A year after his magnificent performance in “The Story of Woo Viet”, Chow Yun-fat played another kind of Vietnamese refugee as Nguyen, one who is a contract killer for the “Eagles” while also working as a special effects technician in movies. According to the HK New Wave book, “This film was made for a western audience and was not released in Hong Kong…” The b-movie, horror/exploitation Hollywood aesthetics are indeed, quite intense here. Let us take things from the beginning though.
Buy This Title
Nguyen leads a rather harsh life, but his dream of bringing his family to Hong Kong keeps him going, despite the violence that derives from his actions, but also seems to find him against his will. The second axis of the script revolves around TV reporter Vicky Lee, who is investigating a series of murders and an apparent gas attack on an elementary school. Eventually, she finds out that the gases used are Sarin and Somin, which were also used in the Vietnam war, with her research soon bringing her to the “company” Nguyen works for. Through a series of accidental and not so accidental meetings, the two of them get to know each other, and although rocky, their relationship still blooms. Furthermore, when Nguyen learns that his family is dead, he reveals everything to Vicky, including the fact that his employer is manufacturing chemical weapons for the Americans to use in retaliation for Russia's use of Agent Orange. Alas, though, he also realizes that he was the one who murdered Vicky's father at some point. Lastly, Kim Tai-yung, a soldier Nguyen left behind during the war, has become maniacal due to his torturing by the Vietcong, and is now on the heels of his former comrade, searching for revenge. Expectedly, a showdown is inevitable.
The most obvious thing here is that the story written by Lau Shing-hon and Szeto Cheuk-hon is too convenient, essentially a vehicle to service the action, the romance, the melodrama, and even more, to promote the two protagonists, Chow Yun-fat and Rosamund Kwan, whose charisma and evident beauty, truth be told, truly floods the screen each time they appear. At the same time, the story is saved by three interesting elements. The first is that the harsh life Vietnamese people lived in Hong Kong, may be presented in hyperbole, but the comment is realistic in its base, also highlighting the racism these people had to experience. At one point, Nguyen hears his boss telling “You Vietnamese people, what else can you do in Hong Kong?” with the phrase synopsizing the comment in the harshest and most eloquent way.
The second is that Nguyen is also a special effect specialist working in movies, which although unrealistic, gives to Lau the opportunity to make a comment about the Hong Kong film industry, and also to present a series of impressive scenes, with the one where Nguyen is injured being amongst the most memorable in the movie. Thirdly, the role of the press and the police in the whole situation with the immigrants is also highlighted, mostly in the darkest colors, with Vicky emerging as the only bright light, and the “punishment” she eventually receives adding even more to the comment.
Context-aside though, Lau's purpose here was obviously to entertain and impress, and in that regard, “The Head Hunter” succeeds to the fullest. The action scenes in particular, in the flashbacks of the Vietnam War, Nguyen's assassinations, the fight in the apartment, the special effects in the movies he works for, the machete vs gun concept and most of all, the final battle, are all impressive to look at. The combination of Lau Chuen-hung's cinematography, Jack Long's stunts, Hung Poon's editing and Lau Shing-hon's direction finds its apogee in those scenes, which are rather impressive through their hyperbole. Lastly, Philip Chan's mad dog behaviour as Kim Tai-yung, the archrival of Nguyen, is also great to watch.
The chemistry between Chow Yun-fat and Rosamund Pike is impressive, with the way their romance unfolds, with him on the offence and she being reluctant and in defense, benefiting the most by their acting and resulting in another very entertaining part of the movie. The scene where he first courts her, making a round with his bike to reappear in front of her in order to instigate a “second time they meet” is funny as it is delightful.
On the other hand, the melodrama level here frequently becomes rather cheesy in its hyperbole and forced sentimentalism, with the HK rendition of “Take my Breath Away” by Sandy Lam, occasionally intensifying this sense.
“The Head Hunter” does not stand against thorough examination contextually, but is fast, entertaining and overall a film that is really easy to watch, even today.
