Hard Boiled

Metropolitan Films is releasing in France a restored version of John Woo's cult classic, Hard Boiled, offering the chance to rediscover or relive this action masterpiece on the big screen. To see this movie is to discover the source of inspiration for generations of filmmakers like Tarantino, The Wachowski, and Chad Stahelski. John Woo himself draws inspiration from the cinema of Jean-Pierre Melville.

John Woo is a major action filmmaker, with a distinctive cinematic style featuring spectacular action scenes, visual flourishes, and powerful themes. Hard Boiled is considered a pinnacle of gunfight films. It encapsulates the Hong Kong filmmaker's style: ballet-like choreographed shootouts, iconic slow motion, and a frenetic sense of rhythm that never lets the viewer rest. John Woo was revealed with the 1986 film A Better Tomorrw. His talent truly exploded with The Killer. Hard Boiled was his last Hong Kong film before moving to the United States, where he directed films such as Face Off and Mission Impossible 2.

Based on a simple and effective plot, Hard Boiled is a lesson in action directing. The scenes in the restaurant, the warehouse, and the finale at the hospital are always impressive in their mastery and dramatic tension. Hard Boiled is the filmmaker's most edgy, most "raw" film. It's pure energy, fire. Woo's violence is extremely stylized, almost abstract. But it is never trivial: it expresses the moral tragedy of the characters, caught between their duty and their humanity. Honor, loyalty, and betrayal are major themes for the filmmaker.

The film is carried by two of Asia's greatest actors. Chown Yaun-fat (The Killer, Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, Forbidden City) is John Woo's favorite actor. He plays this borderline but loyal cop. Tony Leung (In the Mood for Love, Hero, Infernal Affairs) brings an emotional intensity rare in an action film. Their tandem works perfectly. Anthony Wong plays a cynical and chilling villain. Finally, John Woo himself plays a character in the movie.

This restoration work was carried out by Shout! Studios, using the original 35mm negative. It was a lengthy undertaking due to the film's 2,900 shots and the constraints of manual restoration rather than automatic restoration. Congratulations, the film is now saved. Metropolitan Films, through its HK Films & Video label, has acquired the Golden Princess catalog and will release more than a hundred iconic Hong Kong films in France. Shout! Studio releases the films in the US in its Hong Kong Cinema Classics collection. Go see Hard Boiled, a pinnacle of Hong Kong action cinema that combines action and emotion, a cult film to discover or re-watch on the big screen.

Hard Boiled 4K
Directed by John Woo
Written by Gordon Chan, Barry Wong
Story by John Woo
Produced by Linda Kuk, Terence Chang
Starring Chow Yun-fat, Tony Leung, Teresa Mo, Philip Chan, Philip Kwok, Anthony Wong
Cinematography: Wang Wing-heng
Edited by John Woo, David Wu, Kai Kit-wai, Jack Ah
Music by Michael Gibbs
Production companies: Golden Princess Film Production, Milestone Pictures
Distributed by Golden Princess Film Production (Hong Kong)
Release date: April 16, 1992 (Hong Kong), June 1, 1992 (United States) June 16, 1993 (France)
Running time: 128 minutes

Seen on August 21, 2025 at the Salle Metropolitan

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