When it comes to crime thrillers and dramatic shotgun scenes in Hong Kong cinema, Johnnie To is undoubtedly a master of the craft. In fact, many Chinese movie fans refer to exemplary crime films as “To-styled crime thrillers,” (杜氏警匪片) nodding to his signature cinematic aesthetic. However, it is perhaps less commonly known that To’s oeuvre also includes romantic comedies and melodramas. Altogether, his expansive career spans over four decades and includes over 70 films. 

Film buffs in New York City now have a chance to experience to the breadth of his oeuvre, as from September 12 to October 13, the Museum of Modern Art is holding the retrospective screening series “Chaos and Order: The Way of Johnnie To.” The series spans the wide spectrum of his films and will offer several opportunities for conversation with the legendary director himself. 

To, known to Chinese fans as “Sir To” (杜SIR), started his career training to become an actor at TVB, the local television broadcaster in Hong Kong, which jumpstarted the careers of an entire generation of film legends, including director Wong Kar-wai and actor Tony Leung Chiu-wai.

However, To soon found that his passions belonged behind the scenes and became an assistant director. It’s not hard to tell from To’s later works that he was heavily inspired by action films and Westerns, and his early forays into filmmaking as a director resembled classic Hollywood films. From there, he worked with prominent Hong Kong production company Cinema City, and directed the breakout romance movie All About Ah-Long (1989), which put his name on the map.

In the mid-1990s, frustrated by a lack of directorial autonomy, To and his collaborator Wai Ka-fai founded the production company Milkyway Image (银河映像). At the time, the financial crisis across Asia was placing economic constraints on Hong Kong’s film industry. Rather than relying on the same commercial frameworks of previous films, To and Wai drew on aspects of Hong Kong’s local culture to create a series of distinct crime movies using highly skilled cinematography. Notable films in this vein include Election (2005) and PTU (2003), both featured in the retrospective at MoMA.

To Chinese movie fans of that period, the logo of Milkyway Image was synonymous with the start of a thrilling ride into a unique cinematic world. Spanning films from 1992 to 2015, “Chaos and Order” promises to bring film fans into To’s creative vision, from psychological thrillers to heart stealing rom-coms. 

Banner image from Exiled (2006), via CULT Film.