Heroic bloodshed
Heroic bloodshed is a genre of Hong Kong action cinema revolving around stylized action sequences and dramatic themes such as brotherhood, duty, honour, redemption and violence.[1][2] The term heroic bloodshed was coined by editor Rick Baker in the magazine Eastern Heroes[3] in the late 1980s, specifically referring to the styles of directors John Woo and Ringo Lam. Baker defined the genre as "a Hong Kong action film that features a lot of gun play and gangsters rather than kung fu. Lots of blood. Lots of action."[4] Woo's film A Better Tomorrow is said to have popularized the genre. Woo has also been a major influence in its continued popularity and evolution in his later works, namely Hard Boiled, A Better Tomorrow 2, and The Killer.[5]
Motifs
Protagonists in these films are often good-willed criminals, typically Triad members, hit men, or thieves with a strict code of ethics, which in some cases leads to the betrayal of their employers and the saving of many intended victims. The police officer with a conscience, who cannot be corrupted in any way, is also common, and is usually modeled after the hardboiled detective. Loyalty, family and brotherhood are the most typical themes of the genre. Heroic bloodshed films generally have a strong emotional angle, not only between, but during action sequences.
Pistols and submachine guns are frequently utilized by the heroes due to the light weight they provide, enabling their wielders to move more quickly. They are frequently dual wielded. The heroes are extremely agile and implement rolls, dives, slides, and falls while they duel, making for a graceful, ballet-like performance in the midst of gunfire.
Heroic bloodshed films often end on a downbeat or tragic note with the main heroes either dead, arrested by the police, or severely incapacitated.
Heroic bloodshed films
- Contraband (1980)
- Long Arm of the Law (1984)
- Hong Kong Godfather (1985)
- A Better Tomorrow (1986)
- Legacy of Rage (1986)
- Above the Law (1986)
- A Better Tomorrow II (1987)
- City on Fire (1987)
- Rich and Famous (1987)
- Tragic Hero (1987)
- The Big Heat (1988)
- Extreme Prejudice (1987)
- A Better Tomorrow III (1989)
- The Killer (1989)
- My Heart is That Eternal Rose (1989)
- All About Ah-Long (1989)
- Bullet in the Head (1990)
- A Moment of Romance (1990)
- Once a Thief (1991)
- Hard Boiled (1992)
- Full Contact (1992)
- Crime Story (1993)
- Hard Target (1993)
- A Moment of Romance II (1993)
- Return to a Better Tomorrow (1994)
- Young and Dangerous (1995)
- Peace Hotel (1995)
- A Moment of Romance III (1996)
- Somebody Up There Likes Me (1996)
- Shanghai Grand (1996)
- Dang Bireley's and Young Gangsters (1997)
- Face/Off (1997)
- Expect the Unexpected (1998)
- The Replacement Killers (1998)
- A Hero Never Dies (1998)
- The Mission (1999)
- Dead or Alive (1999)
- Dead or Alive 2: Birds (2000)
- A War Named Desire (2000)
- Mission Impossible II (2000)
- Fulltime Killer (2001)
- Dead or Alive: Final (2002)
- Infernal Affairs (2002)
- Infernal Affairs II (2003)
- Infernal Affairs III (2003)
- PTU (2003)
- Divergence (2005)
- Dragon Squad (2005)
- The City of Violence (2006)
- Dog Bite Dog (2006)
- Exiled (2006)
- Invisible Target (2007)
- Like a Dragon (2008)
- Beast Stalker (2008)
- Vengeance (2009)
- Drug War (2012)
See also
References
- ↑ Fitzgerald, Martin (2000). Hong Kong's Heroic Bloodshed. Pocket Essentials. ISBN 1-903047-07-2.
- ↑ Davies, Steven Paul (2001). A-Z of Cult Films and Film-Makers. Batsford. p. 26. ISBN 0-7134-8704-6.
- ↑ Logan, Bey (1996). Hong Kong Action Cinema. Overlook Press. p. 191. ISBN 0-87951-663-1.
- ↑ Stokes, Lisa Odham; Michael Hoover (1999). City on Fire: Hong Kong Cinema. Verso. p. 333. ISBN 1-85984-716-1.
- ↑ Morton, Lisa (2001). The Cinema of Tsui Hark. McFarland. p. 62. ISBN 0-7864-0990-8.