Heroic Bloodshed
Heroic Bloodshed or Hong Kong Blood Opera ( HKBO ) is a sub-genre of the action film that was made in Hong Kong . It is about stylized action sequences and common themes such as brotherhood, honor and violence. Other predominant themes are the liberation or rescue of the main character. The term Heroic Bloodshed was coined by the British fanzine editor Rick Baker in the late 1980s, with express reference to the styles of directors John Woo and Ringo Lam . The Chinese title of John Woo's film The Killer is translated bloodshed two heroes ( Bloodshed of Two Heroes ).
In heroic bloodshed films, sentimental stories are combined with operatic violence. The action in these films is rhythmic and acrobatic, and the stories are usually about assassins or other contract killers.
Americanization
When John Woo entered the American market, several films were made in the style of these blood operas. First he made In The Body of the Enemy , a film starring John Travolta and Nicolas Cage , which received very positive reviews. John Woo also directed Mission: Impossible II , the sequel to Brian De Palma's Mission: Impossible . Many denounced John Woo's American films, which were viewed as inferior to his Hong Kong films, possibly due to restrictions on his direction and choreography.
Heroic Bloodshed Films
Chinese
- A Better Tomorrow (1986)
- A Better Tomorrow II (1987)
- A Better Tomorrow III '' (1989)
- A Moment of Romance (1990)
- A War Named Desire (2000)
- As Tears Go By (1988)
- Bullet in the Head (1990)
- City on Fire (1987)
- City War (1988)
- Exiled (2006)
- Full Contact (1993)
- Fulltime Killer (2001)
- Hard Boiled (1992)
- Legacy of Rage (1986)
- Long Arm of the Law (1984)
- Long Arm of the Law 2 (1987)
- My Heart is that Eternal Rose (1989)
- On The Run (1988)
- Peace Hotel (1995)
- Bullet for Hire (1991)
- Return Engagement (1990)
- Rich and Famous (1987)
- School on Fire (1989)
- Sworn Brothers (1987)
- The Big Heat (1988)
- The Club (1981)
- The Killer (1989)
- Underground Express (1990)
- Young & Dangerous series (1996-2000)
American
- Desperado (1995)
- The Replacement Killers (1998)
- The Corruptor (1999)
- The Boondock Saints (1999)
- John Wick (2014)
- John Wick: Chapter 2 (2017)
- Matrix (1999)
- Matrix Reloaded (2003)
- Matrix Revolutions (2003)
- Shoot 'Em Up (2007)
South Korean
- A Bittersweet Life (2005)
- Scent of a Man (1998)
Other
- Crying Freeman (1995)
- Brother (2000)
Details
- The main characters of these films are mostly good-natured hired killers with a strong sense of morality, which in some cases leads to the betrayal of the killer by his employer and the rescue of many possible victims or sincere police officers who cannot be corrupted in any way.
- Pistols and semi-automatic weapons are often used by the heroes because of the greater freedom of movement. Often two weapons are used at the same time.
- Extras are extremely small characters, mostly villains, who are killed very quickly. They are terrible figures and only serve to increase the hero's body count . The extras use all kinds of weapons, from knives and rocket launchers to motorcycles.
- The heroes in these films are extremely agile and perform all kinds of acrobatic jumps, wall runs, rolls and falls while fighting to create a graceful, ballet-like portrayal in the midst of the firefights.
- Doves are a tradition in John Woo's films and symbolize the purity of the soul. They are especially prominent in The Killer , Tough Targets , In Enemy Body, and Mission: Impossible II .
- The bosses of the brutal gangs are usually portrayed as nearly invulnerable to the point where they murder the main character. Then some other character will come and give the boss his fair punishment.
- The main villains are usually dressed in white at the final showdown , which further accentuates the blood of their wounds.
Individual evidence
- ^ Althammer, Andreas: Definition and history of the action subgenre Heroic Bloodshed, Chapter 2: Definition of the Heroic Bloodshed genre