A Simple Noodle Story (simplified Chinese: 三枪拍案惊奇; traditional Chinese: 三槍拍案驚奇; pinyin: Sānqiāng Pāi'àn Jīngqí), internationally A Woman, a Gun and a Noodle Shop. (Blood Simple in the UK) is a 2009 film directed by Zhang Yimou. It is inspired by Blood Simple, the 1984 debut of the Coen brothers, whose films Zhang Yimou lists as among his favorites. The film transports the original film's plot from a town in Texas to a noodle shop in a small desert town in Gansu province.
The film is a mixture of a thriller and screwball comedy. The film stars Sun Honglei, Ni Dahong in the thriller segment while comedians Xiaoshenyang and Yan Ni star in the comedic segment. The film has been described as a considerable departure from the director's previous works.
