365 Movies Day #110 "Bangkok Dangerous"

If you saw the Nicholas Cage version and didn't like it, don't worry, this film really only has the name in common. In fact, I'm pretty sure the remake pulled everything that was creative or touching out of the original and left the rest in...
A pet peeve of mine is the need to remake foreign films as if an American actor and a Hollywood director will truly make the film better. Sad times indeed.

But enough ranting on my part, this film rounds out the 10 modern Asian flicks I promised. There will be more, but this was a little streak I decided to do. Basically, this film is about a deaf/mute (Kong) who ends up, through a series of events, becoming a deadly hitman. However, the film has a very human side to it that I won't ruin for you.

Some of the shot sequences in this were stunningly original. The director played off of the lead's handicap and leaves you standing in his shoes during key moments. Watch for an awesome lizard-eye view shot and some really creative uses of camera, color and sound to help make this low budget film seem larger than it is. There are really a lot of moments in this film that should be studied by indy filmmakers. Another great element is the amazing use of montage and a focus on cinematic storytelling versus expositional dialogue. It's also a wonderful choice to have a lead character that cannot speak.

An incredibly creative and wonderful film...that Hollywood ripped the heart out of for their version.

BANGKOK DANGEROUS ON IMDB