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December 1998

The Killer (Criterion)
Reviewed by Roger Kanno
DVD Format

Overall Enjoyment: ****
Picture Quality: ****
Sound Quality: ***
Packaged Extras: ***

Starring Chow Yun-Fat, Danny Lee, and Sally Yeh

Directed by John Woo

Theatrical Release: 1989
DVD Release: 1998
Mono
Widescreen


The Killer combines all of John Woo’s trademark techniques -- slow-motion camera pans, extreme close-ups, sentimental music, and more two-fisted, automatic-gun-slinging action than you can shake a stick at. Add to this an overindulgence of melodrama plus a tragic story line and the result is a Hong Kong action classic. It is arguably Woo’s finest film.

The Killer stars Chow Yun-Fat as Jeff, an assassin who falls in love with a woman played by Sally Yeh whom he accidentally blinds during one of his hits. He plans on accepting one final job to pay for surgery to restore Yeh’s eyesight and leave behind the violence and betrayal of his life as an assassin. Danny Lee gives an excellent performance as the cop relentlessly pursuing Jeff. However, as the cop learns more about Jeff, he begins to admire the killer’s compassion and integrity and is inexplicably drawn to him.

The stark imagery and tragic elements of the film define it as one of Woo's best. The interior shots of a church lit with hundreds of candles and the slow-motion close-ups of Chow Yun-Fat are examples of Woo’s direction at its finest. Although the meticulously choreographed gun fights and high body counts are also there, it is Woo's innovative camera work and editing that give The Killer its distinctive look and feel. In one scene, the contrast of tranquil interior shots of the church juxtaposed with scenes of a violent beating is as repellent as it is mesmerizing.

The video transfer was made from a new low-contrast print approved by Woo himself. Although the picture is slightly soft and some minor scratches and grain are evident, the overall transfer is quite good. Dark scenes exhibit good shadow detail, and colors are well saturated and vibrant, as in Chapter 10: "The Dragon Boat Festival." The entire DVD has a satisfying filmlike quality.

The audio on this disc is credited as mono, but plays back in stereo, and the quality is better than you might expect. The main flaws with the soundtrack are foley effects that sometimes sound harsh, and loud effects such as explosions that tend to distort. Music plays an important role in this film, and the score, although somewhat sentimental, is effective and well recorded. In particular, the song performed by Sally Yeh's character during the opening scene of the film is memorable and sets a tragic tone.

The extras included with this DVD consist of deleted scenes, the theatrical trailer, and audio commentary by Woo and producer Terence Chang. Although there are many silent breaks in the audio commentary, it is informative and interesting. Woo provides insight into his directing techniques and describes how other directors have influenced his style.

Ultimately, The Killer succeeds because of the interplay between Chow and Lee. While earlier Woo films such as A Better Tomorrow and A Better Tomorrow 2 featured engaging story lines and dizzying action, they lacked a strong supporting character for Chow Yun-Fat. Lee's performance opposite Chow adds another dimension to this film that was not always present in Woo’s earlier works.

The Criterion Collection of DVDs is described as a "continuing series of classic and important contemporary films" that includes films by Fellini, Kurosawa, Bergman and two by Woo, The Killer and Hard Boiled. While Woo has not achieved the status of these other filmmakers, he has had a profound effect on filmmaking in Hong Kong and is beginning to make his presence felt in Hollywood with films such as Broken Arrow, Face/Off, and the upcoming Mission Impossible 2. Although the melodrama and overblown, stylized action of The Killer may not suit the tastes of everyone, it is an important film by an important director.

The Criterion edition of The Killer represents the definitive version of this film. Hidden beneath the cinematic hyperbole and melodrama is a simple and tragic story of a man who just wants a better life for himself and the woman he loves. Although this DVD has neither reference-quality picture nor sound, it is a disc that will certainly appeal to fans of this genre and it is a worthy addition to the Criterion Collection.


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