The Longest Nite

{{Infobox film

| name = The Longest Nite

| image = LongestNitePoster.jpg

| alt =

| caption = Film poster

| native_name =

| director = {{plainlist|

Patrick Yau
Johnnie To}}

| producer = {{plainlist|

Johnnie To
Wai Ka-fai

}}

| writer = {{plainlist|

}}

| screenplay =

| story =

| based_on =

| narrator =

| starring = {{plainlist|

}}

| music = Raymond Wong

| cinematography = Ko Chiu-lam

| editing = Chan Chi-wai

| studio = {{plainlist|

}}

| distributor =

| released = {{Film date|df=yes|1997|12|25|VHS|ref1=https://cocatalog.loc.gov/cgi-bin/Pwebrecon.cgi?v1=1&ti=1,1&Search%5FArg=longest%20nite&Search%5FCode=TALL&CNT=25&PID=P88zEylFGBDoZE7Y9LWC1Pn6ksKY&SEQ=20250320144142&SID=23|1998|01|01|Hong Kong}}

| runtime = 84 minutes

| country = Hong Kong

| language = Cantonese

| budget =

| gross = HK$9,562,090

}}

The Longest Nite ({{Lang-zh|t=暗花}}, Literal Title: Dark Flowers) is a 1998 Hong Kong crime thriller film directed by Patrick Yau and Johnnie To, starring Sean Lau and Tony Leung Chiu-wai. The film was produced by To and Wai Ka-fai along with their production company, Milkyway Image.

Plot

Caught in the middle of a fierce gang war in Macao, a corrupt cop named Sam (Tony Leung Chiu-wai) handles negotiations between two Triad leaders who plan to join forces. He meets a suspicious bald man named Tony (Sean Lau), who keeps following him around and disrupting his personal business. But when Sam finds out he's a suspect in a nightclub owner's murder, he's sure his stalker has something to do with it.

Production

Wai Ka-fai re-wrote most of the script of The Longest Nite with Johnnie To. To and Wai had the film take place in Macau based on the chaos the area was experiencing at the time of filming. Wai Ka-fai has stated that most of The Longest Nite was directed by To.Teo, 2007. pp.87 To took over directing the film after Patrick Yau had shot five scenes with Wai Ka-fai re-writing the script as they were shooting.{{cite journal |last=Hendrix |first=Grady |title=Milestones. |journal=Film Comment |location=New York|volume=L|issue=3|date=May–June 2014|pages=42–43}} Large portions of the film were shot in Macau.Teo, 2007. pp.231

The Hong Kong title of the film translates to Dark Flowers, a slang for an underworld contract.{{cite web|url=http://www.allmovie.com/movie/the-longest-nite-v161640|work=Allmovie|publisher=Rovi Corporation|title=The Longest Nite (1998)|author=Stewart, Bhob|access-date=21 October 2013}}

Release

The Longest Nite was released in Hong Kong on 1 January 1998.{{cite web|url=http://ipac.hkfa.lcsd.gov.hk/ipac20/ipac.jsp?session=13PQF30527515.727&profile=hkfa&uri=full=3100024@!31549@!0&ri=3&aspect=basic_search&menu=search&source=192.168.110.61@!horizon&ipp=20&staffonly=&term=The+longest+nite&index=FILMBRP&uindex=&aspect=basic_search&menu=search&ri=3|work=Hong Kong Film Archive|access-date=21 October 2013|title=The Longest Nite}} The film grossed a total of HK$9,562,090 on its release. The Longest Nite was not a box office success in Hong Kong, which led to Milkyway Image developing more commercial films such as Needing You... (2000).{{cite web|url=http://sensesofcinema.com/2001/feature-articles/to_and_ka-fai/|work=Senses of Cinema|title=Interview: Johnnie To and Wai Ka-fai|date=December 2001|access-date=21 October 2013}}

Reception

In Variety, Derek Elley referred to the film as "at the very least an attention-grabbing movie that puts a new spin on Hong Kong crimers" and "the movie has something of the risk-taking spirit that first drove the H.K. New Wave almost 20 years ago."{{cite journal|last=Elley|first=Derek|title=Am Fa.|journal=Variety|date=16 March 1998|url=http://go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?id=GALE%7CA20492708&v=2.1&it=r&p=AONE&sw=w&asid=87b37e3117e36a934378deea65d3ea9e|url-access=subscription |access-date=12 September 2014}}

=Awards and nominations=

class="wikitable" style="font-size:95%;" ;

style="background:#ccc; text-align:center;"

! colspan="5" style="background: LightSteelBlue;" | Awards

style="background:#ccc; text-align:center;"

! Ceremony

! Category

! Name

! Outcome

rowspan=6|18th Hong Kong Film Awards{{cite web|url=http://www.hkfaa.com/history/list_18.html|title=二屆香港電影金像獎得獎名單|work=Hong Kong Film Awards|access-date=21 October 2013}}

Best Director

|Patrick Yau

|{{Nom}}

Best Screenplay

|Szeto Kam-Yuen, Yau Nai-hoi

|{{Nom}}

Best Actor

|Sean Lau

|{{Nom}}

Best Actor

|Tony Leung

|{{Nom}}

Best Film Editing

|Chan Chi-wai

|{{Nom}}

rowspan=2|5th Hong Kong Film Critics Society Awards{{cite web|url=http://www.filmcritics.org.hk/taxonomy/term/5/46|title=第六屆香港電影評論學會大獎|work=Hong Kong Film Critics Society Awards|access-date=21 October 2013|date=1 February 1999}}

Film of Merit

|{{Won}}

Notes

=References=

{{cite book |last=Teo |first=Stephen |title=Director in Action: Johnnie To and the Hong Kong Action Film |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=sePeA0F9J9QC |access-date=21 October 2013 |year=2007 |publisher=Hong Kong University Press |isbn=978-9622098404}}