Silent Night Movie Review: The master of Hong Kong action cinema, author of The Killer and Face/Off has returned to Hollywood, directing an adrenaline-filled, crazy, bizarre, Christmassy, and bloody action race halfway between John Wick, Crank: High Voltage, and The Raid
The last time we saw John Woo dealing with the Hollywood production system, nothing, or almost nothing seemed to have gone right. In fact, in 2003, adapting the story by Philip K. Dick, Pension, Woo did not succeed in his intentions, despite having an almost stellar cast, which involved names such as Ben Affleck, Paul Giamatti, Uma Thurman, Michael C. Hall, Aaron Eckhart and not only that, Paycheck is surprisingly a forgettable title and certainly not up to the caliber of its author, surprising everyone a bit. 20 years later, Woo returns to Hollywood, directing Silent Night, a Christmas action/thriller, in the footsteps of John Wick, Crank: High Voltage, and... The Raid.
Yet another case of an action film with a troubled genesis and potentially fatal production problems for its success, Silent Night has finally reached us, being released in cinemas starting from Thursday 30 November, distributed by Plaion Pictures.
Silent Night Movie, John Woo… is coming to town! – A cinema that looks at today and yesterday
That John Woo's cinema was destined to change, given the unstoppable evolution of a certain Hollywood action cinema - and not only - seemed inevitable, and yet, a lot of the Hong Kong author remained unchanged.
In fact, although the film in question has very little to do with Woo's previous American titles, with a much more substantial production structure, therefore freer on the one hand, in terms of encroachment into the use of VFX and less with respect to issues creative, Silent Night somehow manages to retrace the stages of a cinematography that has always exalted the spectacular and "high" dimension of violent action, elevating it to a true dance of death, without ever sacrificing the dramaturgical construction, both of the characters, how much of the plot.
At first glance, however, Silent Night seems to renounce a real narrative construction, as a function of an initially destabilizing shooter logic, albeit adrenaline-filled and bloody and capable only during the evolution of the film of truly conquering the spectator, involving him more and more between cinematographic references and incredible action sequences, which we could never have found anywhere else, if not exclusively in the cinematography of an undisputed master like John Woo, sooner or later we realize that it is not the strength of the dialogue that carries out a dramaturgical function, rather that of the image, which is why here the editing, as expected, is the protagonist, as much as the man with no name eager for revenge played by Joel Kinnaman.
Searching secretly for the replacement - complex for any one - of The Crystal Trap, the title par excellence of action cinematography with a Christmas background, Silent Night among now withered Christmas trees, crumpled and never unwrapped gift packages, and musical compilations that act as contrast and accompaniment to real and its own massacres and explosions of violence, not only becomes one of the funniest and most atmospheric films of that genre, but it even manages to result in an intelligent rereading, capable of looking at the evolutions of the present, remaining deeply anchored to the solid cinematography of a past not yet obscured.
Silent Night – The silence of revenge: evaluation and conclusion
Among the raw, adrenaline-filled, dirty and incorrect frenzy of the franchise, Crank: High Voltage, the high, spectacular and directorically impeccable dimension of violence in general and more specifically of assassination as one of the fine arts, typical of John Wick and beyond, and the claustrophobic darkness of The Raid, John Woo's 34th feature film as director, without however proving to be a memorable cinematic work to return to and watch, in the hope of finding a point of no return, destined to teach, entertain and it entertains and these days, considered a more than varied and in most cases forgettable production, again in terms of action cinema, it is a true miracle.
No longer sophisticated killers with infallible aim and the perfect and ingenious orchestration of revenge, but rather men in the throes of anger, destroyed by pain and eager to leave this world, since deprived of the only reason for living, they can do nothing but take up their weapons and commit themselves, so that at least a little of the rottenness disappears in their company. Joel Kinnaman as an interpretive body and face perfectly embodies this narrative instance and observing him in action, directed by John Woo, is in all respects a cinematic experience of unquestionable value.
Silent Night – The Silence of Revenge will be released in cinemas starting from Thursday 30 November 2023, distributed by Plaion Pictures.