The_Film_That_Changed_My_Life

218 John Woo
Scorsese’s violence is usually very quick and bloody. But your violence,
like you say, is like dancing. It’s slow motion, a stylistic thing. So
how do you come to use music the same way, even though the action
is very different?
Woo: I think we have the same idea of using music. Of course, I got the
inspiration from his movies, but that thing is—my kind of violence or
action, I try to make it a little more romantic. But sometimes I try to get
the message out from the action scenes. In Face/Off, I was using a bloody
shoot-out scene set to music as an antiviolence message. In some of my
Hong Kong movies, sometimes I was using music to qualify the behavior.
But I got other things from Martin Scorsese films, like the way he uses
slow motion. He only uses a little slow motion in a dramatic moment, so I
use that skill in some of my drama sequences.
When I watch a Scorsese movie, every movie has some kind of a new
experiment. Even when I watched Casino, and the way he was using the
camera work, it was amazing.
I can see why you’re drawn to Scorsese, because you guys have many
of the same themes. Scorsese, especially in Mean Streets, uses a lot of
Catholic imagery—almost the exact same imagery you use in your
films. But the difference is: he’s Catholic, you’re Lutheran. How do you
reconcile the use of Catholic imagery?
Woo: Well, in the opening of Mean Streets, we see Charlie—Harvey Keitel—
going into a Catholic church. He goes to confession, and that scene was
always in my mind. Because I loved Scorsese movies so much, I love to use
the Catholic church in my movies. And I can tell you honestly [laughing],
I wanted to be a Catholic. After high school, I really wanted to be a Catholic—because
I loved the songs. I love the hymns, they are so beautiful. So
sometimes I use the songs in my movies. To tell you the truth, it’s because of
Mean Streets and the parade scene and the scene in the church.
Are you telling me that Martin Scorsese almost made you a Catholic?
Woo: Well . . . [laughs]
Tell me about the first time you met Scorsese.