Silent Night – A Legend Returns With A Silent Bang (Early Review)

John Woo is a name synonymous with the action genre. Arguably the greatest action director of all time, he is certainly also one of its most influential. His highly-stylized blend of operatic violence and melodrama influenced just about any American action film since the 1990s, from The Matrix to John Wick. Seen a film where character are dual wielding pistols in slow motion? Thank Woo for that. After a decade of hits in Hong Kong, Woo transitioned to Hollywood in 1993 with films such as, Hard Target, Face/Off, and Mission Impossible II. His American films, while slightly watered down from his Hong Kong work, have proved successful for a while but by the turn of the millennium, his career had hit the rocks. As a result, in 2003, Woo unceremoniously left Hollywood and moved back to China to continue making films. Now, 20 years later, Woo sort of makes his return to English language films with Silent Night, a no language film that’s entirely dialogue-free.

On Christmas Eve, Godlock (Kinnaman) and his young son are caught in the crossfire of an L.A. gang war. As his son dies in his arms, Godlock is shot in the throat, rendering him mute. As he recovers from his wounds, he begins to plan for next Christmas where he can enact his revenge. Silent Night starts with a surprisingly patient and moody pace, showing the aftermath of the incident and Godlock’s elaborate preparation of his plan. Though ultimately, he is a just a regular guy and far from a one-man killing machine. Therefore, it took some work to get there as audiences are treated to every step of that journey. Combined with the melodramatic flashbacks of his son (extra emphasis on melodrama) will likely test the patience of audiences past a certain point as they anxiously await the action, they serve to make the subsequent bloodshed feel more believable.

The saying is that you can’t teach an old dog new tricks, but that saying definitely does not apply to Woo, who even at 77 is still trying to innovate and experiment within his style. As a whole, the film takes on a more grounded approach to its action, so those expecting the usual fireworks from Woo might be a little surprised. The Woo melodrama and morality play is still very much on display but with a more solemn atmosphere looming over the action, playing more like a tragedy than the heroic bloodshed he’s more known for. Now that’s not to say the action isn’t entertaining to watch. While its grounded approach makes for a respectable change, it’s hard to not have wanted more of that classic Woo style. Though it’s wrong to judge films for what they aren’t but in terms of the action, while very good, is not as spectacular and mind-meltingly awesome as most are surely accustomed to seeing from Mr. Woo.

As mentioned, the one thing holding the film back from greater heights is that slower first act. It simply delivers too much set up and essentially too much of everything else, and while still somewhat engaging, many will simply be left feeling a little fidgety while waiting for the ball to get rolling. Due to the film’s lack of dialogue, it has to make up for it with visual storytelling, employing lots of flashy tricks and transitions. Examples include reflections off of the balls of a Newton’s cradle, bullet holes in objects, and walking into a cold, dead room that springs to life with golden sunshine peering in as the memories of people appearing next to Godlock, all in one seamless camera move. Woo’s direction remains technically proficient and stylish to sell the film’s premise through inventive ways to deliver exposition. That being said, his visual language is strong enough to convey the story without those concessions but it’s easy to understand why they are there.

While Silent Night doesn’t quite reach the heights of Woo’s classics and isn’t quite a full return to form, the film still provides ample entertainment and should please fans of the legendary director. In the end, one will know whether or not it is for them based on their reaction when its trailer proclaimed the return of John Woo. Recommended for action diehards only, those on the fence are probably best served to wait for streaming and catch up on some classic Woo in the meantime. May we recommend Hard Boiled and Face/Off?

Alex Josevski

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