BULLET IN THE HEAD (Hong Kong - 1990): Fleeing from a murder rap during the political turmoil of 1960's Hong Kong, three devoted friends (Tony Leung Chiu-wai, Jacky Cheung Hok-yau and Waise Lee Chi-hung) seek their fortunes in war-torn Vietnam and are ripped apart by greed and betrayal.John Woo's ambitious movie - an operatic valentine to his youth in HK and his love of David Lean epics, and a response to the Tiananmen Square massacre in 1989 - went over-schedule and flopped at the local box-office when released in 1990, but has since been recognized as one of the finest productions in HK film history. Newcomers Leung, Cheung and Lee are terrific as the three friends whose lives are devastated by the violence they encounter in a foreign land, and they're matched throughout by Simon Yam Tat-wah as the Eurasian hitman who rescues them from the worst of their experiences. For all its explosions and gunplay, however, BULLET IN THE HEAD is a very human drama, played out against the vast backdrop of the Vietnam conflict, and invested with a palpable sense of love and compassion for its leading characters. Cinematography and editing are world-class, and Woo's dark-hearted script (co-written by Patrick Leung Pak-kin and Janet Chin) incorporates the themes of loyalty and brotherhood which have shaped and defined all of his films since A BETTER TOMORROW (1986). Cheung's final scene is absolutely heartbreaking; classic score by James Wong Jim and Romeo Diaz. Original title: DIP HUET GAAI TAU (Cantonese) or DIE XIE JIE TOU (Mandarin).Picture quality on Hong Kong Legends' 2-disc Platinum Edition marks a major improvement over previous home video editions, though a certain amount of cropping is evident throughout. For contractual reasons, HKL is unable to provide mono tracks for films released theatrically in that format, though the 5.1 tracks here are remarkably faithful to the spirit of the original experience. The subtitles are also fine, though too literal in places, which blunts some of the film's most emotional sequences. Extras include interviews with some of the film's key personnel, though Leung and Woo are noticeably absent, and Bey Logan provides another sterling audio commentary; his criticisms of Lee's performance and the 'unnecessary' final scene are well-taken but a little too hard, though he makes a number of salient points about the film's lapses in logic whilst also nailing the reasons for the film's classic status. The menus are works of art in their own right. The running time listed below doesn't include the Media Asia logos which open and close the DVD print, and weren't part of the original film.
Waise Lee | Paul / Little Wing |
Jacky Cheung | Frank / Fai |
Tony Leung Chiu Wai | Ben / Ah Bee |
Simon Yam | Luke |
Fennie Yuen | Jane |
Yolinda Yam | Sally Yen |
Chung Lam | Y.S. Leong |
Shek Yin Lau | Fatso |
John Woo | Police Inspector |
Romeo Díaz | Composer |
James Wong | Composer |
Yue Ding | |
Chung Lin | Y.S. Leong |
Hee Ching Paw | Ben's Mother |
Hang Shuen So | Jane's Mother |
Kan-Wing Tsang | Jane's Father |
Chang Tseng | Paul's Father |
Kwong Lam Tsui | Frank's father |
Tseng Chang | Paul's Father |
Ernst Mausser | Bar Pianist (uncredited) |
Jacky Cheung Hok-yau | |
Leung Siu Hung | |
Cuba Gooding, Jr. | Tré Styles |
Ice Cube | Doughboy |
Morris Chestnut | Ricky Baker |
Laurence Fishburne | Furious Styles |
Nia Long | Brandi |
Tyra Ferrell | Mrs. Baker |
Regina King | Shalika |
Angela Bassett | Reva Styles |
Lloyd Avery II | Knucklehead #2 |
Hudhail Al-Amir | S.A.T. Man |
Susan Falcon | Mrs. Olaf |
Na'Blonka Durden | Trina |
Nicole Brown | Brandi |
Darneicea Corley | Keisha |
Kenneth A. Brown | Little Chris |
John Cothran, Jr. | Lewis Crump |
Ceal | Sheryl |
Yolinda Yan | |
Lam Chung | |
Wei-min Tan | |
Wai Man Tam | (as Wei-min Tan) |