Success is not necessarily linked to confidence, but lack of confidence is doomed to failure!
This sentence originated from the movie "The True Color of Heroes" directed by John Woo and became the creed of a generation.
John Woo was the first person to successfully break into the mainstream Hollywood market with a Chinese-American action director.
He is particularly good at directing gangster films and war films - "The True Color of Heroes", "Red Cliff", "Changing Face" and many other works are classics.
His "Heroes" series of films became a milestone in the history of the development of violence in cinema with its stylized treatment of violence.
John Woo has played an important role in the history of Chinese and global cinema.
This famous director at home and abroad was deeply devastated by fate.
Niu Chunlong and his wife suffered from cancer one after another, and they had to get real estate in order to get into an unprecedented predicament. The tragic plight of this acclaimed director is heart-wrenching.
John Ng was born in 1946 in Guangzhou.
Wu suffered from tuberculosis, which prevented him from doing many jobs.
Her mother was responsible for the family's livelihood, and she barely managed to make ends meet by doing odd jobs to earn extra income.
When he was five years old, John Woo's family moved to Hong Kong in search of a better way out.
Due to the lack of additional funds to pay the rent, he had to choose to live in Shek Kip Mei, a famous slum in Hong Kong.
The slums are a diverse group of people who not only face poor living conditions, but also exhibit a variety of living conditions, and can witness the diversity of the lowest strata of Hong Kong.
Due to his thin body and young age, John Woo often became the target of bullying by the homeless and *** in the neighborhood, and was frequently beaten.
There was a time when he was often bruised and purple on his body and face, and it was the most serious at that time.
After my father came to Hong Kong, his illness was still not effectively treated.
Wu Yusen couldn't ask his father to help him when he was bullied, like many children, he could only swallow his anger and hide his suffering and grievances deep in his heart.
At one time, John Woo would think every day when he opened his eyes: How to make sure that he is not attacked today?
Needless to say, this life left a deep psychological wound on John Woo, but it also inspired him to create ideas for his future work.
In this case, John Woo has cultivated a strong and unyielding character that refuses to admit defeat.
He is still young, and his biggest hobby is ** movies, but due to limited conditions, most of the first encounters are some old Cantonese movies or operas.
At night, John Woo would draw a variety of figures using the glass shards he had picked up during the day, and then place the glass in front of a flashlight and quietly watch his figures appear on the wall.
In this way, John Woo's heart can get some comfort.
He feels like a magical director, and the characters come to life under his control.
John Woo planted the seeds of movies in his heart in this way.
At the age of nine, John Woo received a church-sponsored education that gave him exposure to genres of cinema that he had never been exposed to before—especially Hollywood musical and dance films.
The happy expression of the protagonist in the movie deeply pierced John Woo's heart.
His life is full of barrenness and misery, and the cheerful vibes of the film seem out of reach for him.
In middle school, John Woo began to participate in some small role plays in the school's stage plays on the recommendation of his teacher.
Although John Woo's appearance is not outstanding, it has never allowed him to get a satisfactory opportunity.
After recognizing this, he began to focus on filmmaking.
John Woo could hardly find relevant courses in school, so he personally went to the library to find relevant knowledge books and expand his thinking.
John Woo had engaged in book theft because of poverty.
John Woo shared this past at the lecture, which caused the audience to laugh, but he knew the bitterness and helplessness at that time, because it was something he had personally experienced.
After graduating from high school, John Woo went to Taiwan to attend an art college with the support of an American couple.
At a young age, at a time when his blood was boiling, he began to make experimental films with his aspiring classmates.
We are all poor young people, and none of us have extra cash in our pockets, so we have to be careful with our budgets.
In order to save money, John Woo only spends a dime a day to buy a piece of bread and five cents to buy a can of tomato beans. That's what he's going to eat for the whole day.
He also did many other chores, such as helping the teacher copy articles, from which he practiced a good handI also helped sweep the church floor and observed all kinds of people.
Every handyman John Woo did not only brought him a few bucks, but more importantly, accumulated experience for his future film career.
After everyone gets their salary, they pool the money to buy negatives, and then divide the labor and cooperate, some people are in charge of screenwriting, some people are in charge of production, and several teenagers sit around and fantasize about a bright future.
In 1971, John Woo served as a scene reporter at Cathay Pacific and met the great director Zhang Che through a friend's introduction.
Zhang Che's guidance led John Woo to begin his journey as an independent director.
John Woo's ** work "Iron Man Tenderness" was released in 1975, but it was met with a lukewarm response.
After summarizing the shortcomings and learning the lessons, John Woo successively filmed four films, "Women's Taekwondo Heroes", "Imperial Flower", "Fa Qian Han" and "Shaolin Gate", in the next three years.
These four films have achieved extremely impressive box office results, especially "Fa Qian Han", which was released in 1977, which was the highest-grossing film of the year.
John Woo didn't become famous overnight, and his success story contains the hardships and pains of his youth, as well as the confusion of his first career. Luckily, he eventually succeeded.
After John Woo became the "king of Hong Kong's new generation of comedy films", he resolutely decided to leave his current agency despite receiving many praises and applause.
He did this for a simple reason: he had always wanted to bring the images of his childhood memories to the screen.
What he wanted to tell through the film were dark stories, and the company was bent on keeping him in his comfort zone. Therefore, John Woo decided to jump to New Arts City.
After John Woo encountered a creative bottleneck here, he went to Taiwan to seek a breakthrough, but did not achieve much good development in the years he spent in Taiwan.
He had no choice but to return to Hong Kong again, but this time he was helped by director Tsui Hark, who was in the limelight at the time.
With the support of Tsui Hark, John Woo was finally able to shoot an ideal movie according to his own heart - "The True Color of Heroes", which can also be said to be his bosom friend.
John Woo once again became the central figure in the Hong Kong film industry, and the film has also become an indelible glory in the history of Hong Kong cinema.
Chow Yun-fat and Dillon were at a low point in their careers at the time, but the role of "Little Pony" allowed them to regain widespread recognition and attention.
John Woo's success is real.
He followed suit and seized the opportunity to enter Hollywood with the film "Finishing Target".
The film was a box office hit in the United States, earning $30 million, and was in the limelight for a while.
John Woo appeared on the front page of the Hollywood Times.
The films after "Broken Arrow" and "Changing Face" are more successful than the last.
John Woo has reached the pinnacle of his career in the United States, but he has never forgotten his identity as a Chinese.
John Woo left his handprints and footprints on the Hollywood Optical Strip in May 2002, becoming the first Chinese director to receive this honor.
Four years later, he returned to the Chinese film industry with his works, and the box office of the film "Red Cliff" directed by him soared, exceeding 300 million and 200 million respectively.
John Woo is no longer the poor kid he used to paint on the wall with a flashlight in the slums.
He is one of the most influential and well-known directors at home and abroad.
In 2012, John Woo was filming the movie "Taiping Wheel", and went to the hospital for examination because he was unwell, and it was found that he had lymphoma.
John Woo has stressed that his achievements today are inseparable from the support of his family.
John Woo's wife's name is Niu Chunlong, and she was born in Kowloon, Hong Kong.
When I was very young, I moved to Taiwan with my family and did not return to Hong Kong until 1974.
After Zhang Che's Longbow Film Company choreographer group training class was admitted, she and John Woo got acquainted and fell in love.
John Woo married Niu Chunlong in Los Angeles in 1976.
At that time, he was only a contracted director, and although the box office performance of several films in a row was not bad, he only received a fixed salary and did not share any dividends.
John Woo gave almost all the money to his old mother, because his mother had a hard life, and he hoped to let her live a good life.
The two registered their marriage for only $12, and they didn't even hold a wedding reception. Their only pair of platinum rings was purchased by John Woo with borrowed money through his brokerage firm Golden Harvest.
Niu Chunlong did not complain, Wu Yusen felt ashamed of his wife, so he suggested that he go to Hawaii for a few days of honeymoon on the return trip, and Niu Chunlong readily agreed.
However, when he actually boarded the plane, John Woo suddenly burst into inspiration.
He suddenly said to his wife, "I have a wonderful story in mind, and I have to fly back to Hong Kong immediately to write the script." ”
As a newlywed woman, Niu Chunlong's reaction can be imagined, but in the end she chose to remain silent and didn't say anything.
She knows her husband's love for movies better than anyone because they are both in the film industry.
After they got married the next day, John Woo flew back to Hong Kong with his bride and threw himself into intense work.
John Woo once said to his wife full of guilt, "I will compensate you for your honeymoon in another way."
For a workaholic, this promise may take a long time to fulfill.
After the couple returned to Hong Kong, life was still living in poverty.
In Hong Kong, where land is expensive, they rented a small house of less than 60 square meters, with only a sofa and a few pieces of furniture.
In addition to repaying the loan, John Woo's monthly income also had to pay the rent, which caused his living situation to be quite unstable for a while.
Niu Chunlong welcomed his eldest daughter Wu Shangfang in 1977, and it stands to reason that a family of three should share the joy of family.
At that time, John Woo's career was on the rise, his work schedule was full, and his children could only be taken care of by his wife.
In 1980, Wu Feixia was born as the second daughter, and two years later, the youngest son Wu Yifang also came to the world. Niu Chunlong's responsibility is even heavier.
John Woo's career was at a low point, so he moved to Taiwan with his family, and he had almost nothing to do in those years.
John Woo sometimes loses control of his emotions and gets angry at home, when Niu Chunlong will protect his three children behind him and send them out to play.
I understand that you may have a grudge in your heart, but please don't show it in front of your children.
You can confide in me and I will always be here to support you.
Wu Yusen calmed down, feeling his wife's tolerance, and he blamed himself and said, "I feel that I can't give you and your children a rich life, it's really useless." ”
Niu Chunlong comforted him and said: "As long as you hand over the money for grocery shopping, don't let the children go hungry, don't put too much pressure on yourself." ”
John Woo finally gave his family a satisfactory answer, which was after the success of "The True Color of Heroes" in 1986.
He bought a new house in Hong Kong, moved in with his family, and started a new life.
After John Woo returned to the film industry, in order to facilitate his residence, he bought another property in Beijing and planned to live there for a long time.
John Woo and his wife are finally having a good day, and their children are not only excellent in grades, but also very sensible. However, at this beautiful moment, the unexpected suddenly struck.
At the end of 2011, John Woo felt unwell in the crew of filming "Taiping Wheel".
At first, the matter was not taken seriously, until the condition deteriorated, and only then did he go to the hospital for a check-up accompanied by a colleague.
After Niu Chunlong arrived at the hospital, the results of the examination he received showed that Wu Yusen had lymphoma.
Niu Chunlong later said in an interview that there was no time to shed tears at that time, and he could only quickly learn from medical staff how to deal with such patients.
The children unanimously agreed that their father should be sent to a hospital in the United States**.
Wu Shangfang's eldest daughter contacted the top oncologist in the United States at the time, and she cried in front of the doctor and begged him to ** her father.
Fortunately, the doctor was kind enough to accept the patient.
However, the problem then arises that John Woo is not a U.S. citizen, so accepting ** in the U.S. will incur a high cost, which is a huge expense for his family, and it will be difficult to raise enough funds for the time being.
Niu Chunlong had no choice but to reluctantly ** real estate in Beijing to pay for her husband's **.
When John Woo was lying on the hospital bed and learned the news, he pressed his wife's forehead in pain and said, "Wife, I'm sorry, I caused you to lose your home." ”
Niu Chunlong held his hand tightly and said, "As long as the place with you is home, everything will be fine." ”
The medium-term condition of John Woo's lymphoma brings a glimmer of hope, and the risk is not too high.
After several surgeries of various sizes, he gradually developed and the lesion was successfully removed.
Despite this, John Woo's body was still ravaged by piles of pills and illness, which made him want to get angry and throw things.
Niu Chunlong was staying by his side with his three children at the moment to ease his emotions.
John Woo returned to Hong Kong in 2014 after falling ill, but despite his family's urging, he continued to work.
Niu Chunlong didn't say much about this, she knew that the film career had been deeply imprinted in her husband's bones, and no matter how difficult it was, it couldn't stop him from making movies.
Therefore, she silently takes care of everything in her life and no longer hinders her.
Niu Chunlong often cooks soup at home, and then sends it to the crew, asking John Woo to drink the soup in front of her.
Every day, he would call his assistant and ask if the working hours were beyond the standardSometimes in order to personally supervise, I will go to the crew to follow the group.
The crew felt both amused and envious of this, a big director was firmly controlled by his wife, which is really a beautiful story.
Under the careful care of his wife, John Woo's health is getting better and better, and it is almost impossible to tell that he was once a cancer patient.
This sturdy man, who used to be able to work with the camera all day without getting tired, now looks old and gray, but these all show that he has lingering after his illness.
Just when the couple thought they could finally enjoy a peaceful life, an accident broke the family's tranquility again.
In April 2020, Niu Chunlong felt dizzy and realized that something was wrong with his body.
She had been personally caring for her husband during that time, so she had an in-depth understanding of some of the common cancers.
She immediately went to the hospital for a check-up, and the results showed that it was just as she expected - brain cancer.
Doctors recommend early detection and time**, because if there is no surgery, Niu Chunlong's life may not be long.
John Woo told his wife the news with a heavy heart, and the doctor warned that there was a risk of failure and that the family needed to be mentally prepared.
Niu Chunlong smiled, looked at her husband with tears in his eyes and said, "I've been worrying about you and my children all my life, and I finally have to see you cry for me." ”
Wu Yusen held Niu Chunlong's hand and said to him: "God will favor kind people, I hope you can ** as soon as possible, I want to take you to Hawaii to complete our honeymoon plan." His wife's joke made him even more heartbroken.
After a full six hours of surgery, John Woo finally breathed a sigh of relief when he heard the phrase "The operation was very successful, and everything is fine with the patient".
He waited outside the operating room until his leg was limp, and then he collapsed on a chair in the corridor.
At this time, the second daughter found out that her father was already sweating profusely.
After experiencing a life and death, the couple was discharged from the hospital with a new understanding of life, they cherished each other more, and loved life more.
John Woo and his wife are now both in their prime, but the sweetness of the two is still the same.
In our spare time, we often go out together and actively experience new things that we haven't been exposed to before.
The film "True Colors of Heroes" has reached its 36th anniversary in Hong Kong, and the date is August 2.
Many young people, who had only seen the film on television, said they owed John Woo a movie ticket.
John Woo himself does not attach much importance to these, he has reached the top of his life and experienced the darkest moments.
He may have seen through life, and he has been up and down in his fate for decades, from a 60-square-meter rental house to a big house in Beijing, and then sold it for treatment.
The true meaning of life does not exist in high-rise buildings or thousands of family fortunes, but in growing old with the people you loved when you were young.