American Humane Association Certification – John Wick Chapter 2 is certified.
After Daisy, the beagle that John Wick’s wife Hellen left died, John Wick brings an American Bully to his house and sides along with him throughout the whole series.
The American Bully had a tag euthanasia marked which might suggest why John chose this particular dog as his companion. One of the oddest facts about John Wick Chapter 2:Reloaded is that the it is certified by the American Humane Association.
Chapter 1 was certified by the American Humane Association as well. The American Bully as well as the pigeons of the Soup Kitchen by Bowery King were monitored and inspected by the American Humane Association and certified.
[1] https://humanehollywood.org/production/john-wick-chapter-2/
Rockefeller Roof Garden
John Wick meets with Winston after Winston inspects the Golden species (Golden Coins) that will be circulated for advice on the roof of the New York Continental Hotel.
This scene was filmed on the Rockefeller Center Roof Garden. Many films such as the Spider Man series by Toby McGuire were filmed on the Rockefeller Roof Garden.
This is the location where spiderman saves Mary Jane when the green goblin dropped her. This might be a reference from Willem Dafoe who played the green goblin and appeared in John Wick Chapter 1 as Markus.
John Wick’s drink – Bourbon, Blanton's Single Barrel Original
John Wick’s favorite drink has always been Bourbon. Bourbon is a whiskey that is malted with corn (Authentic Bourbon of course is only brewed with corn). Legally, the composition of the brewing material must have over 51% of corn to name a drink bourbon.
The bourbon that John wick drinks is a Blanton's Single Barrel Original. The distinctive characteristics of the Blanton’s Single Barrel Original is the horse-riding cork.
This bourbon ins produced in Kentucky where one of the finest corns are cultivated. ‘Single Barrel’ means that the batch was only produced in one oak barrel.
There might be multiple relocations of a batch from one barrel to another but a single barrel means that only in one barrel that the batch was brewed. ‘The Original’ refers to the fact that Blanton’s Single Barrel Original was the first single barrel bourbon.
Baths of Caracalla – The catacombs where John Wick’s fights and Gianna D’Antonio’s coronation
Terme di Caracalla in Italian, the baths of Caracalla is a public bath constructed during the reign of the Roman empire. The Terme di Caracalla was named after the 21st Roman emperor most known as Caracalla which has been preserved as of 2023 for 1800 years of history.
There are various opinions of emperor Caracalla himself due to his cruel leadership, however he did make an impressive location in terms of the historic implementations that suits John Wick Chapter 2 in many different meanings.
Catacombs is the combination of ‘cata’ and ‘comb’. ‘Cata’ means ‘in the middle’ or ‘in between’ while comb refers to a ‘tomb’. Thus, catacombs are tombs where people could move in between.
During the reign of the Roman empire, burial was a much more common funeral than cremation even for the public. Thus, there was a great demand in catacombs since the ancient Roman empire.
With John Wick wandering around through death and death, it seemed to symbolize John Wick’s might indirectly.
Greek-Roman reference in John Wick
Winston’s role is very similar with Haedes(not much proof to this) while Charon is directly the name of the gondolier of the Styx River receiving specie and coins from the dead. Ares was the name of Santino D’Antonio’s main bodyguard acted by Ruby Rose.
Ares wasn’t a favored god in Greek mythology while Mars (Ares is equivalent with Ares) was considered more sacred by the aggressive Romans.
Ares was considered inconsistent and not as ferocious as the tile of the God of War just like how Ares seemed to be more of a bluff compared with John wick just like how Ares is treated by Greek mythology. In John Wick chapter 1, Markus acted by Willem Dafoe and Aurelio acted by John Leguizamo have the name literally from Marcus Aurelius, the great emperor of the Roman empire.
Hellen is referred from Hellen of Troy, Cassian who was Gianna D’Antonio’s right hand man was also a reference from the important Roman saint Johan Cassian. Julius of the Italian Rome Continental Hotel is also named after the kaiser Julius Caesar.
The unification of the Italia Kingdom (Kingdom of Italy)
The art piece that Santino D’ Antonio was looking right before he met John Wick is The Battle of Custoza in Italian La Battaglia di Custoza made by Giovanni Fattori.
To fully appreciate this artwork, one must understand the process of the unification of the Italia Kingdom (Kingdom of Italy) Italy was once the center of the Roman Empire that unified Europe and the North African region along the Mediterranean Sea.
After the death of the Theodosius the first, the sons of Theodosius divided the Roman Empire into two, the Eastern Roman Empire and the Western Roman Empire.
The Italian peninsula was part of the West Roman Empire; however, an outsider named Odoacer united various tribes and took control of the Italian peninsula.
The Western Roman Empire also perished by the invasion of various tribes and races in year 476. The Italain peninsula became the Odoacer Kingdom which claimed to have succeed the Italian Kingdom that all countries claim so as well.
Gothics which were derived from the Eastern Germanic peoples invaded the Odoacer Kingdom and constituted the Eastern Gothic Kingdom on year 493.
During the 530’s, Justinian the first also known as Justinian the Great, started the Italian campaign to claim the glorious era of the Roman Empire. Justinian was the emperor of the Eastern Roman Empire from 527 to 565.
Despite the efforts of the Eastern Roman Empire, another race that derived from the Germania peoples the Lombardians took control of the Italian peninsula except for Rome.
After substantial time, Italy divided into various city-states and kingdoms ruled by the Spanish, French Empire or the Austrian Empire.
During the early 1800’s , the French Revolution and the Napoleonic Wars spread liberalism around Europe. The city-states that longed for the unification of Italy also adopted liberalism and the Kingdom of Sardinia starts it the journey for unifying Italy.
Regino di Sardgna or the Kingdom of Sardinia was a kingdom located north of Italy with Torino as its capital. Since the late 1840’s the Italian Independence wars have begun and after the third Italian Independence War, the Kingdom of Sardinia unified Italy and established the Regn d’Italia, the kingdom of Italia(Italy).
The art that Santino D’Antoni was glazing at – Giovanni Fattori 's 'La Battaglia di Custoza' or 'The Battle of Custoza') feat. Unification of Italy and the Italian Independence Wars
The artwork that Santino D’ Antonio was glazing at during his conversation with John Wick to kill his sister Gianna D’ Antonio was Giovanni Fattori 's 'La Battaglia di Custoza' or 'The Battle of Custoza'.
The Battle of Custoza was part of the 3rd Italian Independence War where 12,000 Italian troops and 7,500 Austrian troops faced off in Custoza located in Venice.
The Prussian Kingdom had a conflict with the Austrian Empire in regards of power within the German people.
On 1866, Prussia declares war on the Austrian Empire which is known as the Austro-Prussian War. Italy or Italia also forms an alliance with Prussia against Austrian Empire and free the Italian Peninsula from the Habsurg family’s control.
Regarding the victory of Battle of Custoza, there are many disputes on who benefited from it as the Italian forces faced heavier casualties than the Austrian forces. However, the Austrian forces had to retreat from Custoza and Venice as the Prussian’s were pushing through.
Regarding that Santino D’ Antonio temporarily becomes the leader of Camora as John Wick assassinates Gianna but Santino D’ Antonio and his crew were all brutally murdered by John Wick’s Austrian Glock series, this art piece may symbolize the fate between John Wick and Santino D’ Antonio.
The weapon/grenade launcher Santino D’ Antonio uses to burn John Wick’s house: ARWEN 37
The ARWEN 37 was manufactured by the Government owned arms company RSAF Enfield (Royal Small Arms Factory Enfield of Great Britain. ARWEN 37 itself is an acronym of Ant-Riot Weapon Enfield that was initially developed to launch smoke grenades and gas grenades for riots.
The ARWEN 37 has a massive caliber itself so it is unusual that it is used as a riot gun because a caliber this massive could be lethal itself). Santino D’ Antonio uses this riot gun / grenade launcher and blows up John Wick’s home, the temple that seized the devil.
The statue behind Santino D’ Antonio - Hercules and his servant Lichas
The statue behind Santion D’ Antonio when he puts a 7-million-dollar bounty on John Wick was the statue of Hercules and his servant Lichas with the pantheon of the Greek-Roman gods.
The statue describes the moment where Hercules suffers from the poison on his clothes but accidentally thrashes Lichas who got killed trying to help Hercules. The story is as below.
Hercules’s wife Deianira noticed that Hercules was starting to turn away from him. Nessus, the centaur who was killed by Hercules plots to avenge on Hercules and persuades Deianira to spread his blood on the clothes of Hercules.
Nessus, was poisoned by the blood of the venomous hydra and knew that if he tricks Deianira to spread his blood onto Hercules, he could take him down with him.
Deianira spread the blood of Nessus being deceived that it shall bring the love of Hercules back to her. Hercules returned home and felt agony and pain while changing his clothes. Hercules lost his mind due to the pain and accidentally kills Lichas who was his loyal servant and tried to help him.
Deinaira also deceived is so shocked that she commits suicide as well. Hercules was already a demi-god so he would suffer from the pain of the hydra’s venom but could not bear the pain. Hercules would be put on cremation to put himself off from the misery.
The Hercules-Lichas statue would symbolize John Wick. John Wick may have returned because Santino D’ Antonio took the means of John Wick from remembering his wife Hellen and incinerate John Wick’s house full of memories of him and Hellen.
John Wick eventually was dragged into the world of outlaws just as Winston warned him.
Came back because of love, murdering his friends and as a part of revenge, numerous people would die as John Wick pursues his revenge on Santino D’Antonio just how Hercules killed innocent Lichas.
.
The guns and firearms that the Sommelier recommends to John Wick
Interestingly, the Sommelier recommends a total of 4 weapon types to John Wick. This is a great detail because a formal Italian restaurant course consists of 4 dishes unlike the ordinary French style 3 course.
The Italian restaurant course has an appetizer, pasta dish, main dish, and dessert. In Italian, Antipasto, Primo Piatto, Secondo piatto, Dolce.
Glock 26, Glock 34
The Sommelier recommends the Austrian Glock series. Probably a reference from the battle of Custoza. The sommelier notes that the Austrian Glocks come with a customized grip, flared magwell and could have a suppressor on.
A Flared Magwell is a gun part where there is a little bit broader magazine insertion. This allows a magazine change a bit easier and lead to a faster magazine change. ‘Flared’ means something that gets wider as it heads down while a magwell is a combination of magazine and a well.
TT1 TR-1 Ultralight (AR-15 variant / Taran Tactical Innovations TR-1 Ultralight)
As a robust and precise weapon, the Sommelier recommends the TR-1 Ultralight which is a variant from the legendary AR-15. The TR-1 Ultralight is manufactured by Taran Tactical Innovations. It has a 11.5-inch barrel, enhanced bolt carriers and a x 6 magnification Trijicon AccupPoint ® attached.
The AR-15 is the weapon that symbolizes the Western world first manufactured by the arms company Armalite made by the famous Eugene Stoner.
Eugene Stoner’s Ar-15 rivaled the AK-47 made by Mikhail Kalashnikov (Михаил Тимофеевич Калашников) which represents the Eastern world during the cold war.
The M16 and the M4 are also based on the AR-15. The gun that the sommelier gives to John Wick is actually a 14.5-inch barrel AR-15 variant the TR-1 Ultra-Light.
Trijicon is the munitions company that experts in making scopes. The AccuPoint® is a brand that Trijicon has rights so Trijicon AccupPoint® is not a type of weapon but rather a scope brand made by Trijicon
Benelli M4 Super 90
As something big, bold, the sommelier recommends the 12-gauge Italian Benelli M4 semi-automatic shotgun with custom bold carriers probably made to be much easier to lock and load munitions with texture grips in case John Wick gets wet hands.
The Benelli M4 is originally made in Italy, however it is license manufactured by numerous arms companies as it is a ‘classic’ and ‘efficient weapon’. The Benelli M4 in John Wick is made by Taran Tactical Innovations just like the TR-1 Ultralight.
The museum in John Wick Chapter 2 Reloaded – National Gallery of Modern Art of Rome
The National Gallery of Modern Art of Rome (Galleria Nazionale Arte Moderna) is a museum located in Rome and serves as the filming location for John Wick Chapter 2 Reloaded.
The cast were also shocked that the National Gallery of Modern Art of Rome would allow production for their crew when they first asked for permission. All the art pieces were replicants and the artworks were safe from the rage of John Wick.
Inspirations of the bible and Christianity in John Wick
‘Excommunicado’ is not an actual word in real life, however it definitely derived from ‘Excommunication’ where the Roman Catholic Church would resign sinners, cults and sects from the church. Even in the Roman Catholic Church,
‘Excommunication’ is not permanent and there are variants such as lighter excommunication to much severe heavier excommunication. Also, those who were excommunicated could be redeemed by various means.
Probably the most famous excommunication would be the Walk of Canossa or the Humiliation of Canossa where Pope Gregory the 7th excommunicates Heinrich the 4th the emperor of the Holy Roman Empire but redeems him after his ask for redemption in a humiliating method.
John Wick is also excommunicated from the criminal world at the end of the movie.
Also, Juilus the manager of the Roman Continental Hotel asks if John Wick is after the Pope which seems the be the only action not tolerated at the Roman Continental Hotel which John replies no.
In the deleted scenes, there is a scene where John visits the Vatican for the permission of his actions which itself was a very interesting scene even though it was deleted on the actual film.
John Wick was never described as justice or a saint, he was always nicknamed the boogeyman, death himself, the devil or the babayaga even as the man who you call to kill the babayaga regardless of whether John Wick is good or evil. Santino literally means ‘Little Saint’ in Italian.
Thus, John Wick is more of the devil after the little saint. Winston describes Santino’s action as stabbing the devil in the back and questions what did he expect after he incinerated the priest’s temple and unleash the devil John Wick that was sealed by the priest’s temple which is his house full of memories with his wife.
The body count of John Wick Chapter 2 Reloaded
John Wick kills a total of 128 people during the film(This may be subjective) As the running time of John Wick Chapter 2 Reloaded is 122 minutes, within less of a minute a person dies to be more precise in average every 57 seconds, one person died in John Wick Chapter 2.
