Let the Bullets Fly (2010)

Very best movie i ever watch

Must See Movie...

Absolutely Fantastic

I really wanted to like this movie. I feel terribly cynical trashing it, and that's why I'm giving it a middling 5. Actually, I'm giving it a 5 because there were some superb performances.

Jiang Wen's Let The Bullets Fly is a very original piece of cinema that blends genres seemingly with ease to create a fantastic and unique cinematic experience. This film is hard to put in one category but I am reminded most of Korean western The Good, The Bad And The Weird and Kung Fu Hustle, to get an idea. The story has a group of bandits with a Robin Hood ethos at odds with a ruthless gangster(played by Chow Yun Fat) and their attempts to outwit one another. The film looks fantastic and the film is very tight and well performed. The film is recommended to watch multiple times to try to fully grasp and absorb the film as a whole as there is much to take in on one sitting. There are plot twists galore with large doses of Chinese black humor, sprinkled with small doses of extreme violence and some gunplay. The film goes by at a rapid pace and has some tremendous performances. Let The Bullets Fly was a huge box office hit in China and got some well earned critical acclaim. This is recommended for cinema lovers looking for something complex, rich and at times bonkers.

Although the movie is allegedly set during the Chinese civil war, the first phase of the war between the Nationalists and Communists did not start until 1927, and the movie appears to be set in a time before the first phase began.The underlying story is about a bandit (played by Wen Jiang) who disguises himself as a local "governor" (mayor of a town). His motive is acquiring wealth through fraud, or so one is lead to believe initially. Instead, the movie turns into a complex mind-game between the bandit, named Pocky Zhang, and a local war lord (Master Huang, played by Yun-Fat Chow). A struggle ensues, and the storyline turns on who will prevail. Prostitutes (with hearts of gold, of course -- something movies seem to love even though divorced from reality) also play a major role in the story.The joy of the movie is watching the two protagonists (each served by loyal and capable side-kicks) try to one-up each other. There are plots within plots within plots. The film is also laced with farce and a few guest appearances by an excellent traditional Chinese drum band. All characters have traits that are both admirable and foolish.Can you stay one step ahead of the protagonists as they scheme and counter-scheme? Good luck.My one criticism is that the English language subtitles are small and pass by on the screen so fast that it is often hard to read them completely.If you enjoy watching cleverness unfold, with the hero ultimately prevailing, and you do not mind struggling with the dialog, this is a cute movie. It is a much more sophisticated sojourn into Chinese culture and greed that the traditional kung-fu movie. It is likely that the script reflects more than a tad of Party influence since our hero, the bandit, ultimately turns out to have a heart of gold (no pun)and care only for "the people." Fortunately, this does not distract from the plot or the characters. Wen Jiang and Yun-Fat Chow are superb lead characters, as one would expect of actors of their quality.The movie is long at 132 minutes, but you will never be bored. Even the special effects are exceedingly well done.

If William Shakespeare had written a western that takes place in China at the beginning of the 20th century, it would be thus. This intricate plot contains many of the hallmarks of Shakespearean storytelling, conveyed with clever and engaging dialogue and satisfying action: murder, revenge, hidden identities, nobility of purpose, greed, political machinations, romance, violence, greathearted heroes, petty tyrants, henchmen, and impostors. My only real complaint with this film is that the denouement is a little weak. But, overall, I loved it.If you buy/rent it on DVD, I would recommend viewing it in Mandarin with English subtitles —I found that the English overdub was enjoyable, but a little too "American"; the subtitles had more punch, and kept the flavour of the original Mandarin (fyi, watching it with English overdub *and* English subtitles is trippy).

At the time of this writing, this is listed as China's highest-grossing domestic film. I went into it expecting some kind of action-packed blockbuster (especially with the title "Let the Bullets Fly," got me expecting stylish John Woo style gunfights or something). I should have known that this film couldn't be identified by blockbuster terms; it's actually a pretty weird and goofy film, with far less emphasis on action and much more on setting up intricate dialogues and intricate plot points. On its own merits, the film is very fast-paced and dense; it has some gunfighting and action, and a few rather violent scenes, but most of it is focused on the storytelling.The storytelling is satisfying. Even though the comedy can be a huge hit-or-a-miss, and there are a few unbelievable scenes, the characters shine through and dominate the spotlight. It's hard not to enjoy the antics of the bandits and the thugs, and their complex interactions. It's especially hard not to appreciate the complexity of the plotting and counter-plotting that both gangs go through; with the rapid-fire pacing, it may be convoluted for some viewers, but I was never fully lost. Each scene is set up to advance the plot in strange new directions, leading up to a rather fun climax. In the end, I enjoyed watching the chemistry between the characters and their intricate mind games, more than the action.This film has quality photography, and some really fast editing. Acting can be very over-the-top, but Chow Yun-Fat and Jiang Wen both put on iconic performances. Writing is quite witty and sharp. This production has fine-looking period sets, props, and costumes. Certain special effects look awful, but they are few and very far between. Music for this picture is okay (it includes a pretty odd use of drums and chanting toward the end).Chances are that some folks will find the comedy, fast pacing, and complex plot a little hard to follow, so I'd recommend it as a rental. Connoisseurs of Asian cinema will probably enjoy this a little more easily than average western audiences.4/5 (entertainment: 4/5, story: 4.5/5, film: 4/5)