The Killer in Taiwan
The Killer was first released in Taiwan in July of 1989, four months
before its premiere in Hong Kong. The Mandarin-dubbed Taiwanese version
is about 25 minutes longer than the later Cantonese version prepared for
Hong Kong. The Taiwanese Killer contains well over a dozen additional
scenes and variations. The longer version of some Hong Kong films are
demonstrably better: Tsui Hark's first film about the martial arts hero
Wong Fei-hong, Once Upon A Time In China, is a good example. The Killer
is not such a case. John Woo regards the shorter Cantonese version of
The Killer as the true final cut of the movie: the director's cut, it
benefited, after all, from four additional months of fine tuning. Most
of the changes amont to little more than nips and tucks. For instance,
the longer version of this pivotal scene in the police station after the
killing of Tony Weng, the fight on the beach, and the race to get the
wounded girl to the hospital includes a few extra seconds of a witness
describing Chow Yun-fat's John to a police scetch artist.
Deleted Scene: Witness describing John
This is the first difference I have found so far; in the police station
after the killing of Tony Weng, the fight on the beach, and the race to
get the wounded girl to the hospital includes a few extra seconds of a
witness describing Chow Yun-fat's John to a police scetch artist. (24s)
Deleted Scene: Inspector Li and Jenny.
This deleted scene is an almost five minute (4min 29sec) ancounter
between Danny Lee's Inspector Li and Sally Yeh's Jenny. Li takes Jenny
to her home while John keeps hidden and watching.
The scene was supposed to fall between the exicting scene of Li's visit
to Jenny's nightclub, and the confrontation between Chow's John and Chu
Kong's Sidney at John's apartment
Deleted Scene: On The Street
This deleted scene falls just after the assault on John's
apartment by the forces of gang boss Johny Wang (Shing Fui-on). The
setting is the street outside John's building as Inspector Li arrives at
the scene. And John leaves. (26s).
Deleted : At Jennie's apartment
After Li and Chang try to arrest John at Jennie's, Li runs after John,
few seconds missing (4s) after Li jumps but before he finds those birds.
Deleted : At the airport
Before those Japanese businessmen come, John hides and wathces Jenny
while Inspector Li and other polices are waiting. (17s)
After that, Jenny warns John, shouts that police is there a bit longer
(7s)
Deleted : At the police station:
This is when Li is released off the case, this scene is shortened and a
bit different. (about 9s) They give the case to Inspector Chan and order
Sgt Chang for his assistant.
Deleted : Parking house
In the long version they shoot Chang not only once but four times. (1s)
Deleted Scene: Seaside home
This scene occurs just after the cat and mouse stand-off at the airport.
John and Jenny drive from the airport to Sidney's white seaside home...
(45s) A cute and romantic scene
Deleted Scene: Jenny, Sidney and John
John tell to Jenny to take him to Texas to surgery, then Sidney comes
in. (46s)
Deleted: Li sees Chang in Hospital
Its shortened scene; Li walks to Chang bed, taken few seconds (6s)
Deleted:
When Li drives with bike to find John, John is putting guns into a bag.
In longer version there is at least two snort snaps more, when he puts
one more gun into the bag, and another when he takes a pistol. (1s) Li
runs to Sidney's house where John is, there he stays a while under a
tree (4s), after that Jeannie wonders why its so dark.
After this shooting at Sidney's house Li drives when they escape hitmen.
(20s)
Deleted Scene: Tracking The Enemy
This deleted scene belongs just after Li and John have their 'two
gunslingers' conversation at the creek, after the firefight at
Sidney's. This is a nice short snippest that heightens the menace of the
hitman who is here seen literally hunting his intended victim. (Images
of men hunting men come up again in Woo's Hollywood debut picture, Hard
Target. (20s)
After that Sidney alone thinking and he takes a drink and walks to a
car. Its before John, Jenny and Li go to church.(32s)
Missing: They walk into the church (10s)
When Sidney is trying to get John's money, Weng talks, its shortened
before Weng calls Sidney as a dog (8s).
Sidney comes to church, and in long version Li takes the bag of guns
before Weng's men come, then he begins to load a shotgun (6s).
After shooting in the church they try to blow up Weng but before they go
out, a short scene has been deleted, even more shooting, and the
missionary goes to talk to Jenny. (20s)
And when John and Li are shootin outside, a short shot where the
missionary tries to get Jenny to a safe place (1s).
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