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JULY 7-20
Could the imminent arrival of the Communist Chinese have anything to do with the breathless, bloody choreography of the Hong Kong action film? Absolutely, as is repeatedly remarked by the characters in Hard Boiled, a dazzling cops-and-gunrunners epic. That film’s director, John Woo, has already removed himself to Hollywood, which is still catching up with the hyperkinetic style of his work. This 10-film series includes Hard Boiled and two other Woo films: Bullet in the Head (pictured), his Vietnam epic, and A Better Tomorrow, a balletic if slightly lugubrious good-brother/bad-brother thriller that led to two sequels. The second was made without Woo’s involvement or approval by rival Tsui Hark, whose Dragon Inn and Green Snake are featured in this series. Also included are examples of the work of Bruce Lee successors Jacky Chan and Jet Li. The former, who directs as well as stars, is represented by City Hunter, a live-action adaptation of a Japanese comic book; Li stars in New Legend of Shaolin, directed by Wong Jing, a historically lax period piece that features rousing action and juvenile humor. At the Biograph, 2819 M St. NW. (202) 333-2696. (Mark Jenkins)