Goddess of Mercy

Hong Kong 2003

Picture and details hkflix

Seen 27th August 2006

Sad. True to life especially the sayings on love. For example one of the characters in the film said, “I do not understand love but I understand hope”. In this case hope may have been the catalyst for the survival of the main character, a policewoman caught up in a love triangle. She already has fiancee, but finds herself entangled with another man. Unfortunately, that man is a rogue, a criminal. In the line of duty, she had to follow the rules, and the criminal’s parents die as martyrs in the eyes of their children. That incident starts a revenge trail that follows her wherever she goes.

The goddess of mercy in this instance does her work in mysterious ways. The tale does not end on a happy note, with all loose ends tidied up, but there are glimmers of hope for the future. In that sense, that is how merciful fate can be. The characters may have a bleak and dark past but hope is eternal. That keeps humanity itself forging ahead.