Let the Bullets Fly

As promised, my thoughts on Jiang Wen's Let the Bullets Fly. Enjoy.


Let the Bullets Fly
Directed by Jiang Wen, starring Chow Yun-fat, Jiang Wen, Ge You and Carina Lau.

As a conman (Ge) and his wife (Lau) travel through the countryside, they are attacked by a wanted man (Jiang) and his group of bandits. To save their lives, the couple makes a deal with the bandit leader to allow him in on their next con: pretending to be governor and governess of an affluent town. The bandit agrees to the proposal, provided he plays governor.

Once they arrive at (the supposedly ripe for the taking) Goose Town, they run into a couple of problems. Firstly, most of the town is poor; secondly, the reason for their financial state is local Godfather Huang (Chow). The bandits must play an intricate game of intrigue with Huang and his men in order to secure their goal.

Jiang Wen's Let the Bullets Fly is an Eastern Western. Like an good Western, there is plenty of gunplay, as well as pretty clear cut good and bad guys. For anyone that knows anything about Hong Kong or Chinese cinema, it goes without saying that the acting is excellent. For those that don't know about either of those cinemas, the acting is excellent. So, too, is the direction.

Jiang's film is a great blend of action and comedy, as well as hidden meanings within nearly every line and act that unfolds onscreen. Whether it be a comment on society, his home country, cinema or something else is up for interpretation; however, the underlying meanings never weigh the film down. For discerning film fans, there is plenty to engage, and, for the casual film goer, it's a really exciting film.

So, in case it isn't already obvious, Let the Bullets Fly is something I highly recommend.