Die xue jie tou (1990)

User Rating:

7.6/10   

Director:

John Woo

Writers:

Janet Chun (writer)
Patrick Leung (writer)

Release Date:

17 August 1990 (Hong Kong)

Genre:

Action | Crime | Drama | History | Thriller | War

Plot:

In 1967, on the way to the wedding of a friend a young man is accosted by a local gang member. Later...

Plot Keywords:

Friend | Escape | Hong Kong | Friendship | Criminal

Awards:

1 win & 3 nominations

Cast

Tony Leung Chiu Wai	...	Ben / Ah Bee
Jacky Cheung	...	Frank / Fai
Waise Lee	...	Paul / Little Wing
Simon Yam	...	Luke
Fennie Yuen	...	Jane
Yolinda Yam	...	Sally Yen
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Yue Ding
Shek Yin Lau	...	Fatso
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
John Woo	...	Police inspector

Also Known As:

Bullet in the Head (Hong Kong: English title) (USA)
Bloodshed in the Streets (Hong Kong: English title) (literal title)
Dip huet gaai tau (Hong Kong: Cantonese title)

Runtime:

136 min | Australia:126 min | New Zealand:125 min | Germany:97 min (video version) (heavily cut)

Country:

Hong Kong

Language:

Cantonese | English | Vietnamese | French

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Iceland:16 | Germany:18 (re-rating) (uncut) | Germany:18 (video rating) (heavily cut) | Netherlands:16 | Brazil:18 (DVD rating) | Hong Kong:III (video rating) | Malaysia:18SG | Singapore:M18 (re-rating) | Singapore:PG (cut) | Canada:16+ (Quebec) | USA:R | Australia:R | Czech Republic:15 (DVD rating) | Finland:K-18 | France:-16 | New Zealand:R16 | Norway:18 (video premiere) | South Korea:18 | Spain:18 | Sweden:(Banned) | UK:18 | Japan:R-15 | Italy:VM14 | Ireland:18 | Hong Kong:IIB

Filming Locations:

Hong Kong, China

Company:

Golden Princess Film Production Limited

Trivia:

Woo reluctantly re-cut Bullet in the Head from about 3 hours to about 2 hours. Secretly, he had hoped that as soon as he got to Hollywood, he would acquire the rights to his old films (including Bullet) and put back in all the things that he was once forced to cut. But when he tried to do so, he was told that all the material he had cut, hadn't been preserved, but instead wandered straight into the garbage bin.

Goofs:

Anachronisms: When the action moves to Vietnam the movie posters ('Dien Bien Phu', etc.) shown are films that came out well after the Vietnam war was over.

Quotes:

Ben: Mr Leong. I think think you're mistaken. When we were in Hong Kong we admired Miss Yen. We like listening to her sing. We were all staring at her just now, as we were wondering... wondering why she had changed so much. She's not pretty any more.
Paul: Ah Bee!
Ben: She's lost her innocence. She's not happy any more. I wonder who was responsible for that?
Y.S. Leong: You're criticizing me? Not many people would speak to me like that. Young man, you've got balls. Bring me wine!

Movie Connections:

References The Deer Hunter (1978)

Soundtrack:

I'm a Believer

a trip into violence

I saw this film once with my friends and it ruined our nerves. This film grabs and doesn´t let loose till its finished. It is the only film I ever saw that had violence really, not only so to say, non-stop. Even if the guys crossed a street or bought something to eat the bullet-showers didn´t stop. Watching this film is a nightmare because it just doesn´t stop till nearly everyone is dead. What it makes so attracting is the fact, that it works, this film is the climax of its genre, it is hard to imagine that any film can be more focused on violence than this film. Its also hard to tell entertainment from rejection and thats what John Woo can do better than anyone. His intensity in violence is close to Pasolinis 120 Days Of Sodom And Gomorrha and some films of David Lynch, but he does it in his own unique consequent ways, which certainly generated a new set a new style and standard in filming. This film though not so amusing as hard boiled got 10 instead of 9 because of its extraordinary strangeness. Watch this film and be sure to have a good beer with friends afterwards to come down again, otherwise your sleep will be affected.