Tuesday 30 June 2009

Memories of Murder [2003]


Memories of Murder is a rarity in that despite being a ‘based-on-real-events’ movie, it has still managed to go beyond the mere facts on which it is based. A very well made policier – it is about South Korea’s first recorded case of a serial killer – the movie meticulously follows two foe-turned-friends cops – a veteran, sardonic street-smart officer for whom end justifies the means, and a smart young rookie who dares to be different – trying to get hold of the slippery culprit. However, the actual tracking process fades in comparison to the gradual transformation of the characters revealed through deft change in mood and tone of the narrative. Despite the seriousness of the plot, the director has never shied from including darkly comic moments of near absurdist proportions at various instances of the fluid structure. One of the most striking aspects of the movie lies in its exceptional cinematography – the lush, panoramic outdoor shots have been perfectly juxtaposed with the decrepit squalor of the interiors. Never afraid of depicting the nastier sides of crime investigation, this wonderfully enacted movie has managed to pull surprises at nearly every turn of its crisp length.









Director: Bong Joon-Ho
Genre: Crime Drama/Black Comedy/Mystery
Language: Korean
Country: South Korea

4 comments:

Bhargav Saikia said...

Where can I find this movie?

Shubhajit said...

World Wide Web, my friend :)

sitenoise said...

hehe, way to go! This was one of my earliest Korean film experiences. I think it ignited a bigger spark in me than you. But gosh they were mean to that kid. Song Kang-ho is one of my favorite actors.

Shubhajit said...

Yeah, this is one hell of a movie. The acting and photography were especially good. The wry, black humour in the tone, in a way, reminded me of Fargo.