A Better Tomorrow (1986) is often cited as the progenitor of the 1980s heroic bloodshed cycle that set the template for the films to come later in the production trend.
Category: John Woo
Face/Off (1997)
The final act set piece in Face/Off (1997) features John Woo’s signature action staging, initially developed in the 1980s heroic bloodshed cycle, as noted in the action profile for A Better Tomorrow (1986), and offers amongst the most notable boat chases in film history. Along the way Woo offers a Mexican standoff and a pursuit sequence that not only reveals changes in mode of pursuit but also a clear illustration how action scenarios can combine horizontally.