Day 8: The Killer (1989)

John Woo’s “The Killer” is a tragic story of what happens when morals play a hand in the business of murder. With a heartfelt script, an energetic editing style, and a very poignant use of symbolism, Woo delivers an action film chock full of knock-down-drag-out gun battles but never lets them overtake the real heart of the story- something most films of that genre do all too often.

In “The Killer,” actor Chow Yun-fat plays Ah Jong, a Hong Kong assassin on a job for the criminal organization, “The Triad.” But, when a hit goes sour, Ah Jong ends up  in a blazing fire fight and, though he survives, he also blinds a young nightclub singer named Jenny (Sally Yeh) with the muzzle flash from his pistol.

Feeling responsible for the now almost blind singer and, as an act of redemption and later love, Ah Jong takes one last hit so he can cash in the money for a sight-saving corneal transplant for Jenny. What the assassin doesn’t count on is the betrayal of the Triad, who now want him dead, and a hound dog of police detective (Danny Lee) hot on his trail.

What Woo masterfully accomplishes with this piece is a sense of growing tension both through tight editing and story beats. With the editing, Woo cuts closer and closer into his characters as the moment builds and makes the audience beg for the release. In other instances, Woo, in his now classic style, slows the motion down so we can fully understand the magnitude of what is about to happen, making it all the more exciting when it occurs.

With the story beats, Woo, who was also the film’s screenwriter, has a great way of layering the tension. Just before Ah Jong gets out of a fix, his problem only gets worse. For example, after a long dangerous boat chase, Ah Jong escapes and makes a run for it on a beach, where he encounters a little girl playing in the sand. Immediately, the next shot shows a mobster hiding in the bushes, his gun pointed at Ah Jong and the girl. Now, if the mobster had his sights on Ah Jong alone, that would be enough to keep the tension flowing, but Woo wants to up our fears and get to us on a personal level, hence the little girl in the sand.

Woo has established himself as a great director, not just by his action sequences, but also for the sense of symbolism he puts in his films. “The Killer” is no different. In this film, two items are used to make distinctions between Ah Jong and the police detective. In the very first scene, we find Ah Jong finding solace in a church while gazing up at a cross, the universal symbol of sacrifice and redemption. For the detective, a shot of a statue of General Kwan, an ancient warrior of bravery and loyalty, is shown as a centerpiece in the police office and directly proceeds our first encounter with the detective.

John Woo’s “The Killer” is great example of action done right. It may have its hand on the trigger, but its feet stay firmly in place at the story’s emotional core.

To learn more about “The Killer,” check out Criterion’s page here.

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