Let the Bullets Fly

The "Eastern Western" (a term which I just thought of and am not sure if others have ever used) has existed for a long time, though it's popularity is only now starting to be seen in the US. The times that I have written or created a blog post dealing with this fascinating subgenre could probably be counted on two hands, but that is far more than most people have written about it. Eastern filmmakers are tackling the traditional American/Italian western and making it their own. These filmmakers are creating powerful works that, in many ways, rise above their counterparts from other countries. Certain films like "The Good, the Bad, the Weird," "Shanghai Express," "Tears of the Black Tiger," and most famously, "Sukiyaki Western Django," have all addressed the classic cliches that belong to the western genre and have retooled them to have new purpose and meaning to their respective countries.

It shouldn't be a surprise to anyone that Asian countries are taking on these classic ideas, as it wasn't long ago that westerns were borrowing from the likes of Akira Kurosawa himself. What surprises me though, is the freshness that these filmmakers are bringing to what has been a dead genre and the messages, mainly social and political, that are being addressed with these movies.

"Let the Bullets Fly" is not necessarily a film that I would immediately categorize as an Asian western. The film takes place in the 1920's, and deals with a group of bandits who are out to swindle a criminal in a place called Goose Town. The bandits, led by notorious ruffian Pocky Zhang (played by director, actor, and writer Jiang Wen), claim that Zhang is the new governor of Goose Town. The goal of the bandits is initially to cheat the townspeople out of all their money, yet when Zhang realizes that the people have no money and are being used by local criminal Huang (played by Chow Yun-Fat), he chooses to instead go after Huang and bring him down.

As I stated before, I would not entirely consider "Let the Bullets Fly" as a western, mainly because it strikes me more as an action/comedy that has many western elements. Similar to a western, Zhang takes on the role of a sheriff and promises that justice will be served in Goose Town. There are the usual attempted train robberies, shoot outs between criminals and bandits, and a discussion of the importance of a good hat. The more I type, the more the western elements stand out, but ultimately they feel more like an afterthought.

Just because the western elements are secondary in the film does not mean that it detracts from the film at all. It is, in fact, an incredibly entertaining film. The humor that is present may be lost on some viewers in the US, and I wouldn't even admit to understanding it all, but the action sequences alone make this film memorable. Not to mention the rivalry that is built up between Zhang and Huang. Chow Yun-Fat does a great job making Huang the epitome of despicable, being rich, heartless, and a coward. Meanwhile, on the opposite side of the coin, Wen Jiang plays the charismatic, yet cold, bandit perfectly. Though he might show a bit more loyalty than what actually exists between thieves, it makes for a likable character.

In the grand scheme of things, "Let the Bullets Fly" will most likely not be remembered as one of the best Asian westerns and it would be tough to top the likes of Takashi Miike and Kim Ji-woon anyway. "Let the Bullets Fly" does something completely different, taking elements of many different genres and blending them to fit with one another almost perfectly. Granted, there may be aspects to this film that I missed, not being anywhere near an expert on China or Chinese culture, but it certainly is an entertaining ride for the two hours and change that it runs for.