***spoilers for all 4 John Wick films below!!!!***
‘ “John Wick. Loving husband.” ‘
Watching this movie is like playing a video game on god mode. Actually, no, because god-mode is boring. This was more like playing a game for the first time, and somehow getting further and further into the story without getting a scratch. And the longer this goes on, the more unbelievable it is, and yet that’s what make it such a thrill – this can’t really be happening, but it is! This fourth installment in the John Wick series finds our favourite suited assassin on the run from the latest emissary of The Table – The Marquis – who is on a mission to kill not just John himself, but the very idea of him.
The action, and this has been true throughout the John Wick series, is perfectly balanced between balletic and brutal. The choreography is faultless, flowing and inventive, yet not afraid to take a breath when we need it. Donnie Yen brings every ounce of his experience and skill to the role of Caine, and Rina Sawayama was impressive as Akira, showing genuine screen presence and willingness to throw herself into the action. She also did an excellent job on the theme-song for the film, Eye for an Eye. The cast are strong throughout, with Laurence Fishburne and Ian McShane returning with casual brillance to their roles of The Bowery King and Winston, respectively.
The cinematography is similarly spectacular. That breath-taking, birds-eye sequence inside the abandoned Paris apartment; John’s run-in with the locals in the Champs-Elyssee traffic; that absolutely heart pounding, heart wrenching climb up the steps to the Sacre-Coeure. I needed a nap after watching this. And the suits in this movie! I’m not sure if this is some Peaky-Blinders effect, but everyone in this film is astonishingly well turned-out. Even the henchmen are suited and booted. Though the Marquis, not surprisingly, has the pick of the bunch.
With its portrayal of violence, the film does an wonderful job of having its cake and eating it. Yes – it’s highly-choreographed. Yes – it’s unbelievable, almost to the point of absurdity. Yes – it’s baroque and self-indulgent. But violence itself is all of these things: self-aggrandising, bombastic, both too-complex and too-simple at the same time. The story is very deliberate, and exceptionally precise, in the way it presents these elements. Of course, you’re more than welcome to switch off your brain and simply watch the fur fly, but this film and its predecessors are too intelligent and too full of intention to be dismissed as just dumb action. This film has a lot to say about friendship, loyalty, autonomy and the nature of violence itself.
Whatever the nay-sayers say, the violence here really does look like it hurts. John spends half this film getting hit, shot, slashed and stabbed-at, then picking himself up off the ground. He isn’t a super hero. Just a man of will. Perhaps that’s all violence is. A willingness to do whatever is takes to make the other person bleed. Or die. Which means taking hits yourself as well. How much punishment will you endure in order to punish someone else? The idea ripples through Keanu Reeve’s perfectly understated, ego-free performance. He shares a lot of screen time with other characters; always happy to let other people do the talking and the deal-making. But that leads to the question: how much free-will does John have? Is he just a victim of circumstance. Or someone who made bad choices? Is he a moral man? Should we feel for him? What does he really want, after all?
The main criticism of action movies is that they use violence as a means to solve problems. But, it’s worth pointing out that the high point of John’s life – as we have seen it – is his dead wife sending him a puppy. Because – and these films are very, very clear about this – violence only begets more violence. By the end of the first John Wick movie, John is drawn back into a world of death and violence he spent years trying to escape. And his wife remains just as dead as ever. By the end of John Wick 2, his quest for vengeance has left him with nothing but a price on his head. John Wick 3: Parabellum concludes with John getting shot and left for dead by one of the few friends he had left in the world. Every choice John made has pushed him further on an endless downward spiral, hurting himself and anyone who comes into contact with him. Violence is this world has consequences.
Consequences. Poor John. Is he really dead? At first I thought not – this is John Wick! But, then, wasn’t the whole film really just him saying goodbye? I realised only afterwards that when John asks Winston ‘Will you take me home?’, he isn’t asking for a lift. He is telling Winston where he wants to be buried. And the more you look back on what you’ve just seen, the more inevitable John’s death becomes. Caine is a wonder, but there’s no way a blind man could out-shoot John Wick. John wanted Caine to live, and to maybe get a shot at the Marquis while he was at it. We should have known from the start, from that very first scene. John alone. Fixed single-mindedly on violence. Is the King bringing John his work suit? Or his burial suit? It is the tragedy of John Wick that they are one and the same. I make my home be my gallows.
Perhaps John was only ever fighting to die on his own terms. Fighting so that in dying well, he could perhaps redeem a life that was not well lived. Ultimately, John accepted the consequences of his actions. No longer hunted or – more importantly, a hunter – John dies a free man, and in so doing frees others. Whether you think his death is actual or just metaphorical, there can be no doubt that our John is finally at rest.
What did you think? Do you think watching or not watching the first three movies would affect enjoyment of this one? Would you like to see a sequel/prequel? Do you know where the Marquis got his suits from? As ever, let me know!
SkellBox 