Face/Off

Face/Off (1997), directed by John Woo

John Woo's American films have steadily increased in quality. The Hong Kong native's first English-language vanture, Hard Target was a Van Damme vehicle, an updating of "The Most Dangerous Game." Last year's Broken Arrow was a popular hit, but received critically mixed reception. Face/Off, however, is a minor masterpiece. Besides providing numerous opportunities for violent setpieces (including a plane chase and numerous boat collisions) this film features psychological motivation, actual human characters instead of stick figures, and an improved hero. Woo has evidently been moving up the Hollywood Hero food chain: from Van Damme to Christian Slate to Nicolas Cage. Cage is definitely an improvement over his stick forbears.

By now, everybody knows the plot: FBI agent and homicidal maniac trade faces. Some reviews (really missing the point) complain about this as unrealistic. Let it be said, though, that as a plot device, it works magnificently. Not only do Cage and John Travolta get to take on each other's tics, but the trade also give a new perspective on all the characters: we see prison guards and FBI agents as evil murderers, and drug dealers as good. When the feds shoot out a drug dealer's (Nick Cassavetes) home, we cheer for the "evil" to defeat the good, even when we cheered for the exact reverse an hour earlier.

John Woo is masterful in his direction of action sequences. His violence is stylized, stylish, and flamboyant in the tradition of the best directors (Peckinpah, Leone, Penn). Woo's homages to other action films include the Mexican standoff to end all standoffs. Unlike other action films, Woo does not make the viewer revel in the violence. Instead, one sees the violence as deplorable, and the many deaths as a horrible waste. The best example of this is a scene choreographed to "Over the Rainbow." Though the thought of so much mayhem accompanied by one of the most beloved songs of all time sounds off-putting on paper, on film it was both suspenseful, exciting, and moving.

"Moving" is a reward to use with action films, but here it is appropriate. Both Sean Archer and Castor Troy suffer movingly from the consequences of their actions. Both of them take advantage of their new situation, and both of them hate their fates and faces.

This is the best American film of the year so far: unfortunately, as an action film, it has not chance of award nominations. Nevertheless, an excellent film all around.