James Absolon explains how this Pope-themed film, despite its risky premise, works
Alex Pollard reviews Hollywood's biopic of the controversial Margaret Thatcher
In their time separated from China, the film industry of Hong Kong was able to construct its own identity which is still maintained to this day. In order to further investigate this we will be taking a look at both The Killer and In The Mood For Love.
Director: John Woo
Part parable of redemption, part highly violent gangster thriller, John Woo’s The Killer is arguably one of the most intelligent and exciting action films ever made. Featuring stunning action sequences and an excellent plot, it succeeded in putting Hong Kong’s cinema on the map.
When assassin Ah Jong (Chow Yun Fat) accidentally blinds a musician during a hit, he feels the need to try and earn enough to pay for an operation to restore her sight. However, he must contend with double crossing gangsters and the police along the way. The character relations create a genuine emotional core as we generally care for them; they are far more than the two dimensional components of Western 80s action movies. Particularly interesting is Ah Jong’s relationship with Li the detective, who in their conflict come to respect and understand one another, forming an unlikely friendship. Equally central to the film are its action sequences which are fast paced, perfectly choreographed and brilliantly shot. It is testament to the film that despite the over-the-top nature of many of these scenes and a body count of over a hundred, these always serve to progress the film’s story, and sometimes even build character.
The Killer succeeds on so many levels, not least in creating an action film about characters, rather than a film in which characters are involved in action scenes, and undoubtedly one of the best of its much maligned genre.
Director: Wong Kar-Wai
Sometimes the great cinematic love affairs are those that are never truly consummated. This is the case in David Lean’s truly heartbreaking classic Brief Encounter and is also true of Wong Kar-Wai’s In The Mood For Love.
Starring both Tony Leung Chiu-Wei and Maggie Cheung (two of the greatest actors that China has ever produced) the entire film centres around this pair as their characters discover intimacy after their realisation that their respective spouses are cheating on them. In the beginning their friendship is rather awkward but they then begin to bond over mutual tastes and their collaboration on writing a drama serial. During their efforts their relationship blossoms despite the knowledge that due to the entrapment in their marriages, they can never be together. Because of this, their love affair remains forever reserved with the slightest touch or embrace just adding to the tension of a romance unfulfilled.
By creating such an ending where the leading pair cannot get together without it spiralling into tragedy, In The Mood For Love, with its gorgeous visuals and fantastic acting, has become one of the most recognised slices of Hong Kong cinema around the world.
You must log in to submit a comment.
