Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: FRIDAY, August 20, 1993 TAG: 9308220017
SECTION: EXTRA PAGE: 1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: Mike Mayo Correspondent
DATELINE: WASHINGTOON LENGTH: Medium
The film starring Jean-Claude Van Damme is a violent, loud, fast-paced retelling of "The Most Dangerous Game." But its creator, who's out on the promotional tour now, is low-keyed, with a gravelly voice and deferential manner. He speaks in clear, accented English and hesitates only when he's trying to describe psychological or philosophical concepts. Even there, he has found that movies have their own language to communicate ideas.
In his hometown of Hong Kong, Woo is a respected filmmaker with an impressive record of hits with viewers and with critics. He began work there in 1969, first with low-budget martial arts movies, and he moved up in the thriving local industry.
As his films became more ambitious, his reputation grew. Films like "A Better Tomorrow" and "Hard Boiled" attracted attention beyond the local Hong Kong audience. Then earlier this year, "The Killer" achieved genuine cult status in this country. Imitation being Hollywood's favorite form of praise, that wild shoot-'em-up is now being remade with Richard Gere in the lead.
At 46, Woo himself is about to prove that his innovative approach to action can cross national borders.
His interest in movies began - as it did for most fans - as a child. Woo's family left China in 1950, and he grew up in the Hong Kong slums. He said that the riots he witnessed there had a strong and lasting impact on him. But it wasn't until he joined a local film society and discovered the wealth of American movies - from Martin Scorsese, Sam Peckinpah and Sam Fuller to Fred Astaire, Gene Kelly and Bob Fosse - that he realized what he wanted to do.
Their influences are evident in Woo's work, but he has used them to create his own vision combining elements of Western action, the Oriental tradition he calls "martial chivalry" and his own Christianity. Despite their graphic violence, his films have a strong spiritual side that separates them from run-of-the- mill exploitation.
Still, the content is so graphic that Woo has always faced problems with regulatory boards. "In Hong Kong," he said, "everybody knows me at the censorship board, and they give me a lot of respect. They also realize that my kind of action and violence is very artistic. So if there's any problem with a certain scene, they'll give me a certain point where to cut.
"They are also concerned about doing the cut without hurting the movie. For example, for a certain scene if a character kills a guy with 10 bullets, well, the censor will ask me, `John, if you could cut out three bullets . . . ' or in another scene if you could cut down the sound effects . . . ' "
Those problems followed him to this country, but the MPAA ratings board gave him no guidance. It took seven tries before "Hard Target" got an R rating. Woo had similar problems communicating with his American crew, though he had nothing but the highest praise for them.
He had trouble describing one long tracking shot to Russell Carpenter, his director of photography. After Woo had gone through the technical translations of what he was looking for, he finally said he wanted "a Scorsese shot," and Carpenter knew exactly what he meant.
The same was true with a fine little set piece in which villain Lance Hendriksen plays a Beethoven sonata on the piano. The shot has no meaning in terms of plot, but it tells you everything about the character and it had to be just right, so Woo told the lighting man that he wanted it to look like Kubrick's "The Shining." Again, that was enough to make his point.
The emotions that those such cinematic moments can evoke are universal. They've touched audiences in Roanoke and Rangoon. Woo is betting that Hollywood, which was established by European immigrants, is ready to accept another from the East. With the Chinese government set to take over Hong Kong in 1997, he has moved his family to this country and plans to continue his career here.
Considering the current uproar over violence on screen, with politicians, preachers and activists of every persuasion calling for change, his timing may be off. Woo's films will probably cause more controversy, though he doesn't see it that way. "The audience can realize that the movie is a movie," he says, "The real life is real life."
That certainly won't quiet the opponents of screen action, but, so what? In the entertainment business, controversy can be synonymous with publicity. If Woo's enthusiasm and experience can be combined with American technical expertise in the right way, moviegoers will see something new and exciting.
That'll bring them into the theaters every time.
by CNB