Overlay: Johnnie To's Election films (Election and Election 2)

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Errors	Missing	Unverified	Supported
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Errors (2)

Jimmy Lee feeds the minced remains to dogs at the facility to intimidate the capfactual-misattribution Big D locks the uncles (Long Gun and Monk) in wooden crates to intimidate them, fabricated-cause

#Q ORIGINAL QUESTION

How does Johnnie To use violence to distinguish between tradition and modernity in the Election films?

#M ANNOTATED LLM RESPONSE

In Johnnie To’s Election (2005) and Election 2 (2006), violence serves as a narrative bridge—and eventually a wrecking ball—between the romanticized traditions of the Triads and the cold, transactional reality of modern capitalism and state power.

To uses violence to distinguish these eras through its method, purpose, and visibility.

1. The Method: From Primal/Ritualistic to Industrial

In the first film, violence is often depicted as personal, messy, and tied to physical objects of tradition.

The Boulder (Election 1): The most iconic act of violence in the first film is Lok (Simon Yam) murdering Big D (Tony Leung Ka-fai) with a large rock by a riverside. This is "traditional" violence in its most primal form. It is hands-on, exhausting, and occurs in a natural setting. While Lok is breaking the "brotherhood" code, he uses a primitive tool, highlighting a world where power is still grabbed through physical dominance and individual will.
The Baton: Much of the violence in the first film revolves around the "Dragon Head Baton." Characters fight with poles, knives, and fists to secure a piece of wood that symbolizes ancestral authority. The violence is "theatrical"—it serves the myth of the Wo Luen Shing society.

In Election 2, the violence shifts to something far more horrific and "modern": Industrialized cruelty.

The Meat Grinder (Election 2): To demonstrate the shift to modernity, Jimmy Lee (Louis Koo)—the most "modern," business-minded character—orchestrates the most gruesome scene in the dilogy. He captures his rivals’ henchmen, has them butchered, and grinds their flesh into dog food to feed to the pets of the man he is intimidating. This isn't "warriors" fighting; it is a systematic, cold-blooded "processing" of human beings. It mirrors industrial efficiency. Jimmy doesn't enjoy the violence; he uses it as a "necessary" business tool to achieve a monopoly.

2. The Purpose: From "Face" to Profit

To uses the motivation behind violence to distinguish between the two eras.

Tradition (Big D): In the first film, Big D’s violence is often about "face" and ego. He kidnaps "uncles" and rolls them down hills in crates because he feels disrespected. His violence is loud, performative, and rooted in the traditional triad obsession with status.
Modernity (Jimmy Lee): Jimmy Lee represents the "new" Hong Kong/Mainland triad. He doesn't want to be a gangster; he wants to build highways and logistics companies. His violence is used specifically to end the tradition of the election so he can have stability for his business. In the modern era, violence is no longer about proving you are the "Biggest Brother"; it is about removing "market inefficiencies."

3. The State as the Modern "Dragon Head"

The most profound shift in To’s use of violence is the transition from triad-on-triad violence to state-sanctioned coercion.

The Ending of Election 2: The final "act of violence" isn't a physical beating, but the psychological and political crushing of Jimmy by the Mainland Chinese Public Security Bureau (PSB). The "Chief" (You Yong) informs Jimmy that he will remain the chairman of the Triad forever, and his children will be his successors—essentially turning the "democratic" tradition of the Triad into a hereditary, state-controlled organ.
The Contrast: In the "traditional" world of the first film, violence was used to gain freedom and power. In the "modern" world of the second film, the threat of state violence is used to strip Jimmy of his freedom. The "modern" world (represented by the Mainland) is depicted as far more efficient and terrifying because its violence is backed by the law and the totalizing power of the state, making the old Triad rituals look like children playing games.

Summary of the Distinction

Tradition (Election 1): Violence is symbolic. It is about the Baton, the oath, and the physical struggle between "brothers." It is bloody but human-scaled.
Modernity (Election 2): Violence is functional. It is industrial (the meat grinder), detached, and eventually absorbed by the State. It is no longer about "Triad honor"; it is about the "neoliberal" necessity of total control and the death of the very traditions the characters claim to uphold.

#F CORRECTION FEED (CLICK TO SEARCH)

[1] Lok murders Big D with a rock at the end of *Election* (2005).

[2] Jimmy Lee feeds the minced remains to dogs at the facility to intimidate the captured henchmen, not to the 'pets of the man he is intimidating'. The dogs are tools of the intimidation, not pets of the victims.

[3] Big D locks the uncles (Long Gun and Monk) in wooden crates to intimidate them, but he does not roll them down hills. This specific action ('rolling down hills') does not occur in the film.

[4] The PSB Chief (Xi) tells Jimmy he must serve as chairman indefinitely and pass the position to his children to ensure stability.

#O MISSED POINTS & OVERSIGHTS

No oversights detected.

#C RELATED QUERIES

#01 What is the significance of the Dragon Head Baton in Johnnie To's Election?

#02 How does the ending of Election 2 critique the relationship between Triads and the Chinese government?

#03 Compare the character arcs of Lok and Jimmy Lee in the Election films.

#S SOURCES

wikipedia.org theasiancinemacritic.com wikipedia.org wikipedia.org time.com biu.ac.il uni-tuebingen.de biu.ac.il codalab.org swissinfo.ch

#R ORIGINAL AI RESPONSE

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In Johnnie To’s *Election* (2005) and *Election 2* (2006), violence serves as a narrative bridge—and eventually a wrecking ball—between the romanticized traditions of the Triads and the cold, transactional reality of modern capitalism and state power. To uses violence to distinguish these eras through its **method, purpose, and visibility.** ### 1. The Method: From Primal/Ritualistic to Industrial In the first film, violence is often depicted as personal, messy, and tied to physical objects of tradition. * **The Boulder (Election 1):** The most iconic act of violence in the first film is Lok (Simon Yam) murdering Big D (Tony Leung Ka-fai) with a large rock by a riverside. This is "traditional" violence in its most primal form. It is hands-on, exhausting, and occurs in a natural setting. While Lok is breaking the "brotherhood" code, he uses a primitive tool, highlighting a world where power is still grabbed through physical dominance and individual will. * **The Baton:** Much of the violence in the first film revolves around the "Dragon Head Baton." Characters fight with poles, knives, and fists to secure a piece of wood that symbolizes ancestral authority. The violence is "theatrical"—it serves the myth of the Wo Luen Shing society. In *Election 2*, the violence shifts to something far more horrific and "modern": **Industrialized cruelty.** * **The Meat Grinder (Election 2):** To demonstrate the shift to modernity, Jimmy Lee (Louis Koo)—the most "modern," business-minded character—orchestrates the most gruesome scene in the dilogy. He captures his rivals’ henchmen, has them butchered, and grinds their flesh into dog food to feed to the pets of the man he is intimidating. This isn't "warriors" fighting; it is a systematic, cold-blooded "processing" of human beings. It mirrors industrial efficiency. Jimmy doesn't enjoy the violence; he uses it as a "necessary" business tool to achieve a monopoly. ### 2. The Purpose: From "Face" to Profit To uses the *motivation* behind violence to distinguish between the two eras. * **Tradition (Big D):** In the first film, Big D’s violence is often about "face" and ego. He kidnaps "uncles" and rolls them down hills in crates because he feels disrespected. His violence is loud, performative, and rooted in the traditional triad obsession with status. * **Modernity (Jimmy Lee):** Jimmy Lee represents the "new" Hong Kong/Mainland triad. He doesn't want to be a gangster; he wants to build highways and logistics companies. His violence is used specifically to *end* the tradition of the election so he can have stability for his business. In the modern era, violence is no longer about proving you are the "Biggest Brother"; it is about removing "market inefficiencies." ### 3. The State as the Modern "Dragon Head" The most profound shift in To’s use of violence is the transition from **triad-on-triad violence** to **state-sanctioned coercion.** * **The Ending of Election 2:** The final "act of violence" isn't a physical beating, but the psychological and political crushing of Jimmy by the Mainland Chinese Public Security Bureau (PSB). The "Chief" (You Yong) informs Jimmy that he will remain the chairman of the Triad forever, and his children will be his successors—essentially turning the "democratic" tradition of the Triad into a hereditary, state-controlled organ. * **The Contrast:** In the "traditional" world of the first film, violence was used to gain freedom and power. In the "modern" world of the second film, the threat of state violence is used to strip Jimmy of his freedom. The "modern" world (represented by the Mainland) is depicted as far more efficient and terrifying because its violence is backed by the law and the totalizing power of the state, making the old Triad rituals look like children playing games. ### Summary of the Distinction * **Tradition (Election 1):** Violence is **symbolic**. It is about the Baton, the oath, and the physical struggle between "brothers." It is bloody but human-scaled. * **Modernity (Election 2):** Violence is **functional**. It is industrial (the meat grinder), detached, and eventually absorbed by the State. It is no longer about "Triad honor"; it is about the "neoliberal" necessity of total control and the death of the very traditions the characters claim to uphold.

#A DIRECT ANSWER (VERIFIED ANALYSIS)

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In Johnnie To's Election films, violence evolves from the ritualistic and personal to the industrial and state-controlled. In Election (2005), violence is often physical and symbolic (e.g., the fight for the Dragon Head Baton, Lok killing Big D with a rock), reflecting a traditional triad code where power is asserted through dominance and 'face'. In Election 2 (2006), violence becomes a cold, efficient business tool, exemplified by Jimmy Lee's use of a meat grinder to dispose of enemies and intimidate witnesses—not for ego, but to secure a business monopoly. Ultimately, the films suggest that modern state power (represented by the PSB) is the most effective form of violence, trapping Jimmy in a hereditary chairmanship he does not want, contrasting with the chaotic but 'free' violence of the traditional triad.

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