Time Out at 40

John Woo | Sir David Tang | Vivienne Tam

John Woo
The master of heroic bloodshed was a household name in Hong Kong way before he made it big in the Hollywood in the ‘90s. While the concept of heroes is certainly not alien to the man behind such famous flicks as ‘A Better Tomorrow ‘(1986),’ Face/Off ‘(1997) and the historical epic ‘Red Cliff’ (2008), it’s not a title that John Woo would use to describe himself

Can you understand why Time Out Hong Kong would want to name you as one our heroes?
I’ve never seen myself as a hero. Ever since I was young, I’ve been taught to be a responsible person, to try my best in whatever I do. No matter where I am, I strive to make a good movie every time. I’m more of a perfectionist than a hero.

Who do you consider to be a hero then?
Although the heroes in my films tend to be quite romantic figures, in reality I think the real heroes are all the courageous people like nurses, firemen and teachers who help and care about others. Feature continues

How big an inspiration are Hong Kong and its people to you?
Hong Kong is a unique place and it’s been ingrained into us to have a positive attitude and always strive hard. Our experience of fighting for a common goal and overcoming the hardship of the 1950s helped us understand the value of brotherhood.

How would explain the global appeal of your films?
Friendship and loyalty are very big themes for me. I’ve been helped and inspired by many people along the way, and I’ve put all these personal relationships into my films. My central focus is a belief in what the Chinese call the ‘chivalry spirit’. The romanticisation of this feeling gives my films a broad appeal because the sentiment is shared by all cultures.

Your films tend to be large-scale productions these days. Do you ever wish you could just make an experimental arthouse movie?
When I was a student, I was part of a film club. It was just me and a bunch of film buffs but I look back on it as one of the happiest times of my career – we watched arthouse films, made super-8 experimental shorts, and shared our cinema knowledge. Deep down I still feel like I’m making experimental films – even when I’m directing 'Red Cliff' which has a much bigger set and budget!

Your latest film, ‘Red Cliff’ is a historical epic but you’re best known for your fast-paced action movies. What do you think will be your lasting contribution to cinema?
Well, I was the first director to introduce the tradition of double-pistol shooting in action films. One time when I was preparing for a scene in ‘A Better Tomorrow’, where Chow Yun-Fat has to take on a large group of people, I asked Chow to use two pistols at the same time, to produce the musical rhythm of drum beats and the damages of a machine gun. A real hero in my definition doesn’t need to use machine guns. He has more skill than that.

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John Woo | Sir David Tang | Vivienne Tam