Hong Kong has had a very chequered history, that saw it become a British colony in 1841, have it fall under Imperial Japanese occupation a hundred years later, then re-designated as a British Dependent territory in 1981, before its handover to China in 1997.

This film from Hong Kong film-maker Philip Yung leans into some of this complicated history for the back drop to his latest work.

Even as a young man Lui Lok (Aaron Kwok) lived by his own set of principles, that even at an early age, got him in trouble. It’s this honesty and law-abiding nature that no doubt led him into a career within the police force.

Once there however, it became quickly apparent that even the force didn’t uphold the same values, riddled as it was with corruption. But instead of fighting it, he decides that he’ll do something that no other cop has done, and that’s control organised crime from within the force.

He is soon joined by fellow cop Nam Kong (Tony Leung Chiu-wai), who together manage to pull the strings of all the triads and reign supreme. But the thing about being at the top is, there’s always someone wanting to bring you down.

For what is only his fourth feature directing, which he also wrote, Yung has produced something of epic proportions. It is film that spans a number of decades from the forties, following his characters on an intriguing journey. At times its reminiscent of The Godfather, conjuring up that sense of ‘family’ within the force, with the police looking – and acting – no different from criminals.

Yung certainly has an eye for detail as the production is truly lavish, capturing the various periods the film passes through with real flair.

It’s on the narrative front where it gets a little hazy, with it difficult in places to appreciate what exactly is going on. His characters are rich and weighty, but sometime it doesn’t feel as if there’s enough story there to support them. That said, he gets some magnificent performances from his main leads, who all manage to command interest throughout.

The film has also encountered some drama all of its own; it was due to be released in 2018, but was forced not to by China’s National Radio and Television Administration, which of course now had a say with Hong Kong now falling under China’s jurisdiction. It was then supposed to be released in 2021, opening that year’s Hong Kong International Film Festival, but was withdrawn due to “technical reasons”, which many decided was just yet more interference from the Chinese regime.

Thankfully it has finally seen the light of day, and if nothing else is proof that its talented director is certainly worth keeping an eye on.

Where the Wind Blows is an example of the ambitions of a young director getting ahead of him somewhat; if he put as much effort into developing the story as he did the overall look and feel of the film, Yung would have had a real heavy hitter on his hands. Without that focus however, it’s a little bloated with a story that’s on the untidy side. And who knows, maybe that was China’s main grievance over its release after all. Everyone’s a critic...