Like many of his brethren of the Hong Kong cinema scene of the 1980s and 90s, director John Woo has not had much luck in trying to replicate his success within the Hollywood studio system. It probably boils down to how Tinseltown works. With numerous people wanting to give their “creative” input, a film’s original vision often becomes diluted to the point where it has become completely lost. This probably explains why many actors who came to Hollywood from Hong Kong, like Jackie Chan and Jet Lee, are instead choosing to split their time between the two filmmaking centers- Do a Hollywood film for the paycheck and then a couple of films in Hong Kong for the greater artistic freedom. Woo, however, seems to have forsaken Hollywood completely following the release of the 2003 dud The Paycheck.
Back in Hong Kong, Woo recently has been wowing audiences with the epic, two-part Red Cliff. And while that film is just starting its limited release here in the States, Woo is already hard at work on his next picture, Jianyu Jianghu, which poetically translates as Rain of Swords In The Pugilistic World. Joining Woo as co-director is Su Chao-Bin whose best known films, Silk and Better Than Sex, are only familiar to the art house crowd here in the States.
Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon‘s Michelle Yeoh stars in the film as a retired assassin roused from retirement when she discovers that the group of assassins she used to belong to is coming to kill her and steal something from her possession. She also discovers that her husband is the son of a former victim who may want to talk to her about her former occupation. Our first look at the film is below. Click on each picture for a larger version.
Via Monkey Peaches.
