Bullet Train

With David Leitch (Atomic Blonde, Deadpool 2) presiding over directorial duties and Brad Pitt in the actor’s seat alongside Sandra Bullock, Brian Tyree Henry, Joey King, and Hiroyuki Sanada, Bullet Train looks to be equal parts action-packed and irreverent. Building on a heritage of train thrillers such as _Silver Streak _and Murder on the Orient Express, Bullet Train looks to extend the subgenre with a sardonic twist.

In the opening scene—after the mini-teaser—we’re treated to a delightfully percussive series of actions, initiated by Pitt’s character banging his head on a table on what is presumably the eponymous train. We hear a faint whistling in the background, reminiscent of Westerns past. Between the intimate camera angles and almost cartoonish foley (natural sound effects), the scene is stylishly hyper-violent — only for the quarrelers to capitulate a moment later at the behest of a shushing passenger. This comedic scene seems to serve as a warm-up for the trailer to follow.

1977’s “Stayin’ Alive” by the Bee Gees enters at :29 alongside the studio title card, the song immediately recognizable in its original recording; Pitt’s steps on the streets of Tokyo of course synch to the beat. In a more subtle move, so do the rings on the phone a beat later. The song recedes to the background with a low pass filter as the call gets underway. At 0:45 the song stops with a small added flourish as we reach a punchline, and again at 0:52—synched to the slamming of a locker—in a marked shift to a more dramatic tone. The sequence at 0:56 involves various types of synchronization between the sounds on screen and the beat of the song, whether it’s reloading a gun, brandishing a knife, cutting tape, or dispensing ammo.

The tune recedes to the background again from about 1:05 (with the date title card) to build anticipation and also to emphasize the voiceover. Notice at 1:15 how the ding of an elevator coincides with an audiovisual blackout, just before the song returns in full force. It cuts out yet again at 1:21 to punctuate some physical comedy before proceeding; the fight that ensues is again synched perfectly to the beat.

By 1:35, some trailerized accoutrements—additional epic percussion, mainly—begin to appear with the song to help raise the stakes. A gunshot at 1:45 gives us a second audiovisual blackout, which works up again to 1:54 where we hear the iconic descending four-note motif repeated, alongside intensified epic percussion—a noted departure from simply playing the song proper. Throughout we hear the distinctive chime of the train, perhaps to remind us of the scene of action. Notice the foley at 2:01 with as a large squeak emanate from the inflatable mascot as it’s being punched, contrasted a moment later by the sound of a giant explosion. This juxtaposition sonically encapsulates what Bullet Train seems to principally be going for: in a phrase, blockbuster fun.

“Stayin’ Alive” was originally written for Saturday Night Fever—a film following John Travolta’s survival on the streets of New York. The fact that it’s a fun—and popular—song with serious undertones that may have been since forgotten or disregarded makes it a compelling choice for Bullet Train. While it holds both comedic and dramatic aspects in its formula, it definitely veers much more towards the former.

Bullet Train arrives in theatres July 15th.

— Curtis Perry