John Woo is currently focussing on Flying Tigers, his 1940 aerial epic about fighter pilot Claire Le Chennault, who taught the Chinese to fly before they took on the Japanese in WWII. But while he targets Liam Neeson for the lead role in his $90m IMAX blockbuster, the director is also looking at doing something even more dramatic: remaking his own movie The Killer, and Le Samourai.
Talking to Variety, Woo detailed his plans to rework his 1989 action movie The Killer, which sees Chow Yun-Fat as an assassin who accidentally damages a female singer's eyes. Having a sudden pang of conscience, he decides to take one last job to help fund the expensive operation to save her eyesight. As the couple begin to fall in love, a police detective starts chasing down the assassin - and the two soon become friends.
Cementing Woo's status outside of his own country, The Killer not only helped the helmer make the jump to Hollywood (and, eventually, Face/Off) but influenced later action directors like Tarantino and Johnnie To. It also featured fun nicknames like "Mickey Mouse" and "Dumbo" for those of the subtitled persuasion. With its over-the-top action, use of white pigeons and wonderfully bloody violence, The Killer is pretty much perfect the way it is. Remaking it is kind of pointless.
But even worse than that is to plan a remake of Le Samourai. Jean-Pierre Melville's 1967 classic (nay, masterpiece) is a work that should never be touched by anyone, Face/Off or otherwise. The tale of solitary hitman Jef Costello has such style and beauty that to even think of remaking it is a crime against cinema. A blend of samurai, gangster and noir traditions, Melville's philosophical thriller is one of the most influential movies in the genre. The Killer was actually Woo's tribute to it in many ways. Although Le Samourai has something Woo's movie never did: Alain Delon wearing the sexiest hat in the world.
Woo also spoke to Variety about his desire to make a musical (he almost directed Phantom of the Opera), his thoughts about a Kurosawa homage, and his aim to not retire anytime soon. Given the mojo he got back from making Red Cliff, that's no bad thing.
It honestly is great that a legend such as The Woo is still making new movies. But if he goes near Le Samourai, I'll blast the guy through a wall with his own shotgun. In slow-motion. And then throw a pigeon at him.
