《喋血街頭》 Bullet in the Head (1990)
Synopsis:
Ben (Tony Leung Chiu-Wai), Frank (Jacky Cheung) and Paul (Waise Lee) are three longtime buddies who cruise the streets of Hong Kong circa 1967 like rejects from West Side Story. Defiant and proud, they’re also fiercely loyal to their families and each other, and will engage in street fisticuffs and other assorted lengths to prove it. When Ben decides to marry girlfriend Jane (Fennie Yuen), Frank and Paul secure a loan to pay for the wedding banquet, but Frank is attacked by the local gang. Bloodied, he still arrives at the banquet with the money, but Ben isn’t satisfied with letting things go. He goes after the responsible parties, and accidentally leaves one dead—and this is ON his wedding night.
With the law after him, Ben is forced to flee, and hightails it to Saigon with his two buddies. The three are supposed to deliver some illegal goods to a Mr. Leong (Lam Ching), but things quickly go awry. The goods are lost in a terrorist bombing, and protesters and North Vietnamese sympathizers are shot without pity. Luckily, they have a contact: Eurasian mercenary Luke (Simon Yam in the Chow Yun-Fat role), who’s so damn cool that he kills with flair, smokes cigars like a man, and still manages to romance the ladies. Luke helps the boys square things with Mr. Leong, but they’re not satisfied with just completing their deal. Ben wants to free Sally (Yolinda Yan), a former HK singer who now “belongs” to Leong, and Paul wants a case of gold leaf that Mr. Leong possesses. Together, the four stage a daring raid on Mr. Leong’s club that’s vintage John Woo, complete with two-gun action, slow-motion explosions and lots and lots of blood.
Interviews:
- Jacky Cheung (Part 1, Part 2)
- Waise Lee (Part 1, Part 2)
- Simon Yam (Part 1, Part 2)
- Reflections on Bullet in the Head with Bey Logan
Movie Reviews: