Woo. Woo’s case is his unabashed style and depth of filmography—there aren’t too many style-plus auteurs left this far down the list with a fourth best film as good as Hard Boiled or fifth as strong as A Bullet in the Head. If great auteurs can often be parodied (think Wes Anderson’s SNL skit) then how about John Woo? One of my major problems with Woo (and the reason I probably have a hard time finding room for the films in their respective top 100 of the decade) is how close they walk the line to camp. Leone could be both violent and funny without walking that line—and I’m not sure Woo always does. It has been far too long since I’ve seen many of them so I’m excited to revisit.

Best film: Face/Off  

total archiveable films: 7

A Better Tomorrow is the film that really lifted Woo in 1986

top 100 films:  0

top 500 films:   0

top 100 films of the decade:  1 (Face/Off)

Face/Off– by far Woo’s best Hollywood film– really the only true time he did it in Hollywood and the only one of his best 5 films not to be made in Hong Kong

most overrated: A Better Tomorrow is the film that really lifted Woo—but it lands at #928 in the TSPDT consensus top 1000 and though I’m not far off—I’m not sure I have a spot for it in my top 1000.

most underrated: It has to be Face/Off right? It is ranked on TSPDT as his 4th best (both A Better Tomorrow and The Killer are in the top 1000 and Hard Boiled is ahead of Face/Off on the list of 1001-2000).

gem I want to spotlight :  Hard Boiled. Often regarded as one of the best action “oners” or one-shot action sequences.

Hard Boiled. Certainly one of the best action “oners” or one-take works in cinema

stylistic innovations/traits:  

  • Woo makes urban westerns, balletic violence—bullets flying. This certainly sounds like Peckinpah (who worshiped Kurosawa). Leone is no doubt an influence, I’d consider Tony Scott’s a peer of Woo with his montage/coverage choices
  • As far as narrative—we’re often dealing with good and evil, the thin line between cops/criminals and bonding between partners (and or) enemies. Haws’ work in masculinity in cinema is one to cite here
  • Slow-motion work, dissolves, jumps, freezes and dissolves—all part of the arsenal for Woo- it is fair to say that Woo is a master editor
The John Woo shot for sure here- this one from The Killer but virtually all of his films have this shot. As far as narrative—we’re often dealing with good and evil, the thin line between cops/criminals and bonding between partners (and or) enemies. Haws’ work in masculinity in cinema is one to cite here
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Woo makes urban westerns, balletic violence—bullets flying. This certainly sounds like Peckinpah (who worshiped Kurosawa). Leone is no doubt an influence, I’d consider Tony Scott’s a peer of Woo with his montage/coverage choices

top 10

  1. Face/Off
  2. The Killer
  3. A Better Tomorrow
  4. Hard Boiled
  5. A Bullet in the Head
  6. Red Cliff I
  7. Red Cliff II

By year and grades

1986- A Better Tomorrow HR
1989- The Killer HR
1990- A Bullet In the Head
1992- Hard Boiled R
1997- Face/Off HR
2008- Red Cliff I R
2009- Red Cliff II R

*MP is Masterpiece- top 1-3 quality of the year film

MS is Must-see- top 5-6 quality of the year film

HR is Highly Recommend- top 10 quality of the year film

R is Recommend- outside the top 10 of the year quality film but still in the archives