For Western audiences, City on Fire might be best known as the Hong Kong crime actioner that inspired Quentin Tarantino’s Reservoir Dogs. The jewelry heist follows the same beats, the on-set stunts embody the same lived-in action, and the films are both very violent. However, there’s a subtle undercurrent that powers the thrill of this movie. Far from the heroic gangster flicks popular at the time, City on Fire doesn’t side with the police nor the Triad. Instead, they both take advantage of detective Ko Chow, through an undercover investigation that’s willing to let him be collateral damage. With a distinctly different direction, it’s no wonder that City on Fire remains as the blueprint for action movies today.
Ko Chow is an undercover cop who is under pressure from all sides. His boss, Inspector Lau, wants him to infiltrate a gang of ruthless jewel thieves; his girlfriend wants him to commit to marriage or she will leave Hong Kong with another lover; and he is being pursued by other cops who are unaware that he is a colleague. Chow would rather quit the force, feeling guilty about betraying gang members who have become his friends.
