THE KILLER
DIP HUET SEUNG HUNG
1989,
110 min,
Hong Kong,
Dir: John Woo
The film that put John Woo on the international map, and almost single-handedly redefined the style, pace (and body count) of the modern gangster film. Sensitive, honorable hitman Chow Yun-Fat accidentally blinds singer Sally Yeh in a nightclub shootout, then falls in love with her. Rule-breaking cop Danny Lee, hot on Chow's trail, forms an uneasy alliance with the killer when gonzo gang boss Fui-On Shing goes ballistic, trying to take them all out in an escalating series of gloriously operatic gun battles, punctuated by white doves, swirling pop music and Chow’s impossibly cool demeanor.