As in all previous installments, Keanu Reeves' titular assassin is a man of few words in John Wick: Chapter 4, and a new report reveals that in the initial script, he actually had about twice as much dialogue. John Wick: Chapter 4 hit theaters last week, earning rave reviews from audiences and critics alike. While Wick is known for his prowess with a gun and variety of other weapons, the latest entry in the franchise is further proof that the assassin is very much a man of action above all else, often offering up only monosyllabic responses.
In a new report from The Wall Street Journal, Stahelski reveals that Reeves himself removed about half of the dialogue that was in the original John Wick: Chapter 4 script. The report also calculates that Wick only says 380 words in the entire movie, 27% of which are offered as one-word responses. For comparison, Wick says 484 words in the first John Wick, a movie that is well over an hour shorter. “He isn’t just stoic,” Stahelski says of Wick's lack of dialogue, “he’s mysterious, and the mystery lets the audience fill in the gaps.”
Why John Wick Doesn't Need A Lot Of Dialogue
The focus in a John Wick film is very much on the action. That's not to say that there isn't a story and a character journey that accompanies the action to give it meaning, but the main draw for all four films in the franchise is watching Reeves as Wick dispatching waves of enemies in ruthless but balletic fashion. Wick is a man of a singular purpose in the franchise, avenging his dead puppy in the first movie and largely attempting to survive the fallout of this decision in movies two through four.
The important thing to know about Wick is that he's a man who is still grieving his wife, Helen. Beyond that, much of his past is left a mystery and the John Wick franchise is better for it. It's not essential to know how, why, or when Wick became an assassin (even though John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum does shed some light on this) because following a mysterious, relentless, and well-dressed killing machine as he shoots his way to freedom is where the real entertainment value of the franchise lies.
The John Wick franchise, especially John Wick: Chapter 4, is also dripping with cool, and much of this is due to Wick himself remaining a mystery. If Wick constantly shared his feelings or waxed poetic about his late wife, he would quickly lose that stoic coolness. It remains to be seen what is next for the franchise after John Wick: Chapter 4, but if Reeves does return as the titular assassin, he will hopefully maintain his "man of few words" approach to the character.
Source: The Wall Street Journal