ATE - why did Lik (Louis Koo) become evil? 2
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Re: Why did Louis turn evil
Posted By: just me <sharonapple@acmecity.com>
Date: Wednesday, 18 April 2001, at 6:59 a.m.
In Response To: Re: Why did Louis turn evil (Mel)
Let's see... if I had to give a color for Louis' character, it would be grey. When we see him, he's a little hoodlum but one of those charming hoodlums that seem to populate HK films and television.
I think his main strengths when we first see him is his loyalty and the incredible love that Teen Ling (Ada) & Lik (Louis) had. We also sympathise with him because of his family background and the fact that he was "abandoned" by his father (we later find out that he is not his birth father but that's much later.) So even though he is a little good for nothing, he is just a harmless good for nothing who loves his brother with a passion because his father & his other two siblings dislike him immensely.
Even after he decides to go on his path of revenge, the audience is made to sympathise with him especially after he reunites with his birth father. He is loyal to his family and does seem to be a guy who does have a good nature deep down in him. Also, because the audience knows that Tim did not kill Michael, they sympathise with Lik because we know he doesn't know and we know he gives up his happy go lucky life to take revenge for Michael.
However, Lik's ultimate downfall is his greed. He is corrupted by money and power. Which isn't unsually since Lik's family background is poor and he was constantly in debt in ATE I... one of the reasons for Bui's downfall is the collapse of his resolve after he murders someone while in possession to payoff gangsters that Lik owes money to.
Even after he finds out that his brother's death had nothing to do with Tim, he disregards this and still goes on his path of self destruction because of money & power.
At this point, the audience still sympathises with him probably because of the pain he feels because of his separation from Teen Ling after she loses her memory. This is of course seen in the light of the earlier episodes where the couple seem very much in love.
I will content, however, that the discerning viewer should be able to tell that Teen Ling loves Lik more than Lik loves her, even at the beginning of ATEII. She gets into fights for Lik, she runs from debt collectors for Lik, she runs to the Philippines & stays there for a long time for Lik, she goes to a correction centre for Lik, she gives up her happy simple life in Taiwan for Lik, she becomes a spy for Lik, she is raped & does not go to the police because of Lik... Lik's sacrifices can't even compare to the sacrifices that Teen Ling makes for him. That's why I feel it is fitting that Teen Ling ends up with Keung. I just think it's nice that a woman who loves 2 men (Tim & Lik) more than they love her (and suffers from it too) ends up with a man who probably loves her more than she loves him. Sorry for the slight digression...
I think that Lik is ultimately a selfish man. I think because he was abandoned by his "family," and because his mother knows that he is the son of another man, she probably spoilt him silly to make up for the losses in his childhood. So while he isn't a bad guy and he is capable of love, he isn't capable of selfless love except right at the very end when he redeems himself just as he is about to die.
I don't believe that a man who "truly loves" his partner will beat her and reduce her to a cowering animal and force her to the point of suicide twice. When men beat women (or vice-versa) it's not love, it's about power. I don't care what anyone says about Lik loving Teen Ling so much that he goes crazy etc etc.
I think Lik's ultimate redemption in the eyes of the viewers is in the last episode of ATE II. When Lik realises how much he has lost, when he says that he would give his life for Teen Ling and when he says to Michael's spirit that he is glad that he doesn't seen Teen Ling. IMO, I think that it is when Lik loses everything that he realises what love is. And this makes him very much like Tim because Tim only realises what true love is when Flora leaves him. The difference between Lik and Tim is that Lik is driven by greed & discontentment and Tim is driven by pride & anger. The last episode is probably the strongest reason why many viewers sympathise with Lik even though he is the main bad guy.
As for me, I don't really like Lik. I sympathised with him in the beginning of ATEII but once he starts controlling Teen Ling, once he starts destroying her to get her back, I lose all sympathy for him until the end but I still don't like him completely as a person. Unlike some people on the web, I don't think Teen Ling was wrong to leave Lik at the end. Lik almost destroys her, in fact Lik crushes her spiritually which is worse than death in many ways. I don't believe that just cuz they looked so loving in the beginning and just cuz they have been through so much that Teen Ling should end up with Lik or end up pining for Lik even after his death.
Lik doesn't deserve Teen Ling. Actually, I'm not sure if Keung deserves Teen Ling either. But I definitely do think that Teen Ling deserves happiness, stability and a family, and if that happiness lies in Keung than more power to her.
Now, I understand why people might like or sympathise with Lik. It is sad when someone gives up so much to carry out a plan which is ultimately futile. And it is sad that he turns down the chance to live on after he realises how wrong he was. And it was a very touching when he dies and he wishes Teen Ling happiness.
However, what I don't get is why people actually think that Teen Ling betrays Lik when she chooses Keung 3 times, once after her initial lose of memory, once when she decides to marry him after she remembers most things and finally at the end when she meets him at the airport. Eh... Lik wasn't that great to her, why should she choose him?
Now, I know I'm not being too focus in my long winded answer, I'm actually kind of tired today. So forgive me if I'm all over the place today.
Now, what do you think? Did you read my other post on "analysing Teen Ling?" I'm hoping that someone might like to comment on that post and this as well.
enjoy