Woo's Le Samourai?

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by: Dave Davis Oct. 8, 2009

When it comes to major influences, you'll see the name of French filmmaker Jean-Pierre Melville pretty high on the lists of craftsmen such as Quentin Tarantino, Martin Scorsese and mayhem maestro John Woo.

While it's been a number of years since Woo's last Hollywood attempt (um, PAYCHECK), he tells Movieline that he's not yet finished with Tinseltown. In fact, he says he's interested in doing an American remake of Melville's 1967 crime noir masterpiece LE SAMOURAI (one of my own all-time favorite films).

What makes this announcement even more unexpected is that Woo essentially already used the film as the foundation for THE KILLER. The stylish French original starred the striking Alain Delon as a secluded, enigmatic hitman who finds himself the target of tenacious cops, doublecrossing employers and sly killers.

Woo claims he wants to "make it into a modern film", which likely means adding Glocks, cellphones and hi-tech surveillance equipment.

Woo, whose historical epic RED CLIFF arrives on US shores soon, also says he'd be keen on doing a movie about famous explorer and swimming pool game Marco Polo. He's currently working with Michelle Yeoh on the Chinese-language martial arts film JIANYU JIANGHU.

Source: Movieline

Extra Tidbit: Melville's film also heavily informed Luc Besson's LEON and Jim Jarmusch's GHOST DOG.

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FrancoYesca
1:41PM on 10/09/2009 Add as a friend | MFC profile
Put this in the "unnecessary" bin.
Put this in the "unnecessary" bin.
 
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filmguy450
12:55AM on 10/09/2009 Add as a friend | MFC profile
Second Worst Idea Ever!
Woo, who's last good movie ("Face/Off" was 15 years ago) wants to remake a stylish, character driven noir film? Terrible idea. He would want to throw in more action, and it would ruin the point, and since he has been lazy as of late ("Paycheck" anyone?) I have no faith in this.
Woo, who's last good movie ("Face/Off" was 15 years ago) wants to remake a stylish, character driven noir film? Terrible idea. He would want to throw in more action, and it would ruin the point, and since he has been lazy as of late ("Paycheck" anyone?) I have no faith in this.
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casketmouth
4:28PM on 10/12/2009 Add as a friend | MFC profile
if he digs down deep into his past from Killer and Hard Boiled he can pull it off. Both were extremely character driven and action
if he digs down deep into his past from Killer and Hard Boiled he can pull it off. Both were extremely character driven and action
 
Rizwan Khalil
6:06AM on 10/09/2009 Add as a friend | MFC profile
Umm, Red Cliff was F'king AWESOME!
Umm, Red Cliff was F'king AWESOME!
 
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Smiert Spionam
11:37PM on 10/08/2009 Add as a friend | MFC profile
Just saw this film for the first time....
Ugh... yeah, as HoyleHaw mentioned, there isn't a whole lot of action in the original. Its a very character driven piece. I can't see how this could be remade, let alone be done without feeling too similar to the other films that the original inspired....
Ugh... yeah, as HoyleHaw mentioned, there isn't a whole lot of action in the original. Its a very character driven piece. I can't see how this could be remade, let alone be done without feeling too similar to the other films that the original inspired....
 
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ExarKoontz
11:14PM on 10/08/2009 Add as a friend | MFC profile
doves
doves
 
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HoyleHaw
10:57PM on 10/08/2009 Add as a friend | MFC profile
Despite all the movies inspired by it, there is really very little action in Le Samourai, so to have Woo remake it, would that include twin Glocks and slo-mo doves? Or would it be more straight-forward than that?
Despite all the movies inspired by it, there is really very little action in Le Samourai, so to have Woo remake it, would that include twin Glocks and slo-mo doves? Or would it be more straight-forward than that?
 
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MisterChristian
10:38PM on 10/08/2009 Add as a friend | MFC profile
Alain Delon
...everybody loves Alain. Johnnie To's Vengeance stars Johnny Hallyday as Costello, which was the name of Delon's character in Le Samourai. To originally wanted Delon to star in Vengeance, but Delon turned it down.
...everybody loves Alain. Johnnie To's Vengeance stars Johnny Hallyday as Costello, which was the name of Delon's character in Le Samourai. To originally wanted Delon to star in Vengeance, but Delon turned it down.
 
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GioFace
10:36PM on 10/08/2009 Add as a friend | MFC profile
someone call chow yun fat right the fuck now. why haven't woo and chow worked together in america yet?
someone call chow yun fat right the fuck now. why haven't woo and chow worked together in america yet?
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Dave Davis
11:13PM on 10/08/2009 Add as a friend | MFC profile
I think they had a falling out and kind of hate each other now, actually.
I think they had a falling out and kind of hate each other now, actually.