Some film critics suggest that Hu treats his characters as puppets. As in Chinese opera, make-up and costumes are the key to a person's nature.
胡氏引用平劇角色，在「怒」的一場激戰中更為明顯，飾店東的陳慧樓被任棠惠撲了一臉麵粉，登時成了平劇中的白臉惡人。熟知平劇典故的人當熟知這種趣味。