I want to talk
about the film ‘The Killer’. It is a classic Hong Kong gunfight film. It
described a story between a killer and a cop. The story is very exciting. The
cop made friend with the killer. They jointly wiped out gang. However, the killer unfortunately
sacrificed. He can’t even use his cornea to restore his lover’s sight. The
ending of film is so sad. I have to say ‘I don’t like this film’s ending’. I
always like the film that has a good ending. But this is one of my favorite movies.
I like this film’s gunfight scene. It’s really cool.
This film was directed by John Woo. He is my favorite director. I like his many
films such as Broken Arrow and Face Off. Their stories are exciting as same as
The Killer. John Woo uses violence aesthetics in these films. He
is a representative person to use this kind of film treatment. He uses violence
aesthetics to enhance the film's appreciation. His many films prove that this
kind of film treatment is successful. It can show the film’s deeper connotations.
I think the film is not the purely commercial product. It is also a kind of manifestations
of art. So the violence aesthetics also shows the deeper artistic connotations.
And you can feel that from John Woo’s films.
The most interesting thing about violence aesthetics is
violence. Violence and art looks
seem to be antithetical. But John Woo’s film is a perfect blend of violence and
art. There are some reasons about this kind of film treatment called violence
aesthetics. Violence represents cruelty in people’s mind. People usually think violent
movies have a bad effect on them. They think violent movies can’t act as the
audience ethical tutor. It can’t educate audience how to make a moral judgment.
And it is easier to make people impulse. And even some people maybe get psychological
distortions. But violence aesthetics focuses on aesthetic, rather than the
violence. Audiences will not only pay attention to the violent scene when they
are watching violent movies. They can get aesthetic pleasure from violent
senses and thus they will ignore violence. Violent movie always shows people
curb violence with violence. We know this is not the best way to curb violence.
But it also is the quest for power in human’s mind. I think it can become a means
of self-protection if used properly. So violence aesthetics can content people's
psychological needs.
John Woo’s film is a classic manifestation of violence
aesthetics. He uses many things to show violence aesthetics in the film. In his
film, the lead role is always good and evil person. They have to comply with
brotherhood and moral arena. Maybe they are not good people in universal
significance. But you can find the beauty within humanity from them. So we can
feel the killer that he is a good people in the film. And when the killer and
the cop jointly wiped out gang, those violent scenes show their profound
friendship. It obviously weakens the violent part of film. I think the lead
roles show a kind of chivalrous
spirit. When they are facing to death, they still can show their dauntless
spirit. So I adore the two main characters in the film. It’s
about manifestation of characters.
Action is also important for his film. I find some regularity in his film. You
often see some action scenes in his film. For example, the gunman leaps and
shoots in the air. These senses look like dance. It’s the aesthetic feeling of
dynamic. John Woo wants to pursue this kind of aesthetic feeling so he uses slow
motion to show these action senses. It makes the fight scenes more rhythm. Another
thing is dove. It’s another thing that we can often see in his movie. Dove is a
very important thing for John Woo to show violence aesthetics. Dove represents
peace. It’s a beautiful thing. But it always appears in fight scenes. Violence
and Peace looks seem to be
antithetical. And you can find that the last fight scene happens in a church.
The church is a holy place. It’s also a beautiful thing. John Woo wants to add beauty
elements in the film. He tries to glorify violence and turn the violence into the aesthetics.
So violence aesthetics’ main point is adding beautiful things
in violent films. The beauty within humanity from the characters, dove and
church is both beautiful things. They weaken the violent part of film. This makes the audience will
not disgust violent scenes.
I think John Woo wants to pursue a kind of artistic conception. Those
beautiful things are not only the simple
manifestations of beauty. It’s not only the form of beauty. There is an ideal
world in his mind. The characters curb violence with violence. They want to use
violence to achieve good wish. So violence is not a real bad thing in this
ideal world. It’s just a tool. You have to use this tool to get good ending. I
believe most of people look forward to seeing the good ending in the film.
In the end, I want to talk about the sound of this film. You
can hear much classic background music. The music was used in other Hong Kong
action films. They can make fight scenes more exciting. In John Woo’s film, you
can hear many kinds of sound such as bullet was fired, many things were broken
or collapsed, people injured. The sound renders the violent scenes. It also
enhances the visual impact. It makes people feel impassioned. Audience will
think they are on the site of scene when they are watching the film.
So character of the lead roles, glorify
violent scenes, background music is three elements of John Woo’s violence
aesthetics.
