There is much more to the world of John Wick than car chases, martial arts, gun play, and a secret society of assassins. Although the action sequences and revenge plot are fun to watch, the films also create an intricate world with unique architecture, a parallel economy, and a shadow government. Exploring these aspects of the film franchise is the point of The World(s) of John Wick conference happening here at IU Bloomington on November 7–9, 2019.
Originally, I was drawn to the John Wick films because I wanted to see an action hero who uses jiu-jitsu, a martial art that I also practice. But the films really captured my imagination due to the complexity of the hidden world they created. That’s why I am excited about the conference—it will give me a chance to think more deeply about philosophical and aesthetic aspects of the films.
Film scholars, designers and architects, art historians, folklorists, literary critics, and others will share their insights and theories about the films. Topics range from cryptocurrency to fight sequence choreography. I’m particularly looking forward to the presentations on religious metaphor and on mourning and masculinity.
Check out the schedule for a complete list of times and topics at https://worldsofjohnwick.com/program-schedule/.
It went very well, despite the curveball thrown by the power failure. Thanks to everyone for their hard work on this. Lisa Heilbronn