FROM KOREA : MEMORIES OF MURDER

What makes a film original? Well, it’s not really just one thing, is it? Sometimes it’s a story, sometime it’s the performance of a certain actor or the decisions of an outstanding director… Sometimes it’s more than one thing… Take the Korean classic Memories of Murder ( Sal In Eui Choo Eok) . It’s basically the story of South Korea’s first serial killer – a true story. So, a common or garden cop-flick, right? I mean, more striking because of the fact that it is a true story we are talking about here, but all the same… The director however, it Bong-Joon Ho, one of South Korea’s great directors (we have written of him actually – check out the Host in our previous hosts). And this is a very typical, very Korean film… So when I said cop-flick if you thought of a “hard hitting cop” like Al Pacino or CSI (pick your favorite city) and I’m pretty sure a lot of you did so don’t deny it, you were wrong. Big time.
So, our story is set in a small town in rural South Korea. It has everything a small town out in the sticks needs, including a large factory (and a large population of workers) and a local police station with a few officials who consider themselves hard-hitting cops but who actually have never handled anything really tough in their lives. Murders are not unheard of, however when what seems “suspiciously” like a serial killer surfaces in their town everyone (including the police) is at a loss as to how to cope with the situation… The usual methods (yelling, lucky guesses, intimidation on various levels) don’t seem to be working when a young police officer, an expert in the field, comes down from Seoul to assist with their investigation voluntarily. He is not liked, he is not a “tough guy” like the detective in charge of the case, and he disapproves of the afore mentioned “tested methods” they like to use and he genuinely seems to think he’s better at the understanding this little town with his city ways… The thing is, as the case advances, it begins to seem in this last point he may be right… The thing is, will they be able to put their differences aside and get the killer off the streets?
What I like about Asian cinema – among other things – is the way there are various levels of different emotion and themes (as there usually are in Western films) but the way they are portrayed are so… Different. It’s just so subtle and, for want of a better word, graceful. For instance, in this serious and true story of a serial killer we find inserted a goodly strain of Korean style humor. The thing is, it is by no means inappropriate. Quite on the contrary, it gives a very appropriate picture of the small town officials trying to cope with an event the likes of which is rarely seen in rural Korea…

SOUTH KOREAN CLASSIC : "THE HOST"

Well, second on the menu we have another “Korean classic”. The Host by successful Korean director Bong Joon-ho became the most successful film in the history of South Korean cinema, gathering 13 million viewers. If you rely solely on the synopsis, you may be confused, but as always with Asian cinema, the devil is in the details…
The Host is basically a monster-movie. The callousness of western scientists cause the birth of a monster in the Han River in Korea. The monster leaves the water and takes to the streets, terrorizing the inhabitants. And at the end of the rampage, just before it vanishes into the river, it takes of a secondary school student, Hyung-seo. Now, Hynug-seo is at first assumed dead, and mourned by her family along with the other victims. In the meanwhile, the area is sealed off and rumors of a deadly virus begin spreading. In the midst of the chaos, Hyung-seo’s father receives a phone call from Hyung-seo herself. The monster has taken her back to some kind of sewer, she has no idea where she is but she’s alive. The family tries to alert the authorities but they are far from inspiring confidence. Hyung-seo’s father is, well, not the brightest bulb in the box so no one believes his story anyway. His brother is an alcoholic; his sister is a famous almost failing archery champion. His father thinks a little bit of bribery here and there is what makes the world go round. In short, the authorities take one look at them and tell them to go back to bed. This, however, is the last thing they will do. They have decided that they will battle the monster with their bare hands if need be, and rescue Hyung-seo at all costs… And so the adventure begins…
Now, before we go on any further, I would like one thing to be known. This is the most successful combination of horror/adventure/comedy I (or anyone else in my humble opinion) have ever seen. No matter which way you look at it, the film is just plain different, and more than a cut above the rest. First of all, the film is easy to watch, simply because the characters are so… Well real. I mean, there are incredibly surreal moments in the film, but the characters aren’t “perfect” and “handsome” and “strong” as they tend to be. Incidentally, they are not particularly well off. Park Gang – du, the father, lives at home with his own father and helps run a small convenience store. The brother, as I mentioned, has drinking problems. Not particularly likely heroes for a “monster-flic”, right? And yet, they are perfect for the part. One, because they are an average family pulling together in a crisis, which is in my opinion more likely than one lone gunman going it alone. (As can be seen in some other monster-flics I need not mention). Secondly, they provide the most wonderful opportunities at situational comedy you can imagine. All in excellent taste and surprisingly when you least expect it. A memorial service where the family is crying after their lost daughter/granddaughter/niece for instance... (Trust me, I am not a fan of “insensitive” humor and cry half the time as I watch the news but I was in stitches watching THIS memorial service)
Thus Bong Joon-ho sways very gracefully between a very intelligent comedy and a breathtaking adventure (where unexpected developments are also plentiful incidentally) without so much as missing a beat. I am personally highly embarrassed I had never watched it before, and am guessing you will be too by the end…