April 13, 2006

Triple Agent (2004)
Directed by Erich Rohmer

Chan is Missing (1982)
Directed by Wayne Wang

Now available on DVD

By LESTER GRAY
Arts Editor

Sagas of espionage, from the heady offerings of Le Carré to the melodramatic glamorizations of Ian Fleming, have never understated the profession’s inherent perniciousness. Triple Agent, based on a true story, gives the genre a deeper twist: one that goes to the real heart of the cloak and dagger.

It’s 1936 and Fyodor (Serge Renko), a White Russian Army general and spy, lives in Paris with his Greek wife Arsinoe (Katerina Didaskalou). She is a painter and for the most part steers clear of politics. He is one of a group of Soviet expatriates who stand in opposition to Stalin and the Red (leftist) Russians. But his true allegiances are unclear. As Europe speeds inexorably toward World War II, the roster of opposing players is larger than popular history would suggest, ranging from anti-Hitler Nazis and Trotskyites to moderate Communists and Franco supporters. With political winds swirling and unthinkable alliances forming, who an emissary pretends to be is as dangerous as who they really are.

While Arsinoe does not question Fyodor about his job, there comes a time when even she must seriously ponder which side her spouse, a professional chameleon, is on. What she doesn’t know is that he is asking the same question.

Triple Agent is a rich and patient film that lays bare and to some degree mocks the fragility of our political affiliations. Supported by a superb cast, director Eric Roehmer (My Night at Maud’s) delivers an unequivocal message: when conflicts get down to the quick, survival trumps ideology.

The most elusive Chan does not want to be found. Director Wayne Wang does not want him found, since, as long as the source of his metaphor remains undiscovered, his cabbies-cum-detectives can continue their whimsical pursuit in and around San Francisco’s Chinatown. Wang’s 1982 film, now on DVD, sparkles with the insight of fresh eyes and the lightness of a director who does not take himself too seriously.

Asian cabdrivers Jo (Wood Moy) and Steve (Marc Hayashi), in an effort to procure their own taxi license, give Chan (whom we do not meet) $4,000 to make an under-the-table procurement. When Chan does not return, the hunt is on.

The humor on which the film travels is quirky and at times the jokes are inside, with references such as ABCs (American born Chinese). But there’s plenty that needs no interpretation. Winding through narrow streets and hotel hallways, Jo’s mock private-eye voiceover introduces us to a smorgasbord of characters. There’s the Chinese restaurant chef who is fed up with cooking sweet-and-sour pork; Chan’s wife who can’t understand why he can’t make more money; and Steve himself, who plays the hipster.

The reason Chan is so hard to find is because he represents Chinese identity in America. You can only find it in shades and insinuations. But while director Wang continues to look, stay with him, ’cause the fun is in the hunt. n