Description
Book SynopsisOriginally a Hong Kong-based director, John Woo is now considered one of the ten most successful directors working in American films, receiving world-wide attention for his highly stylized violence in films such as The Killer (1989), Hard-Boiled (1992), Face/Off (1997), and Mission Impossible 2 (2000). While Woo is widely regarded as a master action director, scant attention has been paid to the manner in which Woo''s films reflect the director''s religious and ethical concerns. Through an examination of representative films from the director''s Hong Kong and American periods, Michael Bliss demonstrates that Woo should be regarded as a predominantly religious director, in whose films action is the vehicle by virtue of which a concern with spirituality is dramatized. Contains a chapter on Chinese opera tradition as relates to Woo''s films, an exclusive interview with John Woo, and a complete filmography.
Table of ContentsChapter 1 Preface Chapter 2 Introduction Chapter 3 1 The Grand Nature of Chinese Opera Chapter 4 2 Bearing with Violence Chapter 5 3 Kept Promises Chapter 6 4 A Study in Vision Chapter 7 5 Growing Up Criminal Chapter 8 6 Shaken and Stirred Chapter 9 7 An American Trio Chapter 10 8 Simply Impossible Chapter 11 Appendix Chapter 12 Filmography Chapter 13 Index Chapter 14 About the Author
