The complete explanation of John Wick’s finger loss is as follows: It appears that the authors are saving Chapter 3-Parabellum for John Wick: Chapter 4. John Wick encounters the Elder, the head of the High Table, prior to the conclusion of Chapter 3.
John Wick must swear allegiance to the High Table for the remainder of his life (and murder Winston) in order for the Elder to forgive him.
John Wick agrees and completes the transaction by slicing off his ring finger, giving the Elder and the High Table both his finger and wedding ring. Although there isn’t a clear explanation in John Wick: Chapter 3, there are actually a number of reasons why John intentionally sliced off his ring finger.
This agonizing scenario mostly concerns John Wick’s wife Helen and what will happen to John in the franchise’s subsequent chapters. But John Wick’s decision to amputate his ring finger has deeper significance than just symbolic.
What Was the Reason Behind John Wick Cutting Off His Finger?
This sequence from John Wick deftly parodies yubitsume, a customary Japanese practice made notorious by the Yakuza in which the pinky finger is removed to atone for an infraction. The pinky is sacrificed in yubitsume because it has a direct impact on a person’s ability to use any weapon.
According to studies, missing a pinky reduces the grip strength of the affected hand by roughly 50% (New York Times). For someone like John Wick, who does several martial arts that emphasize momentum and throws, grip strength is essential.
John Wick severed his ring finger; why? Because he had to demonstrate loyalty without sacrificing his fighting skills.
Interestingly, the reason why assassins in the well-known video game series Assassin’s Creed cut off their left ring fingers is echoed by John Wick’s decision to amputate his ring finger. Similar to John Wick, Assassin’s Creed centers on an ancient order of hired killers whose standard weapon is a retractable concealed blade.
To make room for the concealed blade to strike and retract without hurting its user, these assassins cut off their fingers. Given that it’s more obvious than ever that John has nothing to lose, this might point to a change in John Wick’s fighting technique in Chapter 4.
The Significance of John Wick’s Loss of His Ring Finger in Chapter Four
John Wick gives the Elder his wedding ring after he chops off his ring finger. John realizes that he must let go of his former life, including his wife, even though his oath of allegiance is essentially a charade.
In Chapter 3, John made a complete comeback to the world of assassins and redoubled his efforts to exact retribution on the High Table and John Wick’s Elder.
The most symbolic action is undoubtedly cutting off his ring finger, but it also saves John Wick’s pinky finger. John Wick, a highly skilled assassin who has practiced many martial arts, is well aware of the significance of the pinky in both close-quarters combat and gunfighting.
As evidenced by the teaser for John Wick 4, which shows John Wick repeatedly striking a padded post known as makiwara to strengthen his injured left hand, John might potentially adopt Assassin’s Creed’s strategy and use his missing ring finger to his advantage.
For any member of the High Table, death by hidden sword would undoubtedly be a suitable conclusion.
John Wick’s Finger-Cutting Scene Almost Didn’t Make the Cut
The studio apparently didn’t want to share John Wick’s finger scene, even though the film’s weaponry have caused some of the bloodiest murders in the past ten years. But Chad Stahelski, the director of John Wick, and Keanu Reeves fought to have the sequence included.
In addition to being crucial to John’s narrative, it was necessary to avoid Reeves hurting his hand.
According to Stahelski (via Hollywood Reporter), “you have a left-handed actor who has just deformed his left hand, and that left hand is in every shot of the third act of the movie.” “There is a price for that in terms of visual effects…
To find out if I truly appreciate it, the studio does its job of challenging my ideas and approaches. There was a problem. The finger sequence in John Wick: Chapter 3-Parabellum, which is undoubtedly going to play a significant role in the plot of John Wick 4, was made possible by concessions that Stahelski and Reeves thankfully agreed to.
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