A BETTER TOMORROW (1986)
John Woo’s first foray into ‘heroic bloodshed’, might be considered low-key in comparison to his later, more pyrotechnical, films. But the movie has something; a certain immediacy, an undeniable cool factor that’s obvious right away. Releasing in an explosion of new ideas, months after both Police Story and Yes Madam, there’s just a kind of magic about it thanks to a combination of wardrobe choices, editing, and music. While the (highly entertaining) sequel is an outrageous affair with a gigantic body count and a verbal tirade about a plate of rice, the first chapter is less about spectacle and melodrama. So let’s go back the original classic; it’s A Better Tomorrow.
