#john-woo

#john-woo

Concluding a remarkable run of homegrown films which included A Better Tomorrow, , and Bullet to The Head, the auteur bid adieu to the Far East with arguably his career masterpiece, a visceral amalgamation of hyper-kinetic violence, pitch-black humor, and erm, smooth jazz, which redefined his genre of choice. Woo nails the gonzo tone immediately, its opening scene showcasing his stylized "bullet ballet" approach in all its glory while surpassing the body count of most Hollywood actioners in their entirety.

Tony Leung and Fennie Yuen are having a teary-eyed breakup; he's tangled with some gangsters and must flee Hong Kong for Vietnam, and even though they're engaged she doesn't think she can wait for him. As they talk, a massive riot rages behind them; Molotov cocktails fly all over the place as police and protesters attack each other. (It's the late 1960s in Hong Kong, a politically turbulent time.)