John Wick is the directorial debut of Chad Stahelski and David Leitch, who previously specialized primarily in stunt work and stunt work. This film was the discovery of the year 2014, made a splash and instantly won an army of fans, laying the foundation for an amazing franchise with gorgeous fights, impressive shootouts and a strong protagonist. Despite the apparent superficiality and emphasis on physical interaction, the film is not so easy to interpret.
About what
For many years, John Wick worked as a personal hitman for Viggo Tarasov, the head of a crime syndicate. Legends were made about John’s purposefulness and willpower, and because of his frightening composure and murderous professionalism they called him Baba Yaga – like a fairy-tale monster, he appeared from the shadows and took other people’s lives, and no one could stop him. But all the feelings in this man were raised to a power – rage, hatred, love. Having met his future wife, he decided to leave the dirty business and become a peaceful person, and in order to be released without war and not persecuted, he went on a deadly mission. And came back alive.
The happiness didn’t last long. Elena, his wife, fell ill and died suddenly, her posthumous gift was a puppy, to which John became very attached. Day after day, he spent either in his house, shutting himself off from the outside world, or in a car, driving around the city and indulging in memories, until one day at a gas station he ran into three unfamiliar guys. They liked the rare Ford, and they demanded to sell it, but were rebuffed. That same evening, a desperate trio breaks into John’s house, kills his dog and steals a car. An unforgivable mistake.
It turned out that the leader of this gang, who imagines himself invincible and untouchable, is Viggo’s son, Josef. Very soon it was explained to him who he had contacted. John Wick did not want to compromise and refused to negotiate, his verdict was one word – death, because Joseph took away the last gift of his deceased wife, killed his beloved dog. Sorrow, love and hate intertwined in an insane bunch, and a crazy chase began – John went out alone against Viggo’s army to find and kill his son.
Explanation of meaning
It would seem, what deep meaning can be found in a film in which most of the time is devoted to shootings and fights? But the movie “John Wick” will pleasantly surprise you.
Relentless Retribution
The main character performs two functions. He is shown to be very human – a character that evokes sympathy and sympathy. A personality with a capital letter, embodying those qualities that are usually attributed to purely positive characters. And here the contradiction begins. He is a killer. Killer. Without remorse, he carried out orders quickly and accurately. So why does it still attract the viewer? The answer is simple – the second function comes into play. The character of John Wick is the image of a merciless Nemesis, a symbol of the fact that punishment will surely follow a crime and justice will prevail.
The power of love and revenge is healing
Love encourages to commit madness – not always good, kind, bright. And very easily a wonderful romantic feeling turns into sincere hatred, which burns with a hot flame in the heart and burns everyone who imprudently got too close. John Wick unimaginably loved his wife, and her death was a severe blow, but then, when three strangers broke into his house, grief, strongly mixed with fondly cherished memories, became his strongest motivation, which did not allow him to reconcile and put his other cheek under attack.
In rare cases, revenge really brings relief, helps to cope with the loss, throw out anger – go through all the stages of grief faster. And John Wick was comforted by retribution. Drawing incredible strength from the love of his dead wife, he healed with every shot.
How does it end
Viggo puts a two million dollar bounty on John’s head and doubles it for mercenaries who risk their reputation in the underworld and violate the ban on killing within the walls of the Continental Hotel, a special establishment that caters to the most high-class killers. John follows the trail and destroys Viggo’s vault hidden in the church, burning all the money and valuable dirt on important people. Several times he is saved by a good friend – Marcus, with a sniper shot, killing enemies creeping up from the back.
At the end of the confrontation, Viggo himself, being face to face with John, tells him where he hides his son, but does not retreat and does not resign, but also decides to take revenge. An informer informs him that Markus helped John, and the latter is kidnapped, brutally tortured and executed. John, enraged by the murder of a friend, returns – in the final scene, he kills Viggo and goes to the veterinary clinic to treat his wounds, and comes out of there not alone, but with a pit bull puppy.
Anger surged, thunder rumbled, and the storm subsided. John Wick’s mission is over and he can start rewriting his story from scratch. The whole film is a cruel and bloody metaphor of purification and atonement for sins. Only at the end of the path will the door to a new life open.
