Defining Favourites: The Killer (1989)
John Woo's action spectacle breaks down the morale between cops and criminals.
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Directed by John Woo
Screenplay by John Woo
Produced by Tsui Hark
Starring Chow Yun-fat, Danny Lee, Sally Yeh, Chu Kong, Kenneth Tsang, Shing Fui-On
Running Time: 110 minutes
Premiere Date: July 6, 1989
When The Killer starts, we’re introduced to our titular protagonist within a church. It’s integral to how we get to know Chow Yun-fat’s Ah Jong, because we’re still seeing the code of such a profession being explored with great detail – even amidst the spectacle of seeing the gunfights that have become the most well-known staple of John Woo’s career. But even though all the most exciting moments of any great action movie can be found in The Killer, remembering what the actual story is built on, together with John Woo’s influences make for a more deeply tragic story than it appears to be on the surface.
And thus the whole movie becomes one of the most exhilarating action movies ever made. It’s one of the most exhilarating action movies owing to the manner by which John Woo makes you feel like you’re always a part of the action. Whether it be in the gunfights or in the smaller moments for Ah Jong to reckon with the immeasurable damage he’s left in his path, what makes The Killer one among John Woo’s best films is the fact that it strikes that balance between exciting action sequences and relatively human drama – sometimes even finding moments for both worlds to merge.
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