Director: John WooJohn Woo was one of a kind. And while most critics will scoff at a trench coated man diving to the side with a gun in each hand, no one can deny that when Mr. Woo did it, he did it with style to spare. Emphasis on the DID and WAS. Because all of that is base material in action-film cliché school. The term Woo-ism has already seeped into popular culture right beside “Tarantino-Like” and it’s not a compliment. Most people are quick to forget why wearing Ray-Ban Shades and chewing a tooth pick was so bloody cool.
Sure, you have seen a few minutes of Hard Boiled (The Greatest Action Film of all Time) or heard about The Killer, but what about his HK Oscar nominated comedy heist film Once a Thief? Or A Better Tommorow, the film that made Chow Yun Fat a house hold name? Even better, have you had a chance to see his epic take on The Deer Hunter A Bullet in the Head?
The story about three friends, who travel to Vietnam to make a quick buck, isn’t anything to call home about, but its how it’s how it’s told that makes it arguably his best film. You want epic over-wrought drama? You have it here in spades. How about epic bloody gunfights that are motivated by the story and not by the need for action? Right here (to a point) And finally, how about some of the most creative use of slow motion and editing sinc...well…John Woo? Before he turned into a joke, John Woo knew when to ease up and when to deliver. This film is the perfect balance between all the elements he had been toying with in his previous films. They gel together here like never before, which is a shame when you consider he’s never hit these heights since then.
The story about three friends, who travel to Vietnam to make a quick buck, isn’t anything to call home about, but its how it’s how it’s told that makes it arguably his best film. You want epic over-wrought drama? You have it here in spades. How about epic bloody gunfights that are motivated by the story and not by the need for action? Right here (to a point) And finally, how about some of the most creative use of slow motion and editing sinc...well…John Woo? Before he turned into a joke, John Woo knew when to ease up and when to deliver. This film is the perfect balance between all the elements he had been toying with in his previous films. They gel together here like never before, which is a shame when you consider he’s never hit these heights since then.
Bullet in the Head was supposedly the greatest financial failure the director ever faced. Some of the subject matter, based on the Tineniam Massacre, touched a nerve with audiences and they stayed away in droves. You shouldn’t allow yourself to make that same mistake. See it!
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