Review of Let the Bullets Fly (2010) by Paul L — 11 Apr 2011

This show is wowing the critics all over, with its satirical comments on Chinese politics, superb cast performance, witty dialogue and violence.

For me this is simply the best Chinese movie since Hero. Itâ(TM)s hard to post a review of this show because itâ(TM)s hard to know where to start. I feared I may run out of superlatives for this review.

At its simplest, Let the Bullets Fly is a story of a group of bandits, trying to pull off the biggest con of their lives, by ripping off the godfather of a secluded Chinese town no less. However, just who is conning who and the plotting and the counter-plotting by the cast of characters makes for a mesmerizing and entertaining 132 minutes of pure cinema ecstasy. Itâ(TM)s the sort of movie where you really do not want it to end because it was just so darn entertaining.

I keep thinking of Pulp Friction when I watched this show, just because when Pulp Friction hit the big screen, it was so unlike anything we have seen before. I still remember the scene in PF where Vincent and Jules were debating about hamburgers (?) in a cafe before they pulled out guns and start shooting. The writing was crisp and smart and the dialogue between the 2 was flowing and executed to perfection.

Let The Bullets Fly has many such scenes. Watch out for the dinner scene between Chow Yun Fatt, Ge You and Jiang Wen where they visited the home of the godfather. That scene alone is worth the price of admission! The writing was smart, the dialogue was engaging and the delivery and performances by all 3 actors were absolutely superb. It easily trumps what Johhny To did in Exile.

There are a few other gems in the movie; one involving Carina Lau in bed with Jiang Wen and another where the gang members discussed or confessed up to something they have been accused of.

There is criticism about the violence in the show. I think the best violent scenes in movies are always implied and never shown. Think about the ear cutting scene in Reservoir Dog. There was a particular scene that was particularly bloody at the beginning; and it was implied and not really shown. I did not think the violence was exceedingly bad and it was crucial for the show to proceed.

The show has also being called a political satire. Maybe the nauseas of it escaped me since we are not mainland Chinese or Tawinese but it was lost on me. However the brilliance of the show meant you do not need to catch the satire to enjoy the show. Would I have enjoyed the show more if I caught the nauseas? To me that question is not very relevant because as it is, the show was as perfect as it can be.

Let The Bullets Fly is a film not to be missed by movie buffs and anyone who appreciated smart writings, masterclass performances and brilliance execution. The Chinese dialogue may be a barrier to those less inclined but I think the subtitles is adequate so you should not let that deter you too much.