Bullet in the Head (1990)

Memorable, crazy movie

I don't have all the words right now but this film is a work of art.

This is a small, humorous movie in some ways, but it has a huge heart. What a nice experience.

Very good movie overall, highly recommended. Most of the negative reviews don't have any merit and are all pollitically based. Give this movie a chance at least, and it might give you a different perspective.

I've long been a fan of John Woo's films ever since I saw my first, HARD TARGET, about a decade ago. While I still love that movie, I'm aware that many of Woo's Chinese films are considered far superior to anything he's done in Hollywood. HARD-BOILED is a favourite thanks to the intense action but, having just watched BULLET IN THE HEAD, I can appreciate that this is perhaps his most intense and emotional film yet.The story is a simple one: three young friends, all male, all ambitious, find themselves on the wrong side of the law in Vietnam, caught up with smugglers and the Vietcong army. What follows is an odyssey of discovery and heartbreak in equal measure. Woo focuses on the darker side of life (and death), making this his most downbeat yet. What happens is tragic and moving, yet captured with skilled direction and masterful action sequences that make it utterly compelling. It reminded me a little of the Korean war film BROTHEROOD, although this is superior.The three young stars, Leung, Cheung, and Lee, each put in great performances on different sides of the spectrum. Leung is the clear-cut hero, with a conscience; Lee is the one sidetracked by a lust for riches, and Cheung is the comic relief, the one who finds himself in all sorts of scrapes. There's also a brilliant turn from Simon Yam who should have won an Oscar for his supporting performance here – it's the best I've ever seen him and makes me appreciate him as an actor far more than I did previously.The movie is action-packed and has plenty of brilliant moments. Grenades, sticks of dynamites disguised as cigars, Vietcong torture and a car chase: it's all here, all pulse-pounding. The shoot-out in the bad guy's den recalls SCARFACE in terms of sheer over-the-top carnage, and takes some beating. The finale is over-the-top but works well, and in between we have all sorts of other stuff going down. The Vietcong prison camp sequence is one of the most powerful and disturbing I've seen filmed and it's pretty hard to watch. Blood often flows across the screen in this film and it's definitely not one for the faint hearted. Saying that, I can't help but view this as a masterpiece and a film which should be far better known than it currently is.

Although some would say anti war movie. Long before Windtalkers, John Woo made this movie in HK. To tell you the truth, I wouldn't even call it a war movie ... more an action movie that plays while a war is being fought around them! Tony Leung and others do their best, to bring believability to a script that isn't really the best John Woo has worked on. But despite that fact, it's still mesmerizing and the ending gave me goose bumps! I think it's flawed and maybe I could/should have given it only 8/10, but then again I liked it and that is what matters.I heard that there are a few scenes missing, but that is something you can read about in another section on this IMDb site! :o)

Bloody hell...I saw this movie just yesterday,and it still burns in my mind!! This is probably the most emotional and intimate John Woo,if not the best of his career...It's an epic tale of friendship and betrayal,and,God,at the end i almost cried...Speaking about the ending:the DVD that i retrieved is the "car-chase version",and tonight i discovered that Woo filmed another ending,with (if i have understood well)Ben killing Paul in the boardroom,as Paul killed Frank in Vietnam (pulling his jacket over his head and shooting him down)...Well,too bad i haven't seen the so-called "true ending",anyway i also liked very much the over-the-top final duel...It was very moving,showing the end of the brotherhood between the main characters in a so sad and bloody way...9 out of 10,guarantee!

The best and most beautiful of John Woo's films. It is a raw, emotional epic that transcends genre. When I first saw it theatrically, it became my favorite film ever... and is still high on my top ten list. I saw it with the office ending, and it's the ending I will always prefer. Why? Because it's tonally consistent. The car chase ending is not. It is sloppily directed. Woo tries to make it resonate by inter-cutting the bike riding sequence, but it feels forced. The sequence has no reason to exist. The film is extremely powerful and has sequences that are unforgettable -- Ben bidding his wife farewell during a student demonstration; the murder of Ringo; the pee drinking scene; Frank's final moments; Simon's Yam's stylish intro, the list is endless. The score by James Wong and Romeo Diaz is one of the greatest ever and takes its melodic cues from "I'm A Believer" (The Monkeys). It is an extraordinary piece of work and it is a screaming insult that it is not available on CD. Tony Leung's performance (as Ben) is riveting, and this is the film that truly showcased his awesome talent. The action sequences are Woo's strongest and most realistic, and the cinematography is amazing. The opening twenty minutes are virtually dialog-free as Woo establishes the day-to-day lives of his three protagonists (Leung, Waise Lee and Jacky Cheung) and sets up their destiny. The emotional build is extremely powerful and the depiction of war is graphic, insane and hideous. Ultimately, "Bullet in the Head" is a devastating experience and testament to John Woo's incredible talent. Nothing he has made since has come even close to the cinematic majesty of this masterpiece.