Movie:
Prison on Fire is the English title for Gaam yuk fung wan, which was originally released in 1987. The film features the team of director Ringo Lam and action star Chow Yun Fat (Ching): the duo previously teamed for City on Fire earlier in 1987, and they went on to do Prison on Fire Part II in 1991 and Full Contact in 1992. The film also stars Tony Leung (Yiu), who re-teamed with Lam in 1999 for The Victim. Though several scenes (most notably the ear-biting scene at the end and Yiu's suicide attempt) have been missing from several versions of the film, they have been restored for this DVD release.

When he defends his father from an attack, Yiu accidentally pushes one attacker in front of a bus. Convicted of involuntary manslaughter and sentenced to three years in prison, Yiu is a man totally unprepared for the hard prison life that awaits him. Luckily, he soon meets up with Ching while working in the infirmary. Ching realizes that without his help, Yiu won't last long, and takes him under his wing. With his help and guidance, Yiu has a good chance of surviving in prison. But when he's set up as an informant and marked by rival gangs, even Ching might not be able to save him.

Prison on Fire is a very moving drama that convincingly portrays the hopeless and oppressive life one has inside prison. The film does take awhile to get started, but once Ching and Yiu meet and become friends, the movie is quite interesting and engrossing. Yun Fat is excellent as the weathered convict who knows the system and how to navigate through prison life alive, while Leung's unknowing and innocent inmate is the perfect contrast. While the film is one that I probably won't revisit again in the near future, it is one that I won't soon forget, and I look forward to seeing the sequel.

Picture:
Prison on Fire is presented in 1.70:1 non-anamorphic widescreen. The transfer is a bit soft throughout the film and the print does have a fair amount of defects. Marks, specks, and some light grain all appear during the course of the film, though some scenes are remarkably free from defects. Colors are natural, though on occasion are tinted or muted. Flesh tones are accurate throughout, with decent blacks.

Sound:
Prison on Fire is presented in a remixed Dolby Digital 5.1 track in both Cantonese and Mandarin. The 5.1 tracks are almost entirely center channel based, with the surrounds used mainly for ambient noise, though there is some very rare directionality. The English subtitles, though readable, do contain quite a lot of bad grammar and misspellings. Also included are optional subtitles in Chinese (Traditional & Simplified), Korean, Japanese, Bahasa (Indonesian and Malaysian), Thai, and Vietnamese.

Extras:
Extras include the trailers for this film and the sequel, along with files for Yun Fat, Leung, and Lam. I found the files to be extremely hard to navigate, as the left and right buttons were used to take you to the menu option. Only by hitting buttons randomly was I able to skip pages.

Summary:
Prison on Fire is a terrific Hong Kong prison drama that fans of Chow Yun Fat, Tong Leung, or director Ringo Lam should definitely check out, though I'd recommend newcomers rent before purchasing. Rent it.