Police Story: Pure Jackie Chan Auterism?
Okay, so I know Jackie Chan isn't typically thought of as an auteur in the same way we talk about, say, Scorsese or Kubrick. But after diving into his filmography lately, especially Police Story (which, let's be real, is insane), I'm starting to wonder if we're underselling his directorial vision. Like, the way he choreographs those fight scenes, the pure kinetic energy of him literally destroying a mall... it's hard to argue that it's the vision of anyone but him. It's almost more visually striking than the fights in Wheels on Meals, which is saying something. Anyone else feel that way? Specifically, I'm thinking about the double-decker bus chase at the beginning. That's 100% Jackie isn't it? And the controlled chaos inside that slum building... feels very deliberate, very specific to his style. Even the more comedic bits, like the scenes with Brigitte Lin as Selina... they feel like consciously chosen tonal shifts, almost as if he's playing with genre conventions. So, my question is, are there other Jackie Chan films where his directorial stamp is this obvious? I'm always trying to catch other filmography directors but I'm not sure where to go next. I'm really curious to hear everyone else's thoughts on this. And maybe I'm totally reading into things, but Police Story feels like peak Jackie Chan as both a performer and a director. Or am I just blinded by the sheer awesomeness of that final fight sequence? I mean, glass everywhere!
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