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The Killer
1989
In John Woo's THE KILLER, a hired assassin (Chow Yun-Fat) accidentally blinds a beautiful nightclub singer during what was supposed to be his last murder. When he falls in love with her and accepts another contract in order to finance her cornea surgery, the stage is set for a long and bloody confrontation. A boisterous bullet .. Read more
| Starring | Chow Yun-Fat, Danny Lee, Sally Yeh, Ken Tsang |
|---|---|
| Director | John Woo |
| Run time | 106 mins |
| Genres | Action/Adventure, Thriller, World Cinema |
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Critics' reviews (6)
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A Hong Kong gangster movie that's directed with such over-the-top verve by John Woo you're transfixed by its audacity, despite several stomach-churning scenes of violence. Chow Yun-Fat plays the assassin who decides to quit his profession after accidentally blinding a singer (Sally Yeh) during a hit in a nightclub. When he learns that her sight could be restored through an operation, he decides to fund it by doing just one more job. Of its amoral kind it's great bullet-dodging fun, but it's definitely not for the faint-hearted.
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"...Woo pushes the already gonzo conventions of Hong Kong action-melodrama into the stratosphere....It's a hellzapoppin' gunfight festival..."
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Most helpful member's review
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14 out of 14 people found this review helpful
My favourite John Woo flick
I still find it hard to believe that it took so long for John Woo to make it big in Hollywood when he was turning out films like this years ago. Anyone who hasn't seen this before will be familiar with the storyline (Hitman with a conscience vs maverick but honourable cop with similar personality traits) but consider that this came out in 1989 and was revolutionary at the time. We all know this plot has been copied again and again since then.
For me, this is the complete film. The acting is top-notch (the female lead hams it up a LITTLE bit sometimes), the story is strong, the action sequences are well thought out and don't have to dominate the film and Chow Yun Fat & Danny Lee are utterly believable in the the quiet, reflective scenes.
This film, for me anyway, rates alongside the legendary Scarface in the 'frequently copied, never bettered' genre of cinema.
OWN THIS FILM!!! -
Most recent members' review
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7 out of 7 people found this review helpful
Excellent Existential Mobster Movie!
This is a majestic masterpiece that is one of the best films of all time; a groundbreaking classic that's at once commercially accessible yet artistically acceptable and commercially exportable yet artistically exceptional.
Not only that, but it's one of the most influential and referential films of all time!
My perception of films changed after when I saw The Killer back in 1999, not strictly due to the mixing of genres or highly innovative, imaginative and intense action; but due to the level of subtlety and quality in its storytelling and direction.
It was probably the 1st time I ever saw a film that didn't have a happy ending, from that point onwards I was never sure if the hero would live or die much less win or lose.
It's a film about loyalty, honour, honesty, chivalry, gallantry, ethics, morality, heroism, sacrifice, friendship, romance, betrayal, redemption and martyrdom.
It has some small & subtle doses of humour, gallops of romance, buckets of bullets and hard-hitting drama. It has a rousing & riveting soundtrack that's both mesmerizing & memorable. It manages to combine the realistic with the stylistic in a world that's both real & surreal simultaneously.
It's a well-rounded film that combines visual & visceral aspects of Hollywood, European and Hong Kong filmmaking; which is why it seems so familiar yet so fresh (partly because John Woo puts things into the film which makes it truly his own).
Even Martin Scorsese had seen this film, coincidentally John dedicated the film to Martin. He particularly liked the usage of the Messiah music cue during the finale.
Also it should be noted that whilst the finale of Taxi Driver formed the inspiration of the apartment action sequence in this film; the finale of the directorial feature Rolling Thunder (made by the scriptwriter for Taxi Driver) had served as a platform of inspiration for the apartment shootout in A Better Tomorrow 2 (also made by John Woo).
As a sidenote, music cues were taken from Chuck Norris' Hero & The Terror.
Also, the ending reminded me of a similar scene in Sammo Hung's Pedicab Driver (made in the same year and which can be bought at www.virginmegastores.co.uk).
More information can be found on www.hkfilm.net -
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