Can the Western only be made in the West? The Italians answered with the Spaghetti Western, and in 2010, China came up with their own gunslinging, horse riding group of gangsters in Let the Bullets Fly. It feels just like an old fashioned Western in Old China, only with quips as fast as its bullets, and the wry satire mocks these thugs and politicians as one and the same, through a series of multiple impersonations made in the name of survival, corruption, and profit. Some of the humor can go over the heads of those unfamiliar with Chinese comedy, but nonetheless Let the Bullet Fly is a funny mix of genres, with writer-director and lead Jiang Wen playing with many Western tropes in over-the-top fashion.
"A rollicking, violent, Western-cum-comedy that serves many masters, but adds up to an entertaining hot pot of wry political commentary and general mischief."
— John Anderson
When circumstances force an outlaw to impersonate a county governor and clean up a corrupt town, the Robin Hood figure finds himself in a showdown with the local godfather.
Sichuan, Southwestern China, 1920s. After hijacking a train but not getting any money, notorious bandit Zhang ends up posing as the new mayor he hijacked from, finding himself in a convoluted net of schemes with the local noblemen.
Make sure the subtitles are quick while watching this one, because the jokes come in pretty fast.
Shall we call this a Dandan Noodle Western?
"Fast, broadly funny, and violent, it's also relentless in its manipulation of audience response."
— Amy Taubin