The Killer (1989)
Director: John Woo
Starring: Chow Yun-fat, Danny Lee, Paul Chu Kong, Sally Yeh
Primary genre: Action
John Woo singlehandedly created an entire action subgenre in the 80s. It was called heroic bloodshed or later on, gun-fu, a much catchier term. Having already made two movies with superstar Chow Yun-fat (A Better Tomorrow (1986), A Better Tomorrow 2 (1987)), it was time for the actor-director duo to move beyond ensemble outputs.
While previous movies from the beloved Hong Kong director had complex relationship dynamics and character agendas, The Killer is a straightforward actioner that pushes (or establishes?) the myth of the unkillable contract assassin - an individual who emerges victorious from any situation. It does not matter whether he is cornered or if he has a few bullets left. The only thing he needs is a gun and this Cantonese version of pre-John Wick will plow his way through an army of goons and Triad henchmen like a bull in a China shop. Precision, skill, and lighting-fast reflexes gift Chow Yun-fat’s character god-like powers and ultimately, enable him to ooze copious amounts of charisma.
Woo tends to idolize slick mob characters who amidst all the chaos around them smoke heavily and have the time to philosophize about their life decisions and future plans of retirement. The Killer is no exception. Shots by Peter Pau (Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (2000), Hero (2002)) exist to purely showcase wealth and wonderfully put-together clubs, and residential premises where dubious individuals inhabit. You can’t blame the man, however, when you cast Yun-fat as your lead , an actor with a unique visage and insane appeal on the big screen. Despite his Ah Jong ruthlessly killing baddies both privately or publicly, he is bound by an honor-among-thieves type of code which creates the emotional core of the movie. Having blinded a talented singer in one of his hit jobs, Ah Jong feels responsible for this bystander vowing to help her out while simultaneously falling for her.
Navigating his own double cross and a hot-on-his-tail cop, Ah Jong is in the middle of these impossible predicaments where he has to keep his identity secret, evade authorities, be with the girl he loves, and dispose of plenty (like in the hundreds) of minions. All the above, though, are not enough to create a compelling story, so it is up to Woo to offer dazzling spectacle to complement it. His way of structuring explosive action scenes elevates the film from the typical mournful anti-hero proceedings and into a piece of contemporary art. The action is fast, visceral, and relentless, outshining anything that audiences had experienced before. In the same year, if you compare Tango and Cash, Lethal Weapon 2, License to Kill, and Black Rain with The Killer which one kicks total ass?
“If you don’t find who you’re looking for, you can always come back and find me.”
In The Killer, Woo has perfected his cinematic ballet full of bullets, dead bodies, and magnificent pirouettes. Each set piece is larger than the previous one under impeccable editing and multiple angles to ensure we see in glorious slo-mo the gun-toting mayhem caused by villains and heroes alike. This sensational style culminates in the now classic church finale where waves of bad guys meet their demise amidst a destruction derby filled with twisted, fiery concrete caused by machine guns, grenade launchers, shotguns, and Woo’s personal favorite, Berettas.
The body count is so excessive that you can’t take the (any) plot development seriously, particularly its third act which veers into the territory of a pure melodramatic opera originating from Hong Kong. One could argue The Killer is style over substance, more so than Woo’s previous thematically rich films and any cinephile searching for deep, meaningful layers should probably look elsewhere. And one would be right as this vehicle can be seen as an excuse to set up with panache invigorating sequences of auteur action. Woo’s talent for such highly kinetic moments is incredible, influencing several directors such as Chad Stahelski, Quentin Tarantino, and Robert Rodriguez. Most importantly, The Killer is the reason we got the magnum opus that was Hard Boiled (1992), so extra points for that.
Hard Boiled’s grandfather
+Action overkill
+Sensational ballet of bullets and bodies
+Woo perfects his style
+Yun-fat dominates
-Excessive
-…and melodramatic