Bullet in the Head, 1990.

Directed by John Woo.
Starring Tony Leung, Jacky Cheung, Waise Lee, Simon Yam, Yolinda Yam, and Chung Lam.

SYNOPSIS:

When three close friends escape from Hong Kong to war-time Saigon to start a criminal’s life, they all go through a harrowing experience which totally shatters their lives and their friendship forever.

Arrow Video continue their run of 4K UHD special editions of Hong Kong filmmaker John Woo’s pre-Hollywood action epics with 1990s Bullet in the Head, a movie that borrows heavily from several heavyweight American films but throws those themes into a blender with a commentary on Hong Kong’s British rule and Woo’s unique frenetic style to create something a little different for the director.

Beginning in 1967, friends B (Tony Leung), Little Wing (Waise Lee) and Fai Jai (Jacky Cheung) are carefree young men into rock n’ roll and fighting with local street gangs. On the night of his wedding, B and Fai go to find rival gang leader Ringo after some of his goons had attacked Fai earlier on in the evening, and once the adrenaline kicks in B goes overboard and kills Ringo. After finding Wing and letting him in on what they have done the three decide to leave Hong Kong until the heat dies down, with B promising his wife he will come back for her.

They go to Vietnam, where Wing wants a cut of the smuggling action going on due to the war and believes he can make his fortune. The other two aren’t quite so confident but they go along with it, eventually teaming up with Luke (Simon Yam), an assassin who works for ruthless gangster Leong (Chung Lam). Luke dreams of escaping Vietnam with Sally (Yolinda Lam), a nightclub singer that Leong kidnapped, got hooked on drugs and forced into prostitution, and the three friends agree to help them after they have stolen Leong’s stash of gold that he keeps in his safe, which they do but after escaping by boat they are attacked by gangsters before being captured by the Vietcong. However, the choice of freedom or gold is not easy as the loyalties between the friends has become fractured and, for Wing especially, the lure of the gold is more appealing than helping his childhood pals escape with their lives.

Part crime/action thriller and part character drama with a bit of a war movie chucked in, Bullet in the Head is a hugely chaotic movie as B, Fai Jai and Little Wing go from the fire to the frying pan several times over, never getting a break and missing out on the relatively innocent things that young men should be experiencing. Yes, they brought it on themselves by killing Ringo when they didn’t have to, but loyalties between childhood friends can be stronger than the bond between a husband and wife, and if Fai Jai got a beating from another gang whilst trying to help his buddies then his buddies are going to help him get even. The movie shows that a moment of madness can change things forever, and John Woo is going to pile on the bad fortune until tragedy inevitably strikes, which it does in a very emotionally charged way that justifies the title of the movie.

Taking its cues from The Deer Hunter and, to a lesser extent, Apocalypse Now, Bullet in the Head spends its opening scenes in a joyously bright and energetic montage of the three friends indulging in the youth culture of the rock n’ roll era, which throws you off the scent of where the movie is going to go as it gets very dark very quickly, and the economical writing gets you to the heart of the matter very quickly, warming you to the three main characters and their plight despite their part in instigating it. There is a touch of Scarface about the movie as the three friends try to climb their way to the top the quick and easy(ish) way, and the writing and performances are top notch as Wing becomes disillusioned by their situation and prioritises money over friendship. The results of this decision are heartbreaking and the final act of the movie is probably the finest piece of filmmaking that John Woo ever put his name to, certainly by that point in time.

As is usual, Arrow have given Bullet in the Head a full Dolby Vision/HDR10 compatible makeover, complete with a consistent level of grain and superb levels of detail. It does dip in and out of focus occasionally, but the movie is 36 years old and there is not a lot that can be done about it now. Nevertheless, the print gives the movie a fresh look despite its age and when the bullets start flying it all looks sharp and the colours pop at the appropriate moments. As well as the Theatrical Cut on 4K UHD, the three-disc set also comes with two standard Blu-rays featuring what is labelled The Festival Cut that runs six minutes longer, with a few extra gore scenes, some minor plot details and some deleted scenes that aren’t of the same visual quality. It’s nice to have it, but if you want to watch the movie in the best possible presentation then you aren’t missing much by sticking with the Theatrical Cut. Disc three is a bonus material disc that features several new and archival cast and crew interviews.

Overall, Bullet in the Head may well be John Woo’s masterpiece, certainly when it comes to the balance of action and drama. Yes, Hard Boiled came after this and was probably the director at his creative peak when it came to shooting violent scenes on camera but there is a lot more to Bullet in the Head than just shootouts and explosions, the action more organic and realistic than the hyper-stylised version he would make his own, and the deeper character studies never wavering or going OTT when they could easily have done so. If you are collecting these John Woo re-releases then Bullet in the Head is a must-have, but if you are not or have yet to discover this brilliant film then get on it now before this limited edition sells out, as this is the definitive edition of an essential movie.

SEE ALSO: The Essential Films of John Woo

Flickering Myth Rating – Film: ★ ★ ★ ★ / Movie: ★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Chris Ward