The Killer (1989) ****

It's been 12 years (to the day!) since I last watched The Killer (1989), John Woo's breakout film and arguably his most influential. I saw the The Killer before I saw Jean-Pierre Melville's Le Samouraï (1967) (review) but once I saw the latter film, it was easy to spot the acknowledged influence that it had on Woo. The action master's trademarks are all on display here: slow motion violence as ballet, endless guns and bullets, stupefying stunts, a healthy dose of explosions, and—for the first time—the dove symbolism. Though I slightly prefer Hard Boiled (1992) (which I'm long overdue to revisit) for its nonstop thrills and Hard Target (1993) (review) is more entertaining in a less soul-searching style, The Killer remains a tragic melodramatic bromance classic.

John Woo Feature Films Ranked