Another recap to set the stage. Here’s where we’re at now:
25: The Host
24: Searching for the Elephant
23: A Tale of Two Sisters
22: Samaritan Girl
21: Our School
20: 200 Pounds Beauty
19: Taegukgi: The Brotherhood of War
18: Forever the Moment
17: Il Mare
16: Sunny
So now we continue on with our list!
15) Silmido (2003)
Directed by Woo-suk Kang
In the 1960's, tensions between North and South Korea was at a critical point, culminating with North Korea sending commando-assassins to try and kill the president of South Korea. Getting within a few blocks of the President, the police luckily spotted them and started a brutal shootout, killing nearly all the North Koreans. In response, the South Korean government decides to start training their own assassination squad to kill Kim Il-Sung, the undisputed ruler of North Korea. The situation was the actual historical event that happened in early 1968, bringing the two countries dangerously close to total war.
In the fictional movie Silmido, based on these events but taking some liberties, the men recruited by the South Korean government to kill Kim Il-sung are all prisoners that are promised freedom, atonement and honor should they succeed. The story follows this group from their entry onto the Silmido island to begin training until the unit's bloody end. The majority of the movie shows the training and growth of the unit, taking narrative focus on the unit as a whole instead of focusing on the individuals. This means that the characters are less important than the group as a whole, which is unique when compared with most war films that focus on a few characters within a greater group (although this technically isn't a war film, the action and style mimic usual war story arcs – introduction, training, skirmishes, climatic battle). After years training with one purpose in their minds, the mission is called off due to warming relations between the two countries. The men are crushed because this assassination mission became their only redemption, their training so perfected that they believed themselves unstoppable. Unfortunately for the men, their years of training becomes moot. The South Korean government, fearful that the existence of the team would freeze the thawing relations, orders the project erased and the former convicts murdered to complete the cover-up. One of the military trainers, furious at the government, leaks the plan and the men decide to fight back, killing their former trainers as they stage an escape from the island. Marked for death by the government and with no life to return to, the men decide their only option is to gain attention for their mission – their sacrifices as redemption in the eyes of the country.
Gaining meaning in life through the use of violence is incredibly insightful and depressing. Had either assassination group succeeded, the North Korean or South Korean, total war would probably have been the escalated retaliation. Understanding the consequences and tension at the time makes the audience apprehensive about the results. We want the unit to succeed because we care about the men; we want the world to recognize that they answered the call of their country and were sacrificing everything. Part of us hopes they fail, but gain salvation in the process. Scholars of history can look at Silmido like the Black Hand, leading to a fateful day when Archduke Franz Ferdinand made a wrong turn. If the audience reflects on the late 60’s and early 70’s in Korea, we end up feeling very sympathetic for the men. We also feel saddened that the country only gave them one option at redemption – sadly a redemption that easily instigates a third World War.
The cohesion among the men is also an interesting contrast to the Band of Brothers message. Band of Brothers and war movies in general often suggest that battle turned strangers into brothers, that the trust necessary to fight created a relationship deeper than virtually any other. Silmido doesn't ever go quite as far, although the ending reveals a closeness we didn’t notice before. For the Silmido unit, their bond seems to be the completion of the mission and deliverance from past wrongs. Despite accidental deaths and injuries during training, the men stay committed to their purpose. When one man becomes injured, he pleads to stay in any capacity, eventually becoming the cook. He is genuinely depressed when he sees the unit, his only friends, leave without him despite fully acknowledging that the men are on the way to their graves. When one of the other members is caught raping a local woman, he is killed by a fellow convict fearful that the lapse in discipline will reflect poorly on the others. His death means nothing, the movie suggests, and he forever loses his chance at salvation.
This film is ranked 15 for historical context and entertainment. Since we spend most the movie watching the men transform from prisoners to an elite assassination squad, the rising tension in anticipation keeps us on the edge of our seat. Also noteworthy is the constant dehumanization for these men: from prisoners in one location to prisoners in another. The relationship between the men, the revulsion at indiscipline, and the philosophy of atonement-through-violence is intriguing. Patriotism and nationalism are also examined as the audience wonders what motivates the men to sacrifice so much for a country that has already turned away.
On Amazon: Silmido
14) Oldboy (2003)
Directed by Chan-wook Park
I've written about Oldboy before and will likely write about it again. It's an excellent introduction to Korean cinema because of the unique story, mature exploration of vengeance, and cinematic stylization. The director, Chan-wook Park, has become one of the most internationally recognized names of Korean cinema, prompting his subsequent film releases to also make it into American theaters roughly the same time as Korea, one of the few international directors enjoying such prestige.
Oldboy is the story of Dae-su Oh, a man kidnapped and imprisoned for 15 years. He is suddenly released and starts down a path of revenge, trying to figure out who imprisoned him and why. The identity of the kidnapper is revealed fairly early, allowing the movie to rotate to Dae-su discovering why he was imprisoned. Violent, cinematic, poetic and sexual, the movie feels very American. But it is also philosophical by exploring how rage fuels desire. The ending becomes a question about the ability to forget.
Oldboy is an amazing blend of art and entertainment. When someone asks me for a good Korean movie, I usually recommend Oldboy because of these qualities. And, as stated before, it flows very much like an American movie, but instead of skipping on characterization in favor of explosions, it takes the action realistically – Dae-su may beat up a dozen men, but his battled body collapses once the adrenaline wears off. His anger becomes sustaining. This is evident when we contrast him with American heroes who often have special skills or training, something identifiable that lets them shoot faster or punch harder. Dae-su has nothing more than fury.
Oldboy also utilizes a unique and bold blend of music to add additional layers of meaning to the scene. Chan-wook uses classical music to amazing effect, causing something like Vivaldi's Four Seasons to take on new life. As Dae-su plies the teeth out of a gang leader, the violins of Four Seasons are energetic and playful. Strangely, the music seems to make light of what we're seeing on screen. As the back of the hammer squeezes blood from the man's gum, Vivaldi smiles. As the man's tongue pitifully tries to deter the hammer, Vivaldi laughs. It's scenes like this that exemplify the strength of Chan-wook’s art. It's also moments like this that violence looks artistic. Quentin Tarantino tried something similar with the surrealist violence in Kill Bill – trying to make it look like a Japanese anime – and it worked with arguable success. But when violence occurs artistically, as Chan-wook's does, he challenges us to see it differently.
This movie is excellent, but possesses a few flaws that keep it from going higher. The biggest criticism I have is the explanation for how the evil mastermind set everything in motion. The viewer needs to suspend disbelief for part of the conclusion because it just seems a little too-far fetched, a little too perfect. Had Chan-wook chosen to do something different, altering the movie only slightly, it would be in the top 10. Despite the plot complaint, everything else is executed beautifully enough to make up for the late stumble. The American remake, rumored to be nearing production, will be awful. Remember that you read it here first – if the movie is remade, it will lack Chan-wook's style that gives his movies so much strength, energy and artistry.
On Amazon: Oldboy
13) My Love (2007)
Directed by Han Lee
The movie clearly emulates Love Actually in the story and presentation: several different characters are struggling with love and the stories coagulate at a lunar eclipse festival (despite the Christmas cover and Wikipedia entry, the movie does not involve Christmas). This isn’t necessarily bad since Love Actually was an enjoyable movie, but My Love improves on many of it’s inspiration's mistakes. The major reason that I prefer My Love is that it resolves these criticisms: too many narratives, one-dimensional characters, "happy" resolutions, Hollywood character arcs, and too many British people with British teeth. Paramount to these problems, My Love takes fewer stories in favor of better character development, fueling an enjoyable and satisfying movie. The choice to give each story complexity and value looks much better than one-dimensional stories, that when combined, form a larger narrative. Love Actually preferred to have each story serve a different function: the porn couple was comic relief, the boy and son was about grief and moving on, the prime minister was about love with different power dynamics. In the end, the whole mixture looked good, but was hollow if an individual storyline were highlighted. My Love takes each couple through their own multifaceted journey.
My Love follows four couples at various stages of romance: two college students, two coworkers, a nostalgic subway driver, and a hippie looking for his girlfriend. But that may not be enough to convince you to see this film because the Love Actually formula is coming up too often (He's Just Not That Into You, Valentine's Day). What these movies really require are unique characters, not outlandish situations. My Love has several characters that we care about, with my personal favorite being the subway driver remembering his eccentric and slightly crazy girlfriend – as they play games on the subway car, we stay engaged to figure out why he looks estranged and joyless.
The man in the coworker couple is a widower father, Jeong-seok, aggressively pursued by a successful female coworker, Soo-jeong. But, for some reason he is completely uninterested in her advances. In one scene, Soo-jeong comes over to help cook a good meal for Jeong-seok’s son, who has survived mostly on cup noodles and video games. As she explores the house, she finds a picture of Jeon’seok’s late wife and pleads with the picture to let Jeong-seok move on. Soo-jeong acts like the late wife has a spell over him, a spirit that keeps him stuck in the past. He happens to come home and the conversation, at which point he becomes infuriated and forces Soo-jeong out. The audience isn't sure who to sympathize with. But watching his anger, we can see how he is still injured by his wife’s absence. Before this scene, we may think Jeong-seok’s just trying to avoid a relationship with his coworker, perhaps he just isn’t into her, but his sudden outburst reveals an unhealed scar.
This movie is ranked 13 based primarily on entertainment. Since it takes several stories, we never get to see the characters in as much depth as a full length exploration, but much better than other movies with similar structure. I've never been big on chick-flicks and rarely watch them on my own accord, but My Love is enjoyable alone and with a date. As with several other Korean movies I've mentioned, this film does some slight genre-blending by making death touch several stories. In this regard, the movie further distances itself from other formulaic romances.
It’s hard to make money with hugs when assholes like this guy give them away for free.
12) Addicted (2002)(Sometimes called The Poisoning)
Directed by Young-hoon Park
Addicted is one of those movies that stays with you. Long after watching, I still vividly remember the emotional power of specific scenes. I still recall how I responded as the story evolved. It’s almost like a classic movie – everyone should see it once, but probably never watch it again. To a large degree, the movie is so emotionally taxing that watching it again can never match the experience of the first time.
Two brothers get in car crashes at roughly the same time but different places and both fall into a coma. Dae-jun, the younger brother, eventually is taken home by his sister in law but starts acting differently. Following his return, he starts increasingly acting like his older brother: cooking and tending the garden coupled with a sudden and inexplicable loss of interest in his girlfriend and old hobbies. As the movie continues, he starts believing that his brother Ho-jun's soul has come to reside in him, much to the grief of Eun-soo, Ho-jun's wife, who still believes that her comatose husband will wake up. Eun-soo is hurt, skeptical and untrusting, but when the brother starts recounting intimate memories, she starts to believe him. Problematically, Dae-jun is haphazard with memories and skills – Ho-jun was a talented woodworker, but Dae-jun claims that he just isn't accustomed to his new hands.
Addicted keeps the audience unsure what the truth is throughout the film. Sometimes the evidence is so convincing that we believe the souls were switched. The grieving wife reacts through a rollercoaster of emotions as she goes back and forth. As silly as the concept sounds at the beginning, coupled with Dae-jun’s almost brain-damaged behavior, the audience transforms to become more and more receptive: we grow as Eun-soo grows, doubts when she doubts, believes when she believes. But we're also wondering which of the options we prefer: the souls were switched, brain damage to make the Dae-jun confused at his own identity, or maybe Dae-jun just wants to comfort Eun-soo through a tragic period in her life by pretending that Ho-jun loves her even after death. Each instance is hard to swallow and the movie plays on this perfectly by going back and forth until the question is settled at the end.
Given the themes of the movie, it is obviously religious and philosophical in nature. The viewer will find that their own personal beliefs on the soul will greatly influence how they perceive Dae-jun. For those viewers who believe in the soul, they may be further conflicted by the idea of the spirit residing in a different person. The movie's suggestion that memories, personality and emotions are tied to the soul and become grafted onto the spirit wherever it goes is consistent with many Christian views. Hopefully the movie will make you think and examine your own beliefs. By successfully drawing the audience in, we also wonder how we would react if we found ourselves in Eun-soo’s position, a loved one suddenly in the body of someone else.
The film was remade in 2009 and starred Sarah Michelle Geller. If my constant complaints/disastrous prophecies about the American remakes seem unfair, Possession was a straight to DVD release (according to Wikipedia, it did get theatrical release in Israel and the Philippines!) Among the criticisms were the complete alteration of Dae-jun from a young, energetic, likeable bachelor unprepared to settle down into a violent outlaw in the remake. Additionally, although both films are called "thrillers," the Korean advertising may betray a philosophical drama whereas the America version is pretty much substandard crap.
This movie is ranked 12 because of artistic value. The storyline is slow and detail-oriented. There are many scenes that are primarily intended to lead the audience in one direction (for instance, Dae-jun remembering details behind a necklace) and others that take us opposite (Dae-jun spends a lot of time staring into emptiness, a blank look on his face). Then on top of it all, we're left wondering if the will to believe either story skews the evidence to support whatever conclusion we want to see. It's actually difficult to identify which truth we want to believe since they all have shortcomings. I adore this effect, identifying Eun-soo's plight as my own, albeit far less emotional.
On Amazon: Addicted (Special Edition)
Here is the America remake – take note how badly Hollywood screwed up the original:
Please never ever ever ever see Possession. If not for your own sake, for the sake of humanity.
11) The Chaser (2008)Directed by Hong-jin Na
To my great surprise, I saw this movie on Netflix Streaming Queue. The story follows a cop-turned-pimp, Joong-ho, experiencing some financial difficulties – the women that work for him have been disappearing, causing the pimp to lose large amounts of money. He believes the women are running away or kidnapped and trafficked, which he doesn’t care about except for lost finances and earning potential. After receiving a call from a customer, he sends Mi-jin, one of his last remaining women, despite her slight cold. After noticing a connection between one of his recent missing women and Mi-jin, he believes the man is trafficking his women. Unbeknownst to him, the client that he sent her to is a serial killer. Thanks to a lucky doorbell, the killer stops shorting of killing Mi-jin, only knocking her unconscious but killing the doorbell ringers. As the killer starts to cover his tracks, Joong-ho is luckily involved in a car accident with the killer, which leads to a fight and lands them both in jail. The killer surprisingly confesses to killing the women, but can only be held for 12 hours without more evidence since he confessed without a lawyer and was arrested for fighting. The rest of the movie involves Joong-ho desperately trying to save Mi-jin while the police frantically search for evidence to keep the killer behind bars. The film is roughly based on a famous Korean serial killer in the early 2000’s.
This movie keeps you on the edge of your seat the whole time. We switch back and forth between watching Mi-jin try to escape the house, Joong-ho investigating outside the law and the police trying to work within the system. The killer performs his role exceedingly well, creepy, smart and psychotic; he acts like a younger and less brilliant Hannibal Lecter. Actually, to revise that, he is much more normal…which is what makes him more frightening. When a detective asks him how he killed the women, he nonchalantly responds “with a chisel.” The detective not quote taken aback, replies “the ones to crack stones?” The killer doesn’t look crazy at all, radiantly staying calm and naive the whole movie while peacefully discussing how he violently murdered women. Chaser also maintains a good level of tension – action when there needs to be, quiet to allow the situation to build, painful at the right spots. Some thrillers can be indulgent in their use of chases and action, rarely letting the scene evolve and instead hopping from one fight to another. Chaser sets a higher standard for what we should expect in thrillers.
This movie is ranked 11 because of entertainment. It is one of the few Korean streaming movies offered by Netflix, meaning it is one of the most widely available Korean movies I’ve reviewed thus far. The rights to an American remake have already been purchased by Warner Brothers, with early rumors suggesting a similar staff as The Departed (according to Wikipedia). Perhaps since The Departed was a remake of Internal Affairs from Hong Kong, The Chaser may be the only remake showing some promise. The ending is also one of the strongest attributes because it builds up so well. Joong-ho’s transition as a character is amazing and while we hate him for most the movie, he changes enough for the audience to love him.
On Amazon:Chaser
Every movie I’ve offered from this point is a strong suggestion to see. Let me take that a step further, it’s actually me urging you to see the movie. Starting with The Chaser, I’m moving into you MUST see these movies. The Top 10 starts this weekend!
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