Xiang Gang qi an 2: Xiong sha

Another crime anthology from Shaw, and a disappointing follow-up to the first. Of the four stories collected here, only the first one's any cop, an arty and ultimately depressing black and white instalment about a mute guy victimised by society. Shades of THE ELEPHANT MAN, and one I found very moving. Next up is the story of a vicious brothel madam which just feels like an excuse for sex and violence. The third is a story about cops, informers and debts, and particularly confusing when it comes to the storytelling. The last is a courtroom drama and one I found quite dull. It's nice to see Shaw trying something different with these films, but this one didn't quite work for me.