Wall Street Journal. In fact both reports listed Hong Kong as having the freest economy in the world placing number one in both reports. (Heritage/Wall Street Journal Report and The Frasier Report). In regards to economic freedom the Heritage Foundation/Wall Street Journal states:
Hong Kong remains a model of economic freedom. It is a free port with no barriers to trade; has simple procedures for starting enterprises, free entry of foreign capital and repatriation of earnings, and transparency; and operates under the rule of law (Heritage Hong Kong).
However, another report by Freedom House gave the county a lower score overall because of the fact that political process is not free in one category rating electoral process scored lower than areas administrated by the Palestinian Authority among many others (Freedom House). These numerous comparisons help show that both Florence and Hong Kong are two city states that share a great deal in common such as exceptional high economic freedom in regards to the financial opportunities and instruments available to merchants (in banking and trade) and in the case of Florence the invention of them. The two city states also share a common factor that while enjoying great deals of economic freedom conversely suffered from a lack of political freedom and representation. It is interesting how these two centers of capitalism despite having no direct contact with each other hundreds of years later share many of the same macro-economic and political settings. With this shown it should not be too surprising that the work of The Prince written with the direct experience of Machiavelli observing and being a part of the Florentine city would be quite applicable in a city like Hong Kong and because of that would also appear in the fictional representations of organized crime.
        The triads are organizations that have been a part of Hong Kong since its days as a crown colony and still continue to this day in Hong Kong as a SAR. In fact the triads have been around even before Hong Kong became a crown colony.
        As was briefly mentioned early the modern triad societies like to trace themselves back into the period that saw the fall of the Ming Dynasty. The story surrounding there origins (which is often incorporated into many triad initiation rituals) was that a Manchu Emperor requested the help of the Shaolin monks in a battle and promised them vast amounts of treasure (Lintner 41). However, the Shaolin monks apparently did to good a job in brining the Emperor Kang Xi victory, he grew extremely nervous and had the monks burned alive as they slept in their temple (41). The survivors of this massacre are said to have formed Heaven and Earth societies to overthrow the Qing, although when they first appear in the historical record near the beginning of the 19th century it is related to an extortion attempt in regards to robbing travelers on the road (44). From these “humble” origins of extortion, the triads soon moved into any and all forms of criminal enterprises possible. The triads are also well linked to the Hong Kong film industry and several majors figures in the Hong Kong film industry are linked to triads. Charles Heung who is the owner of Chinastar is even the son of one of the more well known triad groups in Hong Kong. Heung even had a recurring role in the film series God of Gamblers as a Vietnamese bodyguard for main character Ko Chun (played by Chow Yun Fat). During the golden age of Hong Kong films many films were funded by triads as it was a way to increase revenue as Hong Kong films were often made on an extremely quick and cheap schedule that almost always ensured a return on the investment. One of the most notorious examples of this was by a Macau gangster who was named Broken Tooth who was known for his media hungry personality. He funded the production of Casino starring Hong Kong actor Simon Yam in a picture where Yam played Broken Tooth in all but name only. The film was essentially dedicated to the goal of the glorification of Broken Tooth. It was reported that during the premiere of the film when Broken Tooth’s name appeared in the credits the “audience” burst into applause.
        However, there is a dark side to this involvement of the triads in the film industry (until the industry eventually slumped and it no longer became the bona fide moneymaker it used to be). Simon Yam talked about how he was forced to make movies that he had no interest in even appearing simply because of powerful figures who wanted him in their films (Cinema of Vengeance). Other actors have been threatened at various time including Chow Yun Fat who had a dead cat thrown on his property as a message. Hong Kong film director Wong Jing lost a lot of his teeth and spent time in a wheelchair because he did not speak positively of a triads girlfriends attempt at acting. As we can see the Hong Kong film industry has very close ties to the triads and it should not surprise one to see them as a fertile subject for films made in Hong Kong. Before we discuss these pictures in depth, we should first look at the areas of Machiavelli that will be applied to these films. Are goal will be to show certain passages that can be analyzed in conjunction with Hong Kong triad movies.
        One of the most important quotes from Machiavelli is from Chapter 8 of The Prince when he writes:
        Hence it is to be remarked that, in seizing a state, the usurper ought to examine         closely into all those injuries which it is necessary for him to inflict, and to do         them all at one stroke so as not to have to repeat them daily; and thus by not         unsettling men he will be able to reassure them, and win them to himself by         benefits (3).
        This quote is extremely relevant to the mind of a gangster because unlike the world of modern politics or business leadership and the settlement of disputes can often rely far more on the use of violence than say the process of conflict settlement or negotiations. The use of violence was something Machiavelli recognized was something that would be required in many situations. In this chapter he even gives two notorious examples of the swift use of violence. That brings us to the keep importance of advice to the gangster in this text and that is the use of violence is fine (even though Machiavelli will not say so explicitly), but that it should be tempered and not used wantonly without any concept of tact or strategy. For Machiavelli when violence must be used it should be done as quickly as possible so that the population affected by these actions will be able to digest it and move on. For the gangster this advice is quite apt and one that has cinematic examples not just in Hong Kong cinema. One of the most famous examples of this would be the end of the first Godfather movie. The use of violence is swift and massive much like the ascension of Agathocles who in one full swoop murders any and all of his opponents clearing the way for him to obtain power (1). In fact, Machiavelli issues a strong warning on why violence should be used only when it is done massively and quickly when he states:
        He who does otherwise, either from timidity or evil advice, is always compelled         to keep the knife in his hand; neither can he rely on his subjects, nor can they
        attach themselves to him, owing to their continued and repeated wrongs. For         injuries ought to be done all at one time, so that, being tasted less, they offend         less; benefits ought to be given little by little, so that the flavour of them may last         longer. (3)
This advice and warning is even more centered to the world of the gangster in that a gangster who cannot strike at once will forever be forced to be looking over his shoulder for both his soldiers and those whom he has wronged. For a gangster who has many business interests to always be focused on his own personal safety. Thus the business side of the criminal enterprise will always suffer because of the inability to act forceful and quickly. Characters whom tend to always be violent are often forced to take time away from their businesses and are preoccupied with violence.
        Machiavelli states though that in the use of violence one should not incur the hatred of others when he wrote:
        Nevertheless a prince ought to inspire fear in such a way that, if he does not win         love, he avoids hatred; because he can endure very well being feared whilst he is         not hated, which will always be as long as he abstains from the property of his         citizens and subjects and from their women. (3)
The importance of this quote to the gangster is very clear. It is entirely possible and may even be preferable that a gangster be feared by enemies because they will be less likely to strike at him. However, when people hate you they are sometimes willing to risk their own property and livelihood against you. This is especially true if you have committed offences against them in which you have injured or seized either your opponent’s property or woman. When you have wrong a person so much they are often more than willing to put more than they normally would on the line just so they can have there vengeance. Machiavelli cautions in regards to seizing property, “but above all things he must keep his hands off the property of others, because men more quickly forget the death of their father than the loss of their patrimony” (2). This expands on some of the ideas that I have been talking about how if you push a person so much they will eventually lash out against you. Machiavelli effectively sums up the most important thing to be remembered by a gangster and that is, “he must endeavour only to avoid hatred” (3). If a gangster fails this as we shall see in the analysis of these films he will only survive his time on the top for a short time. We will see this come into play as we now begin the task of analyzing the films. It should be noted that for the sake of clarity and uniformity all Chinese names and titles are taken from the Hong Kong Movie Database (www.hkmdb.com) and LoveHkfilm (www.lovehkfilm.com). Citiations from the film will not be included as they are listed on the work cited page and it is evident that I am referring to the film in question.
        The Young and Dangerous film series is one of the most influential triad film series in modern Hong Kong cinema. It spawned countless imitators (some of which star the actors of the series itself) and six official sequels (or five if you do not count Born to Be King) which is a number usually only reserved for horror films and Star Trek! One thing that made the series unique was it signaled the end of the old generation of actors (such as Chow Yun Fat and to an extent Andy Lau) representing the public face of triads to a younger generation (Ekin Cheng, Jordan Chan, and others). The film also used new experimental camera angles, which set it apart for older films. Young and Dangerous was so successful that it played for over two months (which is quite an amazing length consider even blockbusters in Hong Kong then and today only played for usually a month). The film serves as an excellent example to look at the influence of Machiavelli on the Hong Kong triad genre. The plot of Young and Dangerous deals with the story of a close knit group of friends and their trials and tribulations in the triads and their conflict with other branches of the Hung Hing triad society. It is important to note that I say branches and not other organizations as their conflicts are of intra-conflicts in the organization at large. One way to simplify this is to point out that a chairman governs a triad society but individual branches form a major part of it (similar almost to a federal system of government). The teachings of Machiavelli make themselves apparent in the character of Ugly Kwan (play by Francis Ng). He is a man who seems to violate every principle of the rules Machiavelli sets forward in The Prince. Not surprisingly he is the main villain of the film. One of the key aspects that Machiavelli talks about is that violence should not be used to an unjustified amount as it will created the feeling not just of fear for the person but of hatred.
        Ugly Kwan beings the film right away by violating this principle and actually attacks the main heroes of the films when they are kids for no reason except to be cruel stating that they cannot occupy a basketball court in his territory. When informed by the children that they are allowed to he breaks a coke bottle over one of their heads and orders his gang to beat the group of children down. This immediately setups up a character who is not inflicting all his injuries at once as Machiavelli advises but instead does so on a daily period. This behavior is one that is extremely counterproductive as it only engenders hatred in Ugly Kwan. In fact the boys eventual patron Uncle Bee (played by Frankie Ng, a former triad member himself) seems to have been setup to serve as a counterpoint to the behavior of Ugly Kwan as he himself at the beginning of the movie is the one who orders Ugly Kwan to stop his beating of the children. He is a man who does use violence in the film for the elimination of a gang member however, following the wisdom of Machiavelli he does so extremely quickly and only targets the man himself not those around him or his family members.
        However, this is not the case of Ugly Kwan who eventually launches a decapitation strike against Uncle Bee by having him along with his wife and two children murdered together and buried in a ditch as part of a power grab. Ugly Kwan even rejects the pleas of Uncle Bee in asking that the lives of his family be spared because of the fact that they have nothing to do with this conflict. This is what shows the fatal flaw of Ugly Kwan is that he is a person who uses violence without any regard to the scope of his actions, he acts only like a petty tyrant. He never really causes that other characters such as the main heroes Nam (Ekin Cheng) and Chick (Jordan Chan) to fear him but to hate him intensely. In fact Ugly Kwan despite the fact Nam has been forced from the Triads launches an attack against him by burning down his restaurant. However, the main heroes show that they are students of Machiavelli in how they strike back at Ugly Kwan. They do not use violence in the piecemeal and ultimately pointless manner the Ugly Kwan does they launch a major and massive attack against Ugly Kwan. They have his clubs bombed, have his porno studio raid by Hong Kong police who find cocaine hidden in film reels, and as a diversion beats up his mom (who is a thoroughly despicable person much like her, still she is not killed). This action forces Ugly Kwan in the street chasing after them and eventually leaves him trapped with a weapon in his hand where he is shoot by a patrol office that he threatened earlier in the evening for telling him to move his car. In a sense we see that the heroes of Nam and Chicken are true students of Machiavelli. When they use violence they do so massively but they only truly target Ugly Kwan in their attack, as noted the attack his mother but she is only shaken up by the attack which is clearly meant to cause Ugly Kwan to leave the premises as opposed to simple being violent for the purpose of using violence. They clearly become people who are to be feared (although they also well respected by other triad members), but they are not hated as there attack a coordinated attack against Ugly Kwan and occurs massively and quickly. These are clearly people who will not have to keep a knife near them (which is quite apt as most Triad members actually use machetes as their main weapon) because of themselves becoming hated. Ugly Kwan on the other hand constantly used violence and has attacked the families and properties of others which Machiavelli has cautioned against. While it can be said that Nam and Chicken do the same thing it should be noted that the clubs of Ugly Kwan that are attacked are more side business then primary property. When viewed in connection with their operation as a whole, at this point in the film Nam’s restaurant is essentially a small street grill with some plastic chairs and tables and more personal than Ugly Kwan’s properties. From this film we see the consequences from excess cruelty we should further examine that concept and the consequences of it further as6 they ideas described by Machiavelli play a great role in the Hong Kong triad genre. The next films that we will be examining is Johnnie To’s Election and Election 2 which show important these concepts dealing with the use of violence play in Hong Kong films.
        Election deals with the story of a triad branch electing its new Chairman and the consequences of the election results. The two main characters are Lok (played by actor Simon Yam) and Big D (played by Tony Leung Kar Fai) whom are both contesting for the position of chairman. Lok is constantly presented as this model of Confucian value as a man who is honorable, humble, a family man, and not overly violent. Big D is the complete opposite he is a man whom is willing to use bribes to win the Election and failing that will use the threats and actions of violence, even threatening to form his own triad society which will cause triad warfare on a large scale (Election). he is also loud and arrogant a seemingly polar opposite to that of Lok (Election). Big D and Ugly Kwan at first appear to be very similar personalities. Big D is a person who also cannot seem to understand the Machiavellian concept of not using violence daily. In response to losing the Election to Lok, Big D tracks down two people who were supposed to vote for him (although unknown to the characters one person didn’t vote for Big D because he felt the bribe was too small, in actuality it was partial stolen by an underling to pay a gambling debt) and extracts a horrific revenge. He has both men nailed up in wooden crates (it should be noted that one of the characters in the crate is an elderly man) and then repeatitly thrown up and down a cliff side as he chats with Lok. This type of cruelty exemplifies the behavior of Big D. One major plot point of the film is that a man cannot assume the position of Chairman unless he actually possess the dragon baton (a triad symbol of authority). Big D forces the previous Chairman to declare that it does not recognize the results of the election and hit the item in mainland China. At one point when telling the person to give him the baton Big D is arrested. Big D after assaulting the man when being arrested forces him to run into the street in an attempt to escape Big D where he is promptly run over by a truck. The depravity of Big D knows no bounds as he hears the man will talk to the police he has his lawyer meet with the main in medical custody and show him a news paper which indicates that his son was run over by a truck and seemingly indicates that it will happen to others in his family if he talks. Big D not only uses cruelty without restraint he makes himself hated as his actions do not make others want to fear him but quite the opposite makes others want to see him dead. Eventually Lok convinces Big D to concede the election after he cans control of the dragon baton despite the best efforts of Big D to find it (including once again the use of violence). Big D promises to support Lok in exchange for Loks support of him in the next election and money. They seal there deal in a way but murdering an opponent to the triad. However, it is a ruse eventually Big D cannot slake his thirst for power and when fishing with his wife and Lok and his son. Big D proposes that they share the posistion of chairman. Lok claims he would have to get approval. In a scene that Machiavelli himself would approve of (or at the very least find his words being implemented effectively) when Big D goes to get his reel (during his fishing it is angered at the success of everyone else in fishing and suggests using hand grenades) Lok bashes his skull in with a large rock nearly two dozen times. When Loks son and Big D’s wife returns from going to the bathroom Lok throws his keys to his son and tells him to lock himself in the car. He then grabs a shovel left by a construction crew and beats Big D’s wife to death with it and then buries both of there corpses (in a sickening note you can clearly see Big D still moving as dirt is being dumped on top of him). Lok shows that he is truly the child of Machiavelli as he commits his act as if he was one of the ancients that is being described by Machiavelli. He commits an amazingly brutal and violent act but he does so quickly and massively in eliminating his opponent. Now one may argue that the killing of Big D’s wife may be exactly the type of thing that would have been opposed by Machiavelli, but in reality this is not the case and unlike he murder of Uncle Bee, Big D’s wife is clearly a part of his activities along with the fact that no one knows who actually killed Big D as his death and who may have possibly done it does not come up at all in Election 2. By waiting for the chance to strike and not using violence and any and all avenues Lok exemplifies the principles of Machiavelli. In a way I believe this is why many viewers are shocked and completely caught off guard by the ending of the film. It is so fast and shocking that we the viewer cannot believe the complete reversal of roles. If anything we expected an attack on Lok by Big D not the other way around. The fact that we do this shows just how Machiavellian Lok is. He has managed to fool everyone including the audience. However, like so many in power once there they don’t often want to leave. This is the downfall of Lok in Election 2.
        In Election 2 Lok finds himself unwilling to give up power. In order to remain in power Lok as begins to murder those who may threaten him. He even push the former leader of the triads do the stairs and kills him because he is threatened by him. In the end Lok is strangled to death in the back of his car by men he thought were going to protect him which is one of the things that is explicitly warned by Machiavelli as a consequence of being overly cruel. The same problem as is the cause of a downfall of another character in a triad film.
        In the film Jiang Hu the character Lefty (played by Jackey Cheung) is a man reknown for his cruelty and violence so much so that he and his boss are eventually murdered because of it. His friend and boss Hung Yan-Chau (played by Andy Lau) is planning to retire and is eyeing a new replacement, he has doubts about Lefty because of his extreme concept of vengence and murdering those who anger him. He is a man who would laugh at the face of Machiavelli and his belief to only use violence sparingly. Lefty is a man who is truly feared and hated by others. The worst possible state in the eyes of Machiavelli is exactly how Lefty feels he should behave. His fear that his bosses associates are disloyal leaves him to arrange for them all to be murdered. Hung catches wind of this and manages to have them all rescued in time. One of the bosses wants to place a call but is unable to because of fear he would disclose something to Hung. We later find out that all of the bosses have plotted to murder Hung which in a sense validates the fear of Lefty. The irony is not that Lefty and Hung are killed at the end of the film. It is that had it not been for Lefty’s continous and murderous actions than Hung would have never been at risk at all. This is concept of violence leading to the downfall of one as we have shown is one that runs very deep in Hong Kong cinema. Those who follow the rules of Machiavelli in regards may not always survive (such as Uncle Bee) but those who disregard these rules are often hated and become marked for death.
        Throughout this paper, we have attempted to discuss the concept that Machiavelli had an important influence on the concepts and ideas of Hong Kong triad cinema. We were able to accomplish this task of examining Hong Kong triad cinema by taking one part of Machiavelli’s writings (in this case his discussion of violence) and noted how his basic principles constantly displayed in various cinematic examples. As we are capable of observing from Ugly Kwan and Big D in their obsession and lack of judgment in the use of violence, those who fail to understand Machiavelli are doomed to suffer the consequences. Through this application of historical theory to film, we are able to gain a better appreciation of the value of both Machiavelli and Hong Kong triad cinema by looking at their interconnectivity. This examination has helped to show the value of viewing films outside of Western culture in the context of Machiavellian political theory and hopefully such applications will lead to innovative analysis of non-Western cinema for years to come.
Works Cited
Cinema of Vengence. Dir. Tobby Russell. Videocassette. Eastern Heroes.
Election 2. Dir. Johnnie To. Perf. Simon Yam, Louis Koo. DVD. Panaroma, 2006.
Election. Dir. Johnnie To. Perf. Simon Yam, Tony Leung Kar Fai. DVD. Panaroma, 2005.
Femia, Joseph V. Machiavelli Revisited. Cardiff: University of Wales P, 2004.
Freedom in the World 2006 Country Subscores. Freedom House. 2006. 7 Dec. 2006 <www.freedomhouse.org/temp...page=278>. (http://www.freedomhouse.org/template.cfm?page=278>.)
Free the World. Fraser Institute. Fraser Institute. 7 Dec. 2006 <www.freetheworld.com/cgi-...info.cgi>. (http://www.freetheworld.com/cgi-bin/freetheworld/getinfo.cgi>.)
Goldthwaite, Ricahrd A. "The Medici Bank and the World of Florentine Capitalism." Past and Present 114 (1987): 3-31.
Index of Economic Freedom 2006- Hong Kong. Heritage Foundation/Wall Street Journal. New York: Wall Street Journal, 2006. 7 Dec. 2006 <www.heritage.org/research...HongKong>. (http://www.heritage.org/research/features/index/country.cfm?id=HongKong>.)
Jiang Hu. Dir. Ching-PO Wong. Perf. Andy Lau, Jackey Cheung, and Eric Tsang. DVD. Mei Ah, 2004.
Lintner, Bertil. Blood Brothers: the Criminal Underworld of Asia. New York: Palgrave Macmillan, 2002.
Machiavelli, Nicolò. The Prince. Trans. W.k. Marriott. 1908. 1 Dec. 2006 <www.constitution.org/mac/prince00.htm>. (http://www.constitution.org/mac/prince00.htm>.)
McLean, Paul D., and John F. Padgett. "Was Florence a Perfectly Competitive? Transactional Evidence From the Renaissance." Theory and Society 26 (1997).
Viviano, Frank. "Hong Kong Triads' New Frontier." San Fransico Chronicle 28 May 1997. 6 Dec. 2006 <www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/ar...5477.DTL>. (http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/chronicle/archive/1997/05/28/MN25477.DTL>.)
Young and Dangerous. Dir. Andrew Lau. Perf. Ekin Cheng, Jordan Chan, and Simon Yam. DVD. Mei Ah, 1996.