Bullet in the Head

Hell is both war and other people in John Woo’s epic tragedy.

“It’s war. Everybody loses.”

It’s certainly not unfair to say that people familiar with the works of legendary Hong Kong director John Woo tend to think of his films as being loaded with stylised action, generally designed around the idea that gunplay is cool, and must look as such. It’s been his shtick for decades now so it will no doubt come as something of a shock to watch his oft-overlooked 1990 epic Bullet in the Head and see a different side to fire fights and bloodshed.

Bee (Tony Leung), Fai (Jackie Cheung) and Wing (Waise Lee) are three friends and gang members in the 1960s, who often clash with a rival gang. After Fai barely escaped a mugging on Bee’s wedding day, the two of them get their revenge, accidentally killing gang leader Keung. Along with Wing, they flee Hong Kong to Vietnam (currently in the middle of its American War), hoping to work for local crime lord Leung (Chung Lin). They meet hitman Lok (Simon Yam), and while attempting to rescue singer-turned-prostitute Ching (Yolinda Yam), they end up facing countless harsh realities, navigating the terrors of a country currently ripped in half and under invasion. In a place where morals are meaningless and it’s everyone for themselves, they fight not only for their own lives, but to keep their brotherhood alive.

On the surface, Bullet in the Head might sound like your typical John Woo film, but watching it is an entirely different experience. While even the most basic action films of his have these themes of brotherhood, loyalty and betrayal, nowhere are they so strongly represented than here. It takes a bit of time to really get going, though, which is probably its biggest flaw: The film has a lot of characters and relationships to establish and it’s not always done with a tonne of finesse. By the time of the big shootout in the nightclub, you’ve forgotten why Lok is out there risking life and limb for these three bozos he barely knows. Thankfully you’re not dwelling on these moments too long: the chemistry between the four leads is strong enough to carry the film by itself, and features riveting performances from everyone, but especially from Cheung as the innocent Fai who’s forced into increasingly horrible situations, and Lee’s Wing whose inner conflict and change throughout the story is perfectly executed.

The setting is extremely rich for storytelling purposes. In a way the basic skeleton of the plot could have been applied to any time period and setting, but 1967 Vietnam is a unique setting, one that allows for a level of lawlessness and tension that would otherwise not be possible. The political strains in the country, and in the world at large, are the biggest antagonistic force in the picture, putting our heroes in increasingly terrible predicaments they have no way of escaping unscathed.

In this world, even the strongest bond between friends is put to its breaking points, and the prisoner of war scenes are some of the hardest to watch in Woo’s entire filmography. Violence is very infrequently glorified here; it’s a horrible act that might be tense and exciting, but for far different reasons than when Chow Yun Fat slides down a banister dual-wielding pistols. Those looking for that high octane Woo action will be pleased, but those who think his stuff is often too blasé about gunfights will enjoy the weight that each shootout has.

It’s a heavy movie that questions morality itself, and what is right or wrong when survival is on the line. It’s an extremely hostile period in Vietnam and Hong Kong’s history, and this is reflected in the lives of our heroes. No one leaves war without scars. Some physical, others psychological. But as Woo makes brutally clear during the movie’s final acts, some bullets leave longer, deeper impressions than others.

Verdict: Arguably Woo’s heroic bloodshed masterpiece, Bullet in the Head is a heart-wrenching story that will surely leave an impression on you once the credits roll.

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Overall entertainment: 9/10
Violence: 10/10
Sex: 0/10
Tears: Many
Soundtrack: 10/10
MVP: Lok, always there when you need him
Weapon of choice: Gotta be those dynamite sticks disguised as cigars

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Bullet in the Head (1990)
Also known as: 喋血街頭
Cantonese, English, French, Vietnamese

Director: John Woo
Writers: John Woo, Patrick Leung, Janet Chun

CAST

Tony Leung – Bee
Jacky Cheung – Fai
Waise Lee – Wing
Simon Yam – Lok
Fennie Yuen – Jane
Yolinda Yam – Yan Ching
Shek Yin Lau – Fatso
Chung Lin – Leung