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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 |
| Genres | Action/Adventure, Thriller, World Cinema |
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The Killer
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 opera from Woo, tempered as usual with his fascination with the notion of the honorable killer and with the doubling of similar men whom circumstances have placed on opposite sides of the law. The film is very heavy on Catholic imagery and redemption motifs.
| Starring | Chow Yun-Fat, Danny Lee, Sally Yeh, Ken Tsang, Shing Fui-On, Chu Kong, Barry Wong, Parkman Wong |
|---|---|
| Director | John Woo |
| Studio | E1 ENTERTAINMENT |
| Run time | DVD: 1 hr 46 mins |
| Certificate | |
| Genres | Action/Adventure, Thriller, World Cinema |
| Language | Cantonese, Chinese |
| Released | DVD: not available Production year: 1989 |
| Format | DVD |
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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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1 out of 1 person found this review helpful
THE BEST FILM EVER MADE.
This is quite simply the best film ever made. John woo translates the important samuri values of honour trust dignity... into a modern setting creating a new genre called 'heroic bloodshed'. The emotion created by the atmospheric, incredibly correographed, and stylish shoot em up scenes acts to make an incredibly deep point. Jen is a good hearted assasin fighting for the values of honour and friendship in a materialistic world. This seems ridiculous but john woo pulls it off brilliantly. Jens even becomes good friends with the cop that is hunting him down, but tradgically Jens morals have no place in the capitalist world woo presents which in turn leads to his downfall. This is where the famous white dove in a church scene was made.
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