John Woo: from Hong Kong to Hollywood, The Killer and Face-Off

866 Words2 Pages

John Woo: from Hong Kong to Hollywood, The Killer and Face/Off

John Woo and his “heroic bloodshed” have revolutionized and rejuvenated the action genre, combining melodrama with action to create the male melodrama, in which he explores the codes of masculinity while redefining them. Robert Hanke says that “explosive pyrotechnics seem to be privileged over plot, narrative or character” (Hanke 41) and yet notes that Jillian Sandell maintains the opinion that Woo does not “celebrate this violence, but rather uses it to represent a nostalgia for a lost code of honor and chivalry” (Hanke 1999: 45). While characterized by violence, Woo’s films define masculinity within a changing world. He does not set out to make violent films, defending A Better Tomorrow by saying “It’s not a gangster movie. It’s a film about chivalry, about honor, but set in the modern world. I want to teach the new generation: ‘What is friendship? What is brotherhood? What have we lost? What we have to get back.’” (Logan 1995: 116), a statement that can be applied to both The Killer (1989) and Face/Off (1997). In The Killer, Jeff and Stanley are nostalgic about the past, saying how things have changed. Loss is a literal theme in both movies, as Jeff tries to regain Sally’s sight and in Face/Off Archer has lost his son and seeks to regain a sense of identity and purpose, and ultimately a son. Woo makes his films to fill this lack that he sees in the modern world.

He is influenced by many different films and n...

Show More
Related

  • Historical Analysis of Ang Lee’s Ride With the Devil

    1945 Words  | 4 Pages

    When the general public thinks about the Civil War they usually think about an army of Union soldiers fighting an army of Confederate soldiers, each side commanded by men up upper rank using military tactics to win the battle. What most people don’t think about is the guerrilla warfare that went on between rival citizens in the boarder states. Instead of formal militias, this fighting involved small groups of men hunting down enemies and getting in to savage skirmishes. Kansas Jayhawkers and Missouri Bushwhackers fought this informal, bloody, and guerrilla war. While being on either side was dangerous, being caught in the middle of it was even more so. Ride With the Devil, a 1999 film directed by Ang Lee follows this savage conflict from the perspective of some Bushwhackers played by Tobey Maguire, Skeet Ulrich, and Simon Baker-Denny. Through its realistic portrayal of the Bushwhackers and Jayhawkers, William Quantrill, and the style of fighting that went on in Missouri, Ride With the Devil is a historically accurate film that can be enjoyed for its history as well as its superb entertainment.

    Read More

  • Blood Glucose Responses and Incidence of Hypoglycemia in Elite Tennis Players.

    856 Words  | 2 Pages

    Glucose consumption in the tissues and glucose production are balanced when the body is at rest. At the start of exercising the energy the body gets quickly is from the anaerobic metabolism using mostly muscle glycogen...

    Read More

  • Blood Glucose Lab Report

    546 Words  | 2 Pages

    This is monitored by the cells within the Islets of Langerhans, which is located in the control (the pancreas). After skipping a meal or tough physical exercise blood glucose concentration decreases. Alpha cells in the islets detect this drop and are stimulated to secrete glucagon. Glucagon is a polypeptide hormone which influences an increase in blood glucose concentration. Glucagon travels through the bloodstream until it reaches glucagon receptors which are predominantly found in the liver, as well as, the kidneys. Glucagon stimulates the breakdown of stored glycogen to be released into the bloodstream as glucose. It also stimulates the conversion of amino acids into glucose and the breakdown of fat into fatty acids. These effectors cause an increase in blood glucose levels back towards the normal. This increase in blood glucose concentration is detected by the alpha cells which then stop the secretion of

    Read More

  • Film Analysis Of The Movie 'Chinatown'

    1588 Words  | 4 Pages

    Chinatown is regarded by many as one of the best films ever created. In 2007, The American Film Institute named “Chinatown” as #21 on their list of 100 greatest films! Chinatown is a great film because it is able to show how far people are willing to go to obtain riches and how a detective is willing to go to great lengths to solve the mysteries in front of him. The movie has been talked about in abundance and has even been influenced by real life events from the water company in Los Angeles. It is closely related to corruption and the 1% which people still talk about till this day. In the movie “Chinatown” directed by Roman Polanski, a private detective hired to expose an adulterer finds that he is caught up in a web of deceit, corruption, and murder. Somewhat relating to this is the article “Of the 1%, by the 1%, for the 1%” written by Joseph E. Stiglitz. In the article Stiglitz writes about how democracy in America is a mirage and that the rich

    Read More

  • Review: Pulp Fiction

    780 Words  | 2 Pages

    Quentin Tarantino’s Pulp Fiction is one of the most daring, puzzling, and ultimately exciting pieces of cinema to hit the screen in years. As wholly original as it is a copy of hundreds of films before it about tales of hit-men and criminals, it dares you to step out of the dull and enter a colorful, exhilarating world that could only be Los Angeles. The intensity level of the movie is off the scale. People are laughing like crazy in the theater to the intelligent dialog and other scenes that have the audience gasping for air in shock over what just happened. Although one might say that Pulp Fiction is overly violent and disturbing, it is in fact, one of the greatest movies ever produced. Quentin Tarantino’s incredible screenplay, the intensity of the actors, and music to set the mood, created movie worthy five stars.

    Read More

  • Interpersonal Communication Styles Examined in My Big Fat Greek Wedding

    1682 Words  | 4 Pages

    The first topic that is found in the movie that was taught in class is conflict. Conflict is expressed disagreement over perceived incompatible goals. Although it may seem it, conflict is not always a negative thing. Conflict is needed and can help growth of relationships. Many conflicts are started because people have different conversational styles. In class, we learned that there are guidelines that one should follow in order to help prevent conflict or help solve it. The guidelines include clarifying goals, helping others save face, using constructive criticism skills, using empathic listening skills, monitoring nonverbal be...

    Read More

  • The Western as a Film Genre

    1434 Words  | 3 Pages

    ...he years from a classic plot to including aliens, but the basic recipe is the same. A lone cowboy on the edge of society, placed in some predicament that causes him to have to use the violence he has the capability to use, but doesn’t like using to get himself or others out of the predicament.

    Read More

  • History of School Shootings in US

    893 Words  | 2 Pages

    Today’s society thrives on violence. Young children made pretend guns and shot at siblings, teenagers enjoyed video games which praised the player for kills, and adults flocked to see the latest horror movie, few people asked what effect this has on people and society. Some psychologists have started researching this effect. A study by Dr. Ferguson;...

    Read More

  • Lethal Weapon 4, by Richard Donner

    1622 Words  | 4 Pages

    Lethal Weapon 4 is one of the many Lethal Weapon series that amalgamates action, drama, comedy and heart warming stories into a well-packaged film. Part of the success of the film lies within the resplendent chemistry between the two partners Martin Riggs and Roger Murtaugh. The profound relationship between the two characters is built on differences of age, class and race. Through fighting crime and contending demons Riggs and Murtaugh come to find common ground for bonding despite their disparities. Whilst comedy and action play an imperative part in attracting audiences, viewers participate in the evolving lives of the two partners. In the context to the black-white inter-racial relation, the co-operative partnership demonstrates...

    Read More

  • Chinatown: Above The Film Noir Genre

    1601 Words  | 4 Pages

    The viewer sees a private eye and beautiful client. First thought, "It’s definitely another Hollywood crime drama." On the surface, Chinatown has all the elements of a film noir: the presence of a beautiful but dangerous woman, otherwise known as the femme fatale, a gritty urban setting, compositional tension (highly contrasting light and dark colors or oblique camera angles), and themes of moral ambiguity and alienation. Chinatown, however, is different. Polanski shot Chinatown with color film, and though his colors do appear especially vivid, color film precludes the contrast intensity that black and white film offers. In addition, Evelyn is not the classic femme fatale. Though Jake mistakes her for her husband’s killer at first, Mrs. Mulwray eventually emerges as the story’s most tragic victim. Yes, Chinatown for the most part conforms to the structure of film noir, but this film departs from the general genre, creating an entirely different element in which Roman Polanksi examines not only big-money corruption and its malignant obsession with money, but also larger, more human themes such as ignorance, authority, and the pervasiveness of evil.

    Read More

  • The Theme Of Immortality In Gilgamesh

    2368 Words  | 5 Pages

    He exudes pride in a manner only rivaled by Enkidu, his best friend. Gilgamesh and Enkidu relish in their brotherhood through fighting Humbaba and the Golden Bull. Their shared life is not permanent however. After they defeated the Golden Bull, the gods look down upon Enkidu and Gilgamesh, in which they decide one of them needs to die. As the book carries on, Enkidu is struck with a deathly illness and inevitably passes on. This changes Gilgamesh’s mindset towards death. In Mitchell’s translation, it reads,“If my grief is violent enough, perhaps he will come back to life again.’ For six days and seven nights I mourned him until a maggot fell out of his nose. Then, I was frightened, I was terrified by death” (Mitchell 167). Gilgamesh, who before was enthralled with the idea of dying a hero, suddenly became terrified of death. This growth, albeit not positive growth, was a direct result of the prior circumstances. The heroes’ shared hubris angered the gods who struck Enkidu down, causing Gilgamesh to lose his best friends. This loss causes gilgamesh to grow by fearing

    Read More

  • Natural Born Killers Essay

    1901 Words  | 4 Pages

    One of the first and most significant films in American New Wave cinema, Arthur Penn’s Bonnie and Clyde (1967), revolutionized the movie industry by producing a motion picture mixed with graphic violence, humor, and moral ambiguity. With a similar revolutionary idea, Oliver Stone's Natural Born Killers (1994) used every cinematographic opportunity to disclose the incestuous relationship between crime, the media and pop culture. Although both films operate with similar themes such as undermining gender ideologies,…, and…;ultimately, Natural Born Killers acts as a development of Penn’s 1967 film, by displaying the characters Mickey and Mallory, as more aggressive and extreme versions of Bonnie and Clyde.

    Read More

  • Relationships in "The Girls in Their Summer Dresses"

    997 Words  | 2 Pages

    “The story employs a dramatic point of view that emphasizes the fragility of human relationships. It shows understanding and agreemen...

    Read More

  • Chinatown as Film Noir

    853 Words  | 2 Pages

    Films that are classified as being in the film noir genre all share some basic characteristics. There is generally a voice-over throughout the film in order to guide the audience's perceptions. These movies also involve a crime and a detective who is trying to figure out the truth in the situation. This detective usually encounters a femme fatale who seduces him. However, the most distinctive feature of the film noir genre is the abundance of darkness.

    Read More

  • Role Of Gilgamesh In The Epic Of Uruk

    1460 Words  | 3 Pages

    Gilgamesh ignored many of these kingly duties and was eager to become heroic and godly. "The young men of Uruk he harries without warrant, Gilgamesh lets no son go free to his father. By day and by night his tyranny grows harsher" (George, Tablet I 67-69). The beginning of the epic depicts his kingship as tyrannical and immoral, which could go without question or complaint unless the gods will it. Although considered great for his many feats such as his great walls and military expeditions, his faults could not be questioned by the commoners, which show a flaw in Mesopotamian kingship. Therefore, the gods ask Anu to create a counterpart to Gilgamesh to balance his oppressive reign. "Let him be a match for the storm of his heart, let them vie with each other, so Uruk may be rested!" (Tablet I 97-98). Enkidu, Gilgamesh 's counterpart, was initially created as a wild, uncivilized man rather than a demigod king. His position was to serve as a person that would try to prevent Gilgamesh from becoming so lofty and boastful and to make him become mature and make rational decisions. This becomes evident in Enkidu 's first encounter with Gilgamesh at the wedding: "For the goddess of weddings the bed was laid out, Gilgamesh met with the maiden by night. Forward

    Read More

More about John Woo: from Hong Kong to Hollywood, The Killer and Face-Off

Open Document