The basic story is the competition between two triad leaders to replace the current No. 1 uncle, whose term has expired. One (Tony Leung as Big D) is a short tempered, violent man, obsessed with being on top. The other (Simon Yam as Lok) is more thoughtful, in control of his emotions, but ultimately just as violent and just as obsessed with being number one. The election takes place within what we're given as historic triad processes (I don't know whether they're accurate or not, but the question is probably irrelevant).

The movie begins just before the voting, which is done by the "uncles," who are the leaders of the individual gangs within the Wo Sing gang. We see a little of the jockeying, pursuasion, and bribery used by the two candidates. But when the results are in, Big D refuses to accept his defeat and continues to try to obtain the leadership position. Most of this post-election electioneering involves a race to gain possession of the symbol of the No. 1 position, a short, carved staff. (I couldn't see exactly what it looked like, so if its appearance had meaning it was lost on me.)

On the surface, it's a glimpse into the inner workings and rituals of Triad society and plays as a sort of documentary. But it seems to me that it's actually a portrait of the communist party, and specifically how it operates in China. If this is correct, Triads = Communism and Wo Sing = Chinese Communism. The uncles equate to the Party leadership. Both the party leadership and the uncles appearing to live with honor within the codes of an insitution but actually taking part in a ruthless, no-holds-barred struggle for ultimate power.

I would have enjoyed Election more if Tony Leung, who played Big D as a vicious sub-human, would have toned down his performance a little in order to make the character a little more believable; and Simon Yam, who sleep-walked through the movie, would have put a little more life into Lok. In their defense, it may be that the director wanted them to be a little one dimensional in order to represent a class of person rather than an actual one.

It's a well-crafted movie, but a little on the self-important side. If I'm wrong about the analogy to Communism, then it's just a stylish movie without much depth. However, if I'm right and if this gets screen time or DVD release on the Mainland, my sincere congratulations to Johnnie To for a job well done.

My rating: 9 if it's a metaphor for communism, 6 if it's just a triad movie.