Director: Johnnie To
Cast: Johnny Hallyday, Anthony Wong, Simon Yam, Lam Suet, Lam Ka-Tung
Country: Hong Kong / France
Rating: R
Run Time: 109 minutes
Those who know me in person or who have read my blog know that I consider John Woo to be the greatest action director of all time. Nobody shoots action or portrays the intense bond between men the way that man does. Unfortunately, Woo hasn't made a grounded Hong Kong action picture in over 20 years. It wasn't until 2010 that I discovered Johnnie To, Woo's replacement as the new great director of grounded heroic bloodshed films. To, who has been working nearly as long as Woo, is an immensely underrated filmmaker who has made comedies, crime dramas, and Woo-esque shoot em ups. He is essentially a more mature and meditative John Woo for the modern age who opts for silence and tension over bombastic emotion.
I discovered Johnnie To in 2010 when I stumbled upon Vengeance, an action film whose trailer caught my eye thanks to its slow motion editing. I checked out the film based solely on its trailer even though I had no clue who Johnnie To was at the time. You can bet that To shot way up on my radar after I finished Vengeance. I am dead serious when I say that Vengeance is not only one of the most underrated contemporary action films of the last few years, but quite possibly one of the greatest action films of all time. I know that is a helluva claim, but I do not say it lightly. Vengeance will kick your ass with its grandiose gun fights, draw you in with its honorable characters, and surprise you with how multi-layered its basic narrative is. Yes, Vengeance might just be the most generic title of all time. But underneath that generic title is one of the least generic Hong Kong films this side of the decade.
 |
| Guys, shots like this exemplify why this movie is a masterwork. |
I cannot stress this enough when I say that I am an audience of one on my love for this film. Most critics and To fans consider Election to be To's masterpiece. Quentin Tarantino infamously stated that Election was the best film of the year it was released. While I admit that Election is a good film, Vengeance is leaps and bounds above it and every To film I have seen before (for the record: The Mission, Fulltime Killer, Exiled, Election, and Drug War).
Vengeance's plot is as straightforward and simple as they come. When Francis Costello (Johnny Hallyday) learns that his daughter's family was murdered by hit men, he vows to enact vengeance on the men. However, Costello owns no weapons, is French, and knows nothing about Macau, Hong Kong, the place where his daughter lived. He is a fish out of water and a man without the required experience to catch said hit men. Upon returning to his hotel, Costello witnesses three hit men murder a couple within their hotel room. Costello and the three men stare one another down and say nothing, going on with their lives as if they had not seen one another. The next day, Costello tracks down the hit men and makes them an offer they can't refuse. If Costello pays the three hit men exuberant amounts of money and gives them ownership of all of his homes and restaurants, they will help him kill his daughter's murderers.
That plot right there is simple enough to base an action film around. However, what makes Vengeance so special is how To takes such a straight forward plot and treats the material in a mature and honorable matter. To infuses the film with typical heroic bloodshed themes of brotherhood, honor, and self sacrifice. He than goes so far as to tie up the whole film in a Memento-styled bow when he reveals that Costello's memory is failing him because he was shot in the head long ago. Therefore, Costello has to race against time in order to enact vengeance before he loses his memory completely.
 |
| Brothers until the end. |
To be completely honest, I don't even find Costello, the lead protagonist of the picture, to be the most interesting character in the film. The true stars of the film are in fact the three hit men whom Costello hires to help him: Kwai (Anthony Wong), Fay Lok (Lam Suet), and Chu (Lam Ka-Tung), all played by To regulars. I love these three characters because they live by a code of honor in which they honor their agreement with whomever has most recently employed them. When the three men realize that George Fung (Simon Yam), the triad boss responsible for the murder of Costello's family, is also their boss, they find themselves in quite the pickle. Talk about bad luck! Do they stand by their triad boss who they have worked for so long or stand by Costello, a foreigner who has paid them all of the money they will ever need?
When the three hit men choose to stand by Costello, it says a lot about their character. This sub-plot concerning the fates and morality of Kwai and his fellow hit men is what makes Vengeance such a masterpiece for me. How often do you find an action film in which a group of hit men go against their former boss simply because they made a prior agreement with someone else? This one giant coincidence, along with Costello's Memento-esque memory and To's treatment of the material as if it were Clint Eastwood's Unforgiven, elevates Vengeance from generic genre picture to a true masterwork of cinema.
Vengeance is yet another heroic bloodshed picture to pay homage to the French gangster films of the late 60s and early 70s. The genre itself is essentially a more bombastic and ridiculous rendition of said French films. To and Woo are infamously huge fans of Jean Pierre Melville, the director responsible for such gangster classics as Le Samourai and Le Cercle Rouge. Therefore, it is no surprise to see Vengeance, an obvious heroic bloodshed picture, incorporate the silent characters and themes of honor found within Melville's cinema. The character of Francis Costello was to be originally played by Alain Delon, the star of Le Samourai and Le Cercle Rouge. However, when Delon did not work out, Hallyday, also a French entertainer, stepped in to occupy the role. By the way, if Delon had been able to be in the movie, that would have blown my freakin' mind. Alain Delon in a contemporary action film? Holy crap.
It's clear that To wanted to emulate the routine silence and emotionless performances of Delon within the Costello character. Therefore, Hallyday essentially acts as Delon as much as possible. Hallyday also heavily emulates early 70s Charles Bronson (Death Wish, The Mechanic), thanks to his stone faced performance and craggly worn face. The influence of Melville's gangster films resides not just within Hong Kong cinema, but within the entire action genre as well. From Woo's The Killer, to Jim Jarmusch's Ghost Dog, to Nicholas Winding Refn's Drive, to even last year's John Wick, Melville's DNA is in more action films than you could count.
Woo will always be the head honcho action director in my eyes, there's just no way around that. However, To is a mighty fine replacement for Woo until the man leaves Chinese history behind and returns to the streets of contemporary Hong Kong. What makes To different from Woo though is that he blends balletic violence with the unrelenting tension of a Sergio Leone Euro-Western. This is what makes To such a unique filmmaker. He treats his characters with the maturity of a Clint Eastwood picture, edits his action like a John Woo picture, and builds up to said action like a Sergio Leone picture. He's a genre fanatic's dream come true!
To is an expert at directing his actors to visually convey information about their characters, whether it be through standing still, staring down an enemy, or firing a gun without moving. Wong, Hallyday, Suet, and the numerous other actors who populate the film give incredible visual performances that tell you everything about their characters and reveal To's masterful control of the material. To's films are the definition of all show and no tell.
My favorite scene in the entire film is the expected confrontation between Costello's hit men and the actual hit men who murdered Costello's family. To make this explanation easier, let's call Costello's hit men his "friends." After all, there is a great moment later in the film where Costello, having lost his memory, asks the men who they are, to which Anthony Wong replies, "We are you friends." When Costello and his friends walk up to the hit men in a park at nighttime, they stand down when they see that the hit men have arrived at the park for a picnic with their families. Therefore, Costello and friends honor the hit men's family obligation and walk over to a picnic table and watch them enjoy their supposed final meal.
After the hit men bid farewell to their families, they turn around and face Costello and his friends. What follows is one of the most beautiful and unique shootouts to grace the screen. As the men run after one another and fire their guns in a dark forest, the clouds in the sky repeatedly block out the moon's light. Therefore, the men have to take breaks in between shooting because they cannot see in the dark. It's an extraordinary action scene made all the better by the incredible build up that precedes it.
The cinematography and lighting in the moonlight shootout, as well as every other scene in the film, is damn impressive. To's steady camera work results in some of the most gorgeous balletic gun fights in cinematic history. The ensuing gun fight in Costello and friends' hide out is a fantastic representation of the hit men's tactics, specifically their unspoken bond of team work. As Costello and Kwai make their way down a stair well, Fay Lok and Chu hang on the outside of the stairwell and fire away at Fung's oncoming henchmen from above and below. That way, no henchman can ever get the jump on them, whether it be from above or below their location. I adore this representation of team work, as it turns a routine shootout into a strong demonstration of the friendship shared amongst the four men.
I am also gagga about the shootout in which Kwai stands up against main villain George Fung. When Kwai and friends arrive at a junkyard looking for Fung, they see all of Fung's henchmen using trash compactor cubes as cover as they make their way towards Kwai. Therefore, Kwai and friends each grab a cube of their own and push their way towards the men, essentially charging in on them with trash compactor cubes as their shields. Unfortunately, things don't work out too well for Kwai, as they are hopelessly outnumbered. However, this sad scene is a fantastic representation of the heroic bloodshed genre in general, as the three men sacrifice their lives and well being for the sake of one sick man who deserves his revenge. This self sacrificial nature is a key component of the heroic bloodshed genre, and one of my favorite aspects of said genre. Also, Costello's restaurant chain is named "brothers" for goodness sakes. How much more heroic bloodshed can you get Johnnie To!?
The mis-en-scene in To's cinema is truly breathtaking. I also have to applaud To's always bad ass misty blood effects. Just when you thought you had seen every type of bloody squib in cinema, To comes along and introduces misty blood to the mix. And of course, how can one not adore this film's soundtrack? The score in Vengeance perfectly accentuates every scene and captures the mood every time it plays over the film's images.
I have convinced myself even further how masterful Vengeance is just while writing this review. I honestly believe that Vengeance is truly one of the greatest action films of all time, it is that good! To takes a generic title and plot about vengeance and turns it into an extremely mature and multi-layered genre picture. From the action scenes, to the performances, to the overwhelming powerful themes of friendship and honor, Vengeance is a tour-de-force of action craftsmanship.
It's clear that To wanted to emulate the routine silence and emotionless performances of Delon within the Costello character. Therefore, Hallyday essentially acts as Delon as much as possible. Hallyday also heavily emulates early 70s Charles Bronson (Death Wish, The Mechanic), thanks to his stone faced performance and craggly worn face. The influence of Melville's gangster films resides not just within Hong Kong cinema, but within the entire action genre as well. From Woo's The Killer, to Jim Jarmusch's Ghost Dog, to Nicholas Winding Refn's Drive, to even last year's John Wick, Melville's DNA is in more action films than you could count.
 |
| I cannot praise this film's cinematography and lighting enough! |
Woo will always be the head honcho action director in my eyes, there's just no way around that. However, To is a mighty fine replacement for Woo until the man leaves Chinese history behind and returns to the streets of contemporary Hong Kong. What makes To different from Woo though is that he blends balletic violence with the unrelenting tension of a Sergio Leone Euro-Western. This is what makes To such a unique filmmaker. He treats his characters with the maturity of a Clint Eastwood picture, edits his action like a John Woo picture, and builds up to said action like a Sergio Leone picture. He's a genre fanatic's dream come true!
My favorite scene in the entire film is the expected confrontation between Costello's hit men and the actual hit men who murdered Costello's family. To make this explanation easier, let's call Costello's hit men his "friends." After all, there is a great moment later in the film where Costello, having lost his memory, asks the men who they are, to which Anthony Wong replies, "We are you friends." When Costello and his friends walk up to the hit men in a park at nighttime, they stand down when they see that the hit men have arrived at the park for a picnic with their families. Therefore, Costello and friends honor the hit men's family obligation and walk over to a picnic table and watch them enjoy their supposed final meal.
 |
| A junkyard shootout to the death. |
After the hit men bid farewell to their families, they turn around and face Costello and his friends. What follows is one of the most beautiful and unique shootouts to grace the screen. As the men run after one another and fire their guns in a dark forest, the clouds in the sky repeatedly block out the moon's light. Therefore, the men have to take breaks in between shooting because they cannot see in the dark. It's an extraordinary action scene made all the better by the incredible build up that precedes it.
The cinematography and lighting in the moonlight shootout, as well as every other scene in the film, is damn impressive. To's steady camera work results in some of the most gorgeous balletic gun fights in cinematic history. The ensuing gun fight in Costello and friends' hide out is a fantastic representation of the hit men's tactics, specifically their unspoken bond of team work. As Costello and Kwai make their way down a stair well, Fay Lok and Chu hang on the outside of the stairwell and fire away at Fung's oncoming henchmen from above and below. That way, no henchman can ever get the jump on them, whether it be from above or below their location. I adore this representation of team work, as it turns a routine shootout into a strong demonstration of the friendship shared amongst the four men.
I am also gagga about the shootout in which Kwai stands up against main villain George Fung. When Kwai and friends arrive at a junkyard looking for Fung, they see all of Fung's henchmen using trash compactor cubes as cover as they make their way towards Kwai. Therefore, Kwai and friends each grab a cube of their own and push their way towards the men, essentially charging in on them with trash compactor cubes as their shields. Unfortunately, things don't work out too well for Kwai, as they are hopelessly outnumbered. However, this sad scene is a fantastic representation of the heroic bloodshed genre in general, as the three men sacrifice their lives and well being for the sake of one sick man who deserves his revenge. This self sacrificial nature is a key component of the heroic bloodshed genre, and one of my favorite aspects of said genre. Also, Costello's restaurant chain is named "brothers" for goodness sakes. How much more heroic bloodshed can you get Johnnie To!?
The mis-en-scene in To's cinema is truly breathtaking. I also have to applaud To's always bad ass misty blood effects. Just when you thought you had seen every type of bloody squib in cinema, To comes along and introduces misty blood to the mix. And of course, how can one not adore this film's soundtrack? The score in Vengeance perfectly accentuates every scene and captures the mood every time it plays over the film's images.
 |
| "This jacket belongs to you." *BAM* |
I have convinced myself even further how masterful Vengeance is just while writing this review. I honestly believe that Vengeance is truly one of the greatest action films of all time, it is that good! To takes a generic title and plot about vengeance and turns it into an extremely mature and multi-layered genre picture. From the action scenes, to the performances, to the overwhelming powerful themes of friendship and honor, Vengeance is a tour-de-force of action craftsmanship.
I also highly recommend Johnnie To's 2007 feature Exiled. It makes for a great complement to Vengeance because it tackles similar themes, features many of the same cast members in essentially the same roles (Wong as a bad ass assassin, Suet as a chubby humorous assassin, and Yam as a ridiculously and overly sexual villain), and ups the action sequences found here. Whether you watch just Exiled, just Vengeance, or both, I hope that you come to realize how incredible a filmmaker Johnnie To is and how vastly underrated his cinema is too.
Rating: 10/10 - Need I say more?
No comments:
Post a Comment