"1997 is a dividing year. For many Hong Kong people, maybe the year is not a very important year. But unconsciously they more or less have a sense of sadness. And I try to project this kind of sentiment into the movie," Lau said.
"From 1991 to 1997 was the best era of Hong Kong. Those were the years when I made the best-selling Young and Dangerous series. The economy was in good shape. Making money was so much easier at that time. You could see so many Mercedes-Benz cars running around the streets of Hong Kong. Anyone who has lived in Hong Kong will have a nostalgic feeling about that period of time. Right after 1997, house prices and the economy collapsed. So, for people like me, to see the year 1997, it's easy to have complicated emotions," Lau said.
"That is why Eric Tsang cried so hard in the movie, when he saw the fireworks being let off above Victoria Harbor on the day of the handover. I think many Hong Kong people had a similar feeling."
Lau said he was probably the first Hong Kong director to present an opinion about 1997 in a movie. He said it had been taboo for a long time, but possibly the success of his movies prevented any reaction against his use of the handover date in his film.
"He is a big director, he can act like a snob now," said a teasing Kara Hui (
But it is unlikely that fame and recognition will slow Lau down.
"No, I cannot slow down. It's my habit," Lau said, adding he has always been an impatient director on the set.
"When actors are rehearsing, you have to see the feeling and quickly capture it. Otherwise it may be gone very quickly," he said.
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