Surveillance

Hailed by the Chinese government as one of the ten best films of the 199697 season this ironylaced light drama is based on a novel by Fang Fang and begins with the brutal slaying and robbery of a dock workers family The city assigns one of its best detectives Yan Gao to find the Wise One the crime lord behind the murders To do this Yan sets up a series of surveillance sights around the city When port guard Ye learns that he and his supervisor have been chosen to monitor one of the Wise Ones main hideouts he is delighted It is the most exciting thing to have happened to him in years But problems come because he must work nights and is sworn to secrecy His girlfriend Bai Lin misinterprets his absences and this causes trouble More trouble comes when her old lover shows up Matters are made worse when a message for Ye and Tian to stop their surveillance does not get through