Institute History
Description
Appreciation for the stylized spectacles of John Woo has grown to the point where he has been recruited to work in America. Nowhere is there amore talented director of gunplay and death, His aesthetic of violence transforms our world from the mundane to the epic as he choreographs sequences which are sometimes numbing, sometimes exhilarating. Woo excites a range of reactions to film violence by sublimating our deep-seated taboos.
In Hard-Boiled he's operating at his peak. Once again the suave and ultracool Chow Yun-fat (Sundance audiences may recall him from The Killer) leads the investigation into the activities of the Triads, He's confronted by Tony Leung, the righthand man of the syndicate leader. Choices about loyalty, betrayal and friendship are the "fuel" of the narrative, but the "fire" comes from an almost surreally kinetic play of impossibly drawn-out battles which ultimately engulf everyone.
The editing and camerawork are spectacular, elevating the interplay of blood and bullets to a ballet. From the opening carnage to the holding of newborn babies as hostages, Woo takes us on a roller-coaster ride and has us laughing in recognition, If you've yet to experience a Woo film, don't miss this one!
Monday Jan 25 9:00 pm
Prospector Square Theatre
Thursday Jan 21 10:00 pm
Egyptian Theatre
Friday Jan 29 1:30 pm
Tower Theatre, Salt Lake City
$6.00