Chad Stahelski may be far from taking the mantle of the “filmmaker’s filmmaker” from Tarantino, but certainly, these 10 cinematographic pop culture references in the John Wick franchise make him the most meta-filmmaker among the Hollywood blockbuster industry.
His first solo directing project- the John Wick franchise (no longer a trilogy) is filed with image, emulations, and references to other films. Of course, in itself, John Wick is a resurrection of the noir genre. Its cinematography is referential to Akira Kurosawa and Park Chan-Wook, but we would like to draw your attention to some less stylistic nods. The movie in the trilogy often refer to other popular movies, and they do so directly. So here are some easter egg references found in John Wick by our writers.
Payday the Game has the Same Character
Payday came out a short period of time before John Wick. As part of the deal with Summit Entertainment Payday developers include a character Jonathan Wick into the game. The similarities, however, are striking. Usually, promotional characters do not add to the lore, but from Payday, the viewers can find out that John was a marine, and how he became acquainted with the Tarasov cartel. Hence Payday’s John Wick is an addition to the lore of the John Wick trilogy.
The Puppy Walk is from “Out For Justice”
“Out for Justice” is a 1991 Steven Seagal film. It is often considered as the culmination and first sign of the downfall of 80’s action revenge flicks. It is a crucial movie in action history, because it is considered Seagal’s last success, and it was panned by critics. In any case, there is a one-to-one similar scene with the protagonist walking his dog at the end of the movie.
There is a “Point Break” Character
Point Break is Keanu’s first action role and a classic in the buddy cop genre. In the movie “John Wick: Chapter 1” there is a scene where Iosif’s henchmen are playing a console. On the TV screen, there is a prominent character who is called “Point Break”. Although this is an odd name for a playable character it a perfect little node to the path Reeves has taken through action thrillers.
The Red Circle
Not all of the references in the movies are of the American popular Hollywood culture. It often seems that Stahelski and Derek Holstad have watched all of the thrillers out there. The main action in the movie happens in a bar called the “The Red Circle”. “Le Cercle Rouge” is a movie by Jean-Pierre Melville. It is considered a classic of European noir and the French New wave films. Stylistically one can, also, notice some similarities between Alen Delon’s and Keanu Reeves’ acting performances.
Morpheus and Neo + Blue Pill/ Red Pill
Everything about the on-screen presence of Keanu Reeves and Laurence Fishburne screams of the Morpheus-Neo reunion. Everything from the rooftop introduction to conversations about guns is symbolic of the first Matrix movie, but there is a more immediate reference as well. In the scene where the Bowery King is dressing, he reaches for two containers, each of the containers has a pill-shaped object. One red and one blue. What else can we say?
The Tarkovsky Theater
In John Wick 3 John take shelter in a location called the Tarkovsky Theater. Tarkovsky was a famous Soviet filmmaker with a very distinctive cinematographic style. In fact, it is not the first Tarkovsky reference in Stahelski projects. In the “Atomic Blonde” there is a scene in the movie theater, while Stalker is screening. Stalker is Tarkovsky’s most well-known film in the West.
“Guns, Lots of Guns”
This is another Matrix reference. This time it is a direct quote of something Trinity uttered in the movie. Here John Wick says- “Guns, lots of Guns” and then enters weapon storage. In the Matrix Trinity’s says exactly that and the storage appears out of nothing.
The Good, The Bad and the Ugly gun scene
Sergio Leone’s “The Good, The Bad, and the Ugly” is, without doubt, the best known Western film in the world. The introductory scene for Tuco, aka the Ugly has him making a custom pistol from revolver parts in a gunshop. This scene is identically reproduced in John Wick 3, with seemingly identical pistols. Ironically, John only gets to shoot this gun once which is a great sign of irony on the part of the production team.
Enter the Dragon
The final “boss” fight between John and the ninjas in John Wick 3 happens in a sequence of changing stories. Fights happen on multiple levels diluted only by John moving up and down the stairs. This is the exact structure of the unfinished Bruce Lee film- “Enter the Dragon”. Additionally, the whole scene has only eastern martial arts fights. A relevant piece of trivia here, Chad Stahelski, while still a stuntman, was a double for Lee’s son Brandon during the making of the infamous “Crow” film.
Author Bio:
Jenifer Lockman graduated from UCLA majoring in Journalism. After graduation, she immediately started up her courses regarding journalism issues, set up online webinars, and quickly gained a formidable reputation among young journalists, amateurs being eager to get new and up-to-date knowledge. Currently, Jenifer is mastering her skills in various spheres, writing articles on diverse topics, including politics, education, technological ones, etc. Narrative essay has always been her strong point; Jenifer writes them just expertly. Her successful blog and thousands of followers speak for themselves. You can reach Jennifer here https://www.linkedin.com/in/jennifer-lockman-168508127/
