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BULLET IN THE HEAD BULLET IN THE HEAD directed, produced, edited and co-written by John Woo, is the year's best picture. It confirms the filmmaker as one of the greatest living. Bullet opens in Hong Kong during the Vietnam war when gang warfare and anti-war demonstrations were a common occurence. Three streetsmart teenages, Ben (Tony Leung), Frank (Jacky Cheung) and Paul (Waise Lee) flee the country and head to Saigon with a case of pharmaceuticals. Plans to make some quick cash from the sale of the drugs are thwarted constantly and inevitably by car bombs, political assassinations, corrupt officials, and the pervading escalating violence of the war itself. The boys wind up in a hellish prison camp where they are forced to kill American G.I.s in exchange for their own survival. Though set during the Vietnam conflict, Bullet is not a "Vietnam" film. It pushes no barrow and depicts all participants with blood on their hands. Ultimately, via its ultra-anti-romantic viewpoint, Bullet paints war as a futile, meandering series of conflicts. Woo's unique ability to marry the sentimental to the brutal is overwhelmingly evident in Bullet. The finely drawn characters move logically through a gamut of emotions, actions and reactions. The film's non-violent moments are staggeringly beautiful displays of humanity and humility. Ben farewelling his beautiful bride, intercut with a bomb disposal expert at work, is both a tragic and passionate slice of realism that clearly defines the torn ambitions of its characters. Full of violent death, Bullet is, nevertheless, a celebration of life. Ben, Frank and Paul face a relentless series of setbacks with cunning, hope and ruthless determination. We cheer these characters because they positively refuse to be beaten. The violence in this film is brilliantly utilised to create character. The film's early fight scenes, in which Ben, Frank and Paul brawl on the streets of Hong Kong, establish the boys as vicious survivors. The later scenes, less gleeful and balletic, emphasise the fractured nature of the trio's relationship. Apart from the leads, who all deliver stellar performances, praise must also go to Simon Yam (as Luke), Fennie Yuen (as Jane) and Yolinda Yan (as Sally). Yam, not seen since Fatal Termination and the not-so-excellent Killer's Romance, is absolutely great as Luke, a James Bond-style rebel, who aids Ben, Frank and Paul during a violent confrontation in a Saigon nightclub, "The Bolero". Yam exudes personality and grips the screen from corner to corner. Yan, as an exploited nightclub singer, is quietly impressive in a small role. Yuen, also in a small role, possesses a refreshing amount of inner strength and conviction. Placing Woo's pictures in the "action" genre is doing them a disservice. Woo is a consummate storyteller whose films sizzle with life. The themes of love, death and ambition pump blood into the heart of every scene. The violence is disturbing yet purifying. The melodrama is exaggerated to an unprecedented degree, yet it is never empty or contrived. The presentation of major action scenes is constantly refreshing and new. Kudos must also go to composers James Wong and Romeo Diaz for a score that subtly emphasises the film's shifting themes and emotions. The duo previously scored Woo's Just Heroes (the year's best score) and A Chinese Ghost Story 1 & 2. Bullet in the Head (previously announced as Another Bullet in the Head) is a masterwork that assaults the senses and stretches the potential of cinema to make us feel. MARK SAVAGE Mark Savage is the director of Sensitive New Age Killer. He has previously contributed his Top Ten to Heroic-Cinema. This review originally appeared in Fatal Visions magazine.
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