Tung Tran
CHI321-001
December 9, 2013
Jiang Wen’s Let the Bullets Fly: An Auteur Critical Analysis
Let the Bullets Fly is an action-comedy film written and directed by Jiang Wen. It also stars Jiang Wen as the lead actor, opposite other big names such as Chow Yun-Fat and Ge You. Jiang Wen’s unique cinematic style is often light-hearted, sometimes brutal, and other times fantastical. Perhaps the most unique characteristic of Jiang Wen’s approach is his use of props and other scenic elements, with a strong emphasis on comedy. According to Jiang Wen in a CNN interview, “I just direct whatever movie I can see in my mind. If I can't see it in my mind, then I won't direct it. I won't direct a film I haven't visualized or that has only been visualized by others, so my originality and style may be linked to this.” His style is highly pronounced compared to other directors, since originality is an important factor in his approach
The story takes place in 1920s wartime China, revolving around a town by the name of Goose Town. A train carrying the newly appointed governor of Goose Town is ambushed by “Pock Mark” Zhang (Jiang Wen) and his group of bandits. Being the only survivor, the governor (Ge You) pretends that he is but the lowly counselor, persuading Zhang to spare him in return for his cooperation to make Zhang the new governor of Goose Town. Believing the governor and his bodyguards had died during the ambush, Zhang accepts the offer and makes way to Goose Town. There, he finds that the town is actually controlled by the crime boss, Master Huang. Zhang intends to take money from the rich and give to the poor, while Huang grows suspicious of Zhang’s claim as governor. The story follows the feud between bandit leader and mob boss for control of the town.
The opening scene is reminiscent of the American wild west or manchuria, from the rocky geography to the sparse vegetation. As the centerpiece of this scene, we observe the infamous train robbery, but with a slight twist. Instead of a train, we have what appears to be a horse-drawn trolley-car, with soldiers lined up side to side, rifles pointed out the left and right windows. I’ve never seen anything like this before I watched this film. It struck me as odd on first viewing, but it seemed plausible enough. This is a unique use of props, no doubt for comical effect. The bandit masks introduced during this scene, along with the bird-whistle in latter scenes, used for transmitting orders, are a unique recurring element of the film. Only in a Jiang Wen film are bandits so well-organized! Whereas with other directors, you may see a more conventional (or historical) setup for the sake of immersive storytelling, Jiang boldly establishes a universe that is unique to the film.
Perhaps another notable feature of Jiang Wen’s approach to filmmaking is the sense that nothing is to be taken too seriously. This is established relatively early on in the movie, and becomes more evident with each act. The scene with military commander kicking the cook to the drum and back like a soccer ball is an early example of this. And later on, we find an 8 year old boy that appears to be a fully grown man, which, for the most part, reinforces this idea. It is difficult to have such fantastical scenes without taking away from the overall experience; again, a bold decision by the director. Another example is the scene where Zhang’s godson injures and kills himself to disprove the accusation that he ate two bowls of jelly and only paid for one. The scene is shown as a heroic display of conviction, yet there is little gravity in the situation, just because of how silly the notion of such a big sacrifice over something so trivial really is. Even the most dramatic scenes take a backseat to blatant attempts at comedy; the follow-up scene of mourning was rather dramatic until they kneeled over and the “aloha” handsign statue above his grave is revealed. And then there’s the scene of the death of Counselor Ma, in which a final parting conversation is lightened immensely with the line “Counselor. Your legs are on that tree. You can’t feel them.” That was admittedly funny.
The action and violence are both the best and worst parts of the film. There is a certain artistic flare associated with the action scenes, from the opening train robbery scene to each subsequent gunplay scenes. They are a real pleasure to watch, with some very good camera-work. Yet at the same time, there’s almost a cartoonish element to the violence, with generous amounts of gushing blood accompanied by overdone sound effects. Notable examples include the death scene of Six, and the supposed death of three of Huang’s henchmen. The story is also a bit convoluted. There are many plotlines that I missed on the first viewing, simply because it became a chore to keep track of information one party knows and another does not. As noted by Reviewer Jeannette Catsoulis of the New York Times, “At least 30 minutes and several scams too long, the plot passes from amusing to confounding long before the final double-cross.” And that is no understatement. Yet, holistically, the film works because despite the blemishes, there is a unique sense of boldness and character thanks to Jiang Wen’s brilliant directing..
References
Catsoulis, Jeannette. A Robin Hood in a Chinese Western. Date Accessed: 12/9/2013.
Rao, Anjali. Interview with Jiang Wen. CNN. Date Accessed: 12/9/2013.
