Vale Ringo Lam - John Snadden remembers a major figure in the modern Hong Kong Cinema

RIP Ringo Lam. 

Ringo Lam

One of the giants of modern Cantonese cinema, and a film-maker responsible for some of the best crime films of all time. 

Mainly known in the West for his HK pic CITY ON FIRE and the Van Damme movie MAXIMUM RISK. But for the fans, like myself, it was the visceral masterpieces such as SCHOOL ON FIRE and FULL CONTACT that he will be remembered for. 

Personally, my favourite Lam film is FULL ALERT, the HK crime pic he made after returning from Hollywood in '97. It's a giant of a film where the duality of law keeper and law breaker has never been better explored. 

He was one of the most uncompromising and single-minded directors who ever made films, and at his best was without peer.