The 143 Missing Words in John Wick 2
There is a scene in John Wick 2 that personifies the phrase “Less is More.” It’s an amazing example of subtext and brevity that, frankly, geeks me out whenever I think about it.
To set the scene, John Wick has been pulled (most unwillingly) back into the assassin world. He owes someone an unbreakable favor and is honor bound to kill someone that he 100% doesn’t want to kill. Seeing no way out, he completes the request.
Amid the flashing lights and bass playing from a large dance party, John Wick tries to make a discrete exit before anyone finds out he’s there or what he’s done. But he’s stopped by Cassian, the bodyguard to Gianna, the woman John had just assassinated. Their conversation is 16 words. 16! And even though it’s heavy with subtext, the viewer easily follows what they are and aren’t saying.
Here are the 16 words:
Cassian: “John.”
John: “Cassian.”
Cassian: “You working?”
John: “Yeah. You?”
Cassian: “Yeah. Good night?”
John: “Afraid so.”
Cassian: “I’m sorry to hear that.”
And here’s the same conversation where I’ve added the full narration (in parenthesis) of the information being conveyed:
Cassian: “John.”
(“Hello, John. I’m surprised and worried to see you here tonight.”)
John: “Cassian.”
(“Hello, Cassian. I was hoping to avoid you and this conversation, but I won’t run from either.”)
Cassian: “You working?”
(“Are you here for pleasure, or did you come here on orders to kill someone?”)
John: “Yeah. You?”
(“I came here to kill someone. Are you here for pleasure, or are you acting as Gianna's bodyguard?”)
Cassian: “Yeah. Good night?”
(“I’m obviously here as Gianna's bodyguard. But I’m also her close personal friend. I presume you came here to kill her. Please tell me you weren’t successful.”)
John: “Afraid so.”
(“Unfortunately, I was successful. But I respected and admired everything she did. I was forced by the assassin's oath to take this job, but I wish I didn't have to kill her. She was a good woman.”)
Cassian: “I’m sorry to hear that.”
(“I believe that you were forced into this job and that you also admired Gianna. But as her bodyguard and her friend, that’s not going to stop me from killing you for killing her.”)
The movie didn’t need the full narration. It would have slowed the scene down by spelling everything out. Instead, the director and actors crafted the scene a specific way and trusted the audience to pick up on the subtext, thereby delivering a short, sharp, and sophisticated scene in a fraction of the time.
When writing novels, authors have the ability to take the reader inside of the character’s heads to show intent and emotion. And that’s a good thing, unique to the novel medium. But this scene is a reminder to me as an author that sometimes it’s also a good thing to step back and trust the readers. Playing with brevity and subtext, if done correctly, can show how “Less is More.”
So much more.
(Bonus: I love how the camera angle switches throughout the scene to where John and Cassian keep their gun holsters, cleverly hinting to the viewer exactly where their conversation is heading.)
