"As far back as I can remember, I always wanted to be a gangster..."
Jiang Wen, director of the Chow Yun Fat-led Mainland Chinese hit, Let the Bullets Fly credits the Shutter Island/Raging Bull director as his main influence. He was fortunate enough to have established correspondence with Marty over 30 years ago, but has been a fan even before that time. While Jiang has been briefly blacklisted for Devils on the Doorstep, a movie about historically shaky Sino-Japanese relations never officially released in China, he managed to do other work, such as working with Shanghai/Curse of the Golden Flower actress Gong Li and Hero director Zhang Yimou on Red Sorgum, as well as participate in the documentary anthology, New York, I Love You. ‘Bullets is currently China’s #1 domestic box office smash; and while it’s been suggested part of the appeal is because of an alleged anti-establishment theme, Jiang has denied that interpretation. Scorcese’s own remake of a Chinese film, Departed and Infernal Affairs, respectively, nabbed him his first Best Director and Best Picture Oscars. And unlike some people, he wasn’t afraid to give credit where it was due.
