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Bullet in the Head

Original title: Dip huet gai tau
  • 19901990
  • Not RatedNot Rated
  • 2h 16m
IMDb RATING
7.5/10
11K
YOUR RATING
Bullet in the Head (1990)
In 1967, on the way to the wedding of a friend a young man is accosted by a local gang member. Later, the three friends administer justice, in the process of which the gang member is killed, so they leave Hong Kong to avoid the police and the gang. They run black market supplies to Saigon and get embroiled in the war, being arrested as Viet Cong, then later captured by the Viet Cong, and find that their friendship is tested to the limits as they try to escape.
Play trailer3:57
1 Video
22 Photos
ActionCrimeDrama
When three close friends escape from Hong Kong to war-time Saigon to start a criminal's life, they all go through a harrowing experience which totally shatters their lives and their friendsh... Read allWhen three close friends escape from Hong Kong to war-time Saigon to start a criminal's life, they all go through a harrowing experience which totally shatters their lives and their friendship forever.When three close friends escape from Hong Kong to war-time Saigon to start a criminal's life, they all go through a harrowing experience which totally shatters their lives and their friendship forever.
IMDb RATING
7.5/10
11K
YOUR RATING
    • John Woo
    • Janet Chun
    • Patrick Leung
    • John Woo
  • Stars
    • Tony Chiu-Wai Leung
    • Jacky Cheung
    • Waise Lee
    • John Woo
    • Janet Chun
    • Patrick Leung
    • John Woo
  • Stars
    • Tony Chiu-Wai Leung
    • Jacky Cheung
    • Waise Lee
  • See production, box office & company info
    • 69User reviews
  • See more at IMDbPro
    • Awards

    Videos1

    Trailer
    Trailer 3:57
    Watch Trailer

    Photos22

    Bullet in the Head (1990)
    Bullet in the Head (1990)
    Jacky Cheung, Waise Lee, Tony Chiu-Wai Leung, and Simon Yam in Bullet in the Head (1990)
    Jacky Cheung, Waise Lee, and Tony Chiu-Wai Leung in Bullet in the Head (1990)
    Jacky Cheung, Waise Lee, and Tony Chiu-Wai Leung in Bullet in the Head (1990)
    Bullet in the Head (1990)
    Jacky Cheung, Waise Lee, and Tony Chiu-Wai Leung in Bullet in the Head (1990)
    Jacky Cheung in Bullet in the Head (1990)
    Bullet in the Head (1990)
    Tony Chiu-Wai Leung in Bullet in the Head (1990)
    Waise Lee and Tony Chiu-Wai Leung in Bullet in the Head (1990)
    Jacky Cheung and Tony Chiu-Wai Leung in Bullet in the Head (1990)

    Top cast

    Edit
    Tony Chiu-Wai Leung
    Tony Chiu-Wai Leung
    • Ben
    • (as Tony Chiu Wai Leung)
    • …
    Jacky Cheung
    Jacky Cheung
    • Frank…
    Waise Lee
    Waise Lee
    • Paul…
    Simon Yam
    Simon Yam
    • Luke…
    Yolinda Yam
    Yolinda Yam
    • Sally Yan Sau Ching
    Chung Lam
    Chung Lam
    • Mr. Y.S. Leong
    Fennie Yuen
    Fennie Yuen
    • Jane…
    Kan-Wing Tsang
    • Jane's father
    Hang-Shuen So
    Hang-Shuen So
    • Jane's mother
    John Woo
    John Woo
    • Policeman
    Hee Ching Paw
    Hee Ching Paw
    • Ben's mother
    Tseng Chang
    Tseng Chang
    • Paul's father
    San-Yan Siao
    • Mr. Shing
    Paco Yick
    Paco Yick
    • Ringo
    • (as Tin Hung Yee)
    Yun Pei
    • Frank's mother
    Kwong Lam Tsui
    • Frank's father
    Shek-Yin Lau
    Shek-Yin Lau
    • Fatso
    Yee Cheng
    • Ringo's man
      • John Woo
      • Janet Chun
      • Patrick Leung
      • John Woo
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

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    Ying xiong wu lei
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    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      John Woo's original cut of Bullet In The Head was over three hours long. Much like he was forced to do with A Better Tomorrow 2 (1987), Woo reluctantly re-cut the film down to little over two hours long running time. But, as Woo himself confirmed, the version of the movie that was premiered in Hong Kong the day before it was actually released was 2 hours and 35 minutes long. It was decided this version was still too long, so all the prints of the film had to be re-edited and delivered back to the cinemas all over Hong Kong by the next day. Even after all the re-edits that movie already had, many other different cuts of it were made due to local market/censorship, which is why even today there are many different versions of the film with different running times.

      Since it had been radically cut down, there are some still photos of the film, which indicate that entire subplots have been removed from the film, which aren't even referenced in the final cut. On one such photo, you can see Tony Chiu Wai Leung's face in bandages, his girlfriend standing near him. This is from a subplot in which Ben gets his face burnt with acid by a rival gang. Some of the other cut scenes also include cuts made on some of the more violent scenes in the film.

      Hong Kong trailer for the film shows some alternate takes and edits of some scenes and three deleted scenes; During the Vietnam protestation sequence one protestor is being clubbed to death on the head by members of the Vietnamese troops while blood is gushing out of his head, infamous deleted scene where Ben, Frank and Paul are forced to drink urine after Mr Leong suspects them of wanting to take Sally away from him (this scene was actually mentioned by Chow Yun Fat's character Mark in A Better Tomorrow), and extra part of the Bolero action sequence where Frank who is armed with two pistols is shooting at a long array of Vietnamese baddies who are standing in the corridor.

      Some versions of the film also include alternate shorter ending which doesn't ends with Ben chasing Paul in the car and two of them having a shootout, but instead in this alternate ending Ben kills Paul in the boardroom after he shows him Frank's skull and tells him what happened to him.

      John Woo secretly 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.

      However, some time later Woo created what would become known as "the festival print" which was the longest version of the movie seen since the original Hong Kong premiere and was 136 minutes long and it included the infamous urine drinking scene. It has been illegally released on a bootleg VHS.

      Another 135 minute version released on DVD has been sold to the public legally. It is distributed by Joy Sales; this ultimate 2 disc-set edition has seamless branching which can be shown in its Theatrical Version, Alternate Ending version and the Festival Print version but the deleted scenes maintain a blue tint (possibly from the chemicals of the film reacting badly) and also frame jumping (film preservation done too late by the director himself).
    • 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!

    • Alternate versions
      The subtitles accompanying the Cantonese soundtrack on the 'Hong Kong Legends' DVD were translated more accurately and also restored the proper Chinese names. The English export international versions made the following name changes: Bee = Ben, Fai = Frank, Sai Wing = Paul, Sau Ching = Sally, Lok = Luke, Siu Jan = Jane.
    • Connections
      Featured in Kain's Quest: A Better Tomorrow (2015)
    • Soundtracks
      I'm a Believer
      Written by Neil Diamond

      Performed by The Monkees

      S.E. Asia Music

    User reviews69

    Review
    Review
    Featured review
    9/10
    Oh my sweet lord...
    This is the opposite of a kid's movie. Many R rated violent movies are fine for kids, but the story, the tragedy, the horror, and just the characters are too much for children. This is not a movie to watch if you are having a party. This is a fine, fine work by John Woo. The four main characters are excellent, and one is a killing machine. In the end you get more from this than even The Killer (which I feel is a better movie). While The Killer may tug at your heart, this will screw with your mind. This movie must be seen much more than the Matrix when it comes to being unable to explain what's going on. John Woo's opening seems very in character for him, but it might not be perfect for this film. Still, it serves its purpose and the end is truly incredible.
    helpful•19
    4
    • Chen Zhen
    • May 5, 2001

    Details

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    • Release date
      • August 17, 1990 (Hong Kong)
      • Hong Kong
      • Cantonese
      • English
      • Vietnamese
      • French
    • Also known as
    • Filming locations
      • Hong Kong, China
    • Production companies
      • Golden Princess Film Production Limited
      • John Woo Film Production
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

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    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Technical specs

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    • 2 hours 16 minutes
      • Color

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