John Wick 4 - Worth the Watch!

 This weekend I invested three hours of my life in John Wick 4 and while I will never get this time back, I think it was time well spent from a cinematically interesting movie.  Here comes the spoiler- alerts for those of you who may want to still invest the time. 

In the film, the use of stairs is an important part of the movie and represents John Wick's climb to overcome constant adversity.  At one point, there is a scene, where John fights his way up this very tall staircase.  As he climbs, the camera pans out to show the sheer scale of the climb and building at the top of the staircase emphasizing the enormous task ahead for John.

Once at the top of the stairs, the camera viewpoint shifts to show John tumbling down the stairs through a very long scene with no noise.  The whole theater is merely focused on the fall as the camera shows him descending down the stairs and further away from his primary goal.  If he doesn't reach the top, he dies.

The directors uses stairs in his movies, to show a hierarchy and power.  The whole idea of this movie series is that there is a hierarchy, everyone needs to remember their place and if they step out of the chain of command, there are consequences.  At one point, John is faced with massive staircase leading to the headquarters of the High Table.  The lighting is always dark and infers a dark force is waiting at the top of the staircase.  The angle is usually shot from the bottom of the stairs looking upward. 

At the end of the movie, once John has finally climbed to the top of the stairs, the lighting shifts and
shows the sunrise.  This shift in the scene from dark to light is a way to portray a shift in the story without words.  The sunrise scene shows John gaining his freedom and being released from the world he has been trapped in. 

In addition to use of stairs in the films, the director often focuses on the physicality of the action scenes. The tight, enclosed space of the staircase forces the combatants into close quarters, heightening the intensity and creating a more tense experience for the viewer.

If you like action and not a lot of words, this is the movie for you!