Die Xue Jie Tou
Directed by:
John WooScreenplay:
Janet ChunCast:
Tony Chiu-wai Leung, Jacky Cheung, Waise Lee, Simon Yam, Yolinda Yam, Hang-Suen So, Nina Paw, Lawrence Sek-yin Lau, Ernest Mauser, Tin-hung Yee, Tseng Chang (more)Plots(1)
Following up on his 1989 masterpiece The Killer, superstar action director John Woo directs this emotionally wrenching look at three friends waylaid in war-torn Vietnam. Set in 1967, when clashes between leftists protesting British rule and the police were tearing the colony apart, the film opens with Frank (Jacky Cheung Hok-yau) offering the deed to his parents' home as collateral to a loan shark, so that he can pay for his buddy Ben's (Tony Leung Chiu-wai) wedding party. Unfortunately, Frank is ambushed by a thug named Ringo and his associates who make off with the money. Ben and Frank vow revenge and end up accidentally killing the guy. Wanted by both the law and the triads, Frank, Ben, and their pal Paul (Waise Lee Chi-hung) head for Vietnam with a case of fake Rolexes and dreams of making a quick buck. Immediately upon arrival, those dreams are dashed - their wares are blown up in a tin-can military coup, they are almost shot by the South Vietnamese army, and their passports are seized. Though tempted to throw in the towel, Frank and Ben are convinced by Paul into joining forces with shady hit man named Luke (Simon Yam Tat-wah) to shake down club owner Leong (Lam Chung). The scheme goes horribly wrong, ending with the death of a beautiful drug-addled singer named Sally (Yolinda Yan Chi-sin) and our three heroes accused of being CIA agents in a North Vietnamese POW camp. (official distributor synopsis)
(more)Reviews (3)
Similar to the classic The Deer Hunter in terms of its subject, Bullet in the Head is an outstanding drama with well-developed characters, constantly changing settings, numerous shocking scenes that will make your hands shake and great action in both the interiors and exteriors. Though it’s a bit long, it is a correspondingly BOUNTIFUL film, and that includes a deep story and powerful emotions. It falls just a hair short of getting my highest rating.
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This masterpiece of John Woo hit me in the head like a bullet. The brilliantly filmed story of three friends who, through unfortunate circumstances, find themselves in war-torn Saigon and their friendship is put to the test by the extraordinary and incomprehensible brutality of war. Woo brilliantly combined the dynamic action film made in Hong Kong and a psychological drama, which is surprisingly very good in the film. He thereby created something that will stick in your head not only through excellent action scenes, but also with the surprising power of the characters and their ailing fates. Indeed, Bullet in the Head has all the features of the "fast" Hong Kong school, but in addition to shooting, it can also strike the soul with its rawness and openness in depicting real brutality that overshadows mere cinematic action. My joy was only spoiled by an overly action-based conclusion, which in my eyes favored effect over thought. Which is quite a shame.
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A little different than the John Woo made in the USA. The bloody ballet is still the same, but here everything else is taken much more seriously.
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