''PTU'', also known as ''PTU: Police Tactical Unit'', is a 2003 Hong Kong crime thriller film produced and directed by Johnnie To, starring

Simon Yam Simon Yam Tat-wah (; born 19 March 1955) is a Hong Kong actor and film producer. He received international acclaim for his performances in international film festival and box office hits such as ''Naked Killer'', '' SPL: Sha Po Lang'', ''Election' ...

Maggie Shiu Maggie Shiu (born February 27, 1965) is a prominent Hong Kong actress. Career Her career began in 1985 when she joined Hong Kong TVB. As her career developed, she took on variety of roles in TV series and movies. Hong Kong audiences still remember ...

Lam Suet Lam Suet (; born 1964), or Lin Xue, is a Hong Kong film actor. Life and career Lam was born in Tianjin, and came to Hong Kong as a youth in 1979 to receive inheritance money left by his grandfather. Soon after, all the money had been squander ...

and

Ruby Wong Ruby Wong Cheuk-ling (born 7 September 1971) is a Hong Kong actress and former model. Filmography * '' Infernal Mission'' (2004) * '' Looking For Mr Perfect'' (2003) * '' PTU'' (2003) * '' Sai Kung Story'' (2003) * '' U-Man'' (2002) * ''Women ...

Plot

The film follows a series of encounters of a group of patrolling

Police Tactical Unit A police tactical unit (PTU) is a specialized police unit trained to handle situations that are beyond the capabilities of ordinary law enforcement units because of the level of violence (or risk of violence) involved. A police tactical unit's tas ...

troopers during one night, which starts off when the patrol-team tries to help a sergeant of the District Anti-Triad Squad of the Hong Kong Police Force, Lo Sa, to retrieve his lost service-issue

revolver A revolver (also called a wheel gun) is a repeating handgun that has at least one barrel and uses a revolving cylinder containing multiple chambers (each holding a single cartridge) for firing. Because most revolver models hold up to six roun ...

after he was assaulted by a group of triad members. The films portrays the police officers' use of extra-legal means to achieve the results of investigations and reveals the complex relationships between criminals and police officers, the hostility amongst criminals themselves and even the rivalry among different bureaux within the

Hong Kong Police Force The Hong Kong Police Force (HKPF) is the primary law enforcement, investigative agency, and largest Hong Kong Disciplined Services, disciplined service under the Security Bureau (Hong Kong), Security Bureau of Hong Kong. The Royal Hong Kong Po ...

Cast

Sergeant Mike Ho *

as Police Tactical Unit Sergeant Kat *

as District Anti-Triad Squad Sergeant Lo Sa *

as District Crime Squad Inspector Leigh Cheng * Raymond Wong Ho-yin as Supervisor Wong *

Eddy Ko Eddy Ko Hung (; born Ho Yiu-sum ; 1947) is a Hong Kong television and film actor who has worked on the TV stations RTV, ATV (both now defunct), and TVB. Most recently, he has made appearances in several international films including 2015's ''T ...

as Eye Ball * Loi Hoi-pang as Bald Head

Production

According to To, the budget for the film was approximately or about . It was shot entirely at night. While the final shootout sequence of the film takes place in

Canton Road Canton Road is a major road in Hong Kong, linking the former west reclamation shore in Tsim Sha Tsui, Jordan, Yau Ma Tei, Mong Kok and Prince Edward on the Kowloon Peninsula. The road runs mostly parallel and west to Nathan Road. It st ...

, To reportedly said that "if there was a single location where he would have wanted to stage a gunfight battle, it was

Cameron Road Cameron Road () is a street in Tsim Sha Tsui, Kowloon, Hong Kong. Location The west end of Cameron Road is Nathan Road while the east end is Chatham Road South, and it is almost parallel to Granville Road and Mody Road. Name Cameron Road is ...

, but he could not get permission from the police to do it". The sequence was actually shot in

Ap Lei Chau Ap Lei Chau or Aberdeen Island is an island of Hong Kong, located off Hong Kong Island next to Aberdeen Harbour and Aberdeen Channel. It has an area of after land reclamation. Administratively it is part of the Southern District. Ap Lei C ...

Reception

Awards and nominations

Cognac Festival du Film Policier The Festival du Film policier de Cognac ( en, Cognac Crime Film Festival) was an annual film festival that took place in Cognac, France from 1982 to 2007 (with no festival being held in 1991).Johnnie To)

Golden Bauhinia Awards Golden Bauhinia Awards () is a Hong Kong film award organised by the Hong Kong Film Critics Association. Its first award presentation ceremony took place in 1996. The award attracted controversy in 2007, when ten nominations were given to Pang ...

* Won: Best Actor (

) * Won: Best Director (Johnnie To) * Won: Best Picture (Johnnie To) * Won: Best Screenplay (

Yau Nai-Hoi Yau Nai-hoi () is a Hong Kong screenwriter and director. He is best known as a frequent screenwriter for films produced by the independent Hong Kong production company Milkyway Image, notably films directed by Johnnie To and Wai Ka-Fai. Yau ...

and

Au Kin-Yee Au Kin-yee () is a Hong Kong screenwriter. She is a long-time screenwriter for films directed by Johnnie To and/or Wai Ka-Fai of Milkyway Image and frequently works alongside writers Wai Ka-Fai, Yau Nai-Hoi Yau Nai-hoi () is a Hon ...

) * Won: Best Supporting Actor (

)

Golden Horse Film Festival The Taipei Golden Horse Film Festival and Awards () is a film festival and awards ceremony held annually in Taiwan. It was founded in 1962 by the Government Information Office of the Republic of China (ROC) in Taiwan. The awards ceremony is us ...

* Won: Best Screenplay (Yau Nai-Hoi and Au Kin-Yee) * Nominated: Best Actor (

) * Nominated: Best Cinematography ( Cheng Siu-Keung) * Nominated: Best Director (Johnnie To) * Nominated: Best Editing (

Law Wing-cheung Law Wing-Cheong (born 26 June 1966), also known as Vincent Lo, is a Hong Kong film editor, an assistant director, film director, and actor. He is best known for collaborating as an associate director for films made by Johnnie To and Wai Ka-Fa ...

) * Nominated: Best Costume Design (Sukie Yip) * Nominated: Best Original Film Score (Chung Chi Wing) * Nominated: Best Picture (Johnnie To) * Nominated: Best Sound Effects (

Martin Chappell Martin Richard Chappell (), born in Nottingham, England is a musician-turned-Hong Kong sound editor. He is most notable for serving as a sound editor on Hong Kong films made by Johnnie To and his production company, Milkyway Image. Biography M ...

) * Nominated: Best Supporting Actor (Lam Suet) * Nominated: Best Visual Effects (Stephen Ma)

Hong Kong Film Awards The Hong Kong Film Awards (HKFA; ), founded in 1982, is an annual film awards ceremony in Hong Kong. The ceremonies are typically in April. The awards recognise achievement in various aspects of filmmaking, such as directing, screenwriting, ...

* Won: Best Director * Nominated: Best Actor (Simon Yam) * Nominated: Best Cinematography (Cheng Siu-Keung) * Nominated: Best Film Editing (Law Wing-Cheong) * Nominated: Best Original Film Score (Chung Chi Wing) * Nominated: Best Picture (Johnnie To) * Nominated: Best Screenplay (Yau Nai-Hoi and Au Kin-Yee) * Nominated: Best Sound Effects (Martin Chappell) * Nominated: Best Supporting Actress (

) * Nominated: Best Visual Effects (Stephen Ma)

Hong Kong Film Critics Society Awards The Hong Kong Film Critics Society Awards () are the annual awards given by the Hong Kong Film Critics Society in Hong Kong since 1994. The awards are determined by votes cast in three rounds after a substantial discussion session between the mem ...

* Won: HKFSC Award (Johnnie To) * Won: Film of Merit

Seattle International Film Festival The Seattle International Film Festival (SIFF), held annually in Seattle, Washington since 1976, is among the top film festivals in North America. Audiences have grown steadily; the 2006 festival had 160,000 attendees. The SIFF runs for more th ...

* Won: Asian Trade Winds Award (Johnnie To)

Sequels

*''Tactical Unit: The Code'' (2008), directed by

Wing-cheong Law Law Wing-Cheong (born 26 June 1966), also known as Vincent Lo, is a Hong Kong film editor, an assistant director, film director, and actor. He is best known for collaborating as an associate director for films made by Johnnie To and Wai Ka-Fai o ...

*''Tactical Unit: No Way Out'' (2009), directed by

Lawrence Ah Mon Lawrence Ah Mon or Lawrence Lau Kwok Cheong (劉國昌) (born 1949) is a Hong Kong film director. His films are notable for their lurid exploration of the problems of the poor in modern Hong Kong, such as ''Gangs'' (1986), ''Spacked Out'' (2000), ...

*''Tactical Unit: Human Nature'' (2008), directed by Andy Ng *''Tactical Unit: Partners'' (2009), directed by

*'' Tactical Unit: Comrades in Arms'' (2009) directed by

References

External links

* * *
HK cinemagic entry

a
LoveHKFilm.com
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ptu 2000s Cantonese-language films 2003 films Hong Kong neo-noir films 2003 crime thriller films Films directed by Johnnie To Films with screenplays by Yau Nai-hoi Hong Kong crime thriller films 2000s Hong Kong films