Review: Bullet in the Head 4K UHD
Bullet in the Head (1990)
Following the stylish heroics of The Killer, John Woo took a much darker and more personal turn with Bullet in the Head, creating what many fans regard as his masterpiece. Having first discovered the film on VHS back in the day, I can still remember being blown away by just how different it felt from the action movies I was used to. This wasn’t simply a shoot-’em-up. It was raw, emotional and surprisingly devastating.
Set against the backdrop of the Vietnam War, the story follows three lifelong friends, B, Fai and Wing, played by Tony Leung Chiu-Wai, Jacky Cheung and Waise Lee. Hoping to escape Hong Kong and make their fortunes, they head to Saigon where they become entangled with gangsters, gold smuggling and the chaos of war itself. Along the way they encounter Simon Yam’s Lok and nightclub singer Sau-ching, but what begins as an adventure gradually descends into something far darker and far more tragic.
John Woo’s trademark action is present throughout, and some of the gun battles are every bit as spectacular as fans would expect. Yet what makes Bullet in the Head so memorable is the emotional weight behind the bullets. The violence feels brutal and ugly rather than glamorous, and the gradual collapse of the friendship between the three central characters is genuinely heartbreaking to watch.
There’s a touch of Apocalypse Now about it, but this is unmistakably a John Woo film. Themes of loyalty, brotherhood and sacrifice run throughout, only to be torn apart by greed, fear and the horrors of war. It’s a surprisingly bleak film and one that refuses to offer easy answers or comfortable resolutions.
Tony Leung delivers a remarkable performance, while Jacky Cheung and Waise Lee provide equally powerful turns. Together they create characters you genuinely care about, which only makes the increasingly desperate journey all the more painful.
For those of us who wore out VHS tapes and spent years introducing friends to this hidden gem, seeing Bullet in the Head receive the deluxe 4K UHD treatment from Arrow Films is a real treat. Three decades on, the film hasn’t lost any of its power. If anything, age has only reinforced what many Hong Kong cinema fans have known for years.
Bullet in the Head isn’t just one of John Woo’s finest films. It’s one of the most powerful and emotionally draining war movies ever made. Difficult, uncompromising and utterly unforgettable, this is essential viewing and one of the crown jewels of Hong Kong cinema.
4K ULTRA HD BLU-RAY LIMITED EDITION CONTENTS
• Reversible sleeve and double-sided foldout poster featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Tony Stella
• Six postcard-sized reproduction artcards
• Collectors’ perfect-bound booklet featuring new writing on the film by critics Priscilla Page and Sean Gilman, archival writing by critic Arnaud Bordas and an excerpt from an interview with John Woo conducted by Stéphane Moïssakis
DISC ONE – THEATRICAL CUT (4K ULTRA HD BLU-RAY)
• 4K Ultra HD (2160p) Blu-ray presentation in Dolby Vision (HDR10 compatible) of the Hong Kong Theatrical Cut
• Original lossless Cantonese mono and Dolby Atmos audio, and lossless English mono audio
• Optional newly translated English subtitles for the Cantonese audio and English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing for the English audio
• Brand new audio commentary by film critic and Hong Kong cinema expert Frank Djeng
• Deleted and extended scenes
• Alternate boardroom ending
• Alternate English opening and closing credits
• Cantonese and English trailers
• Image gallery
DISC TWO – FESTIVAL CUT (BLU-RAY)
• High Definition (1080p) Blu-ray presentation of the Festival Cut
• Original Cantonese lossless mono audio
• Optional English subtitles
• Extended Festival Cut, including footage previously exclusive to the Theatrical Cut
• Option to play with the alternate boardroom ending
DISC THREE – EXTRAS (BLU-RAY)
• Brilliance with a Bullet, a brand new interview with director John Woo
• The Long-Suffering Siu-Chun, a brand new interview with actor Fennie Yuen
• Head Case!, a brand new interview with actor Waise Lee
• Army of One, a brand new interview with regular John Woo collaborator Terence Chang
• Apocalypse Woo, a brand new interview with editor David Wu
• Tumultuous Times, a brand new interview with associate producer Catherine Lau
• Hong Kong Confidential: Inside Bullet in the Head, a brand new interview with author and Hong Kong film expert Grady Hendrix
• Apocalypse How, a brand new interview with author and historian Dr Lars Laamann
• Archival interviews with John Woo, David Wu, actors Jacky Cheung, Waise Lee, Simon Yam, stunt coordinator Lau Chi-Ho and associate producer Patrick Leung
Bullet in the Head is available to buy right now.
Review by Dave from a disc kindly supplied by Arrow Films via Fetch Publicity.
