There’s More To Korea Than Kimchi (Part II)

Thriller - Korean Style

Even since I laid eyes on ‘Oldboy’, I’ve been fascinated with violent Korean thrillers, quite possibly to an unhealthy extent. I’m pretty sure Anj (and most of our visitors at this blog for that matter) would probably term me a geniune Korean wannabe, especially now that you know such a term exists in the hallowed (web)pages of Urban Dictionary (the same place that tells me I’m an ‘obsessive compulsive gambler who goes on mission trips to find swimming pools, and likely have neither colored clothes nor emotions’). But how can I help it? They make such good films! Maybe it’s the bizarre duality of living in one of the safest, most crime-free societies in the world while under constant threat of invasion by an angry little man with a million strong army and a serious Napoleon complex that manifests itself in paranoid cinema that pits ordinary humans in violent battles against the monster within us all. Or may be ordinary people are capable of extraordinary cinema when they do not have the sceptre of frivolous censorship looming over them. Or may be there is something about growing up on a diet of Khimchi, Soju and authentic KFC (that’s Korean Fried Chicken for the uninitiated) that seems to create extremely stylish and daring film-makers.

Either way, these are bold, scary films that push the boundaries of film-making, daring to show us a side of humanity we’d rather not think about. This is not your usual torture porn (think the Saw films or Eli Roth’s Hostel), where violence is committed for the sake of violence so that frat boys and counterculture nerds can salivate over human suffering. There is definitely a sub-culture of Asian horror devoted to celebrating this bizarre fetishism, and it makes Hostel look like a Sesame Street special. But the films I’m going to talk about are something entirely different. These are powerful, affecting films films that chronicle our darkest fears and worst characteristics, without celebrating them or their aftermath. They may not be everyone’s cup of tea, but (as any connoisseur of spicy food will attest), they are like a good bowl of Dan Dan Noodles or Kolhapuri Chicken, in that they do reward those with the stomach to handle them.

So without further adieu, here’s my list of the top 3 films from Kim Jong Il’s neighborhood that will leave you squirming so hard, you’ll wish you’d taken up yoga so you could untangle your limbs afterwards...

3. I Saw The Devil

Starring Korean superstars Byung-hun Lee and Min-Sik Choi, the film tells the story of secret agent Kim Soo-hyeon, who returns from duty to find his fiancee’s dismembered corpse being picked out of the river by the police. Determined to avenge her death, Kim sets out to find and deliver slow, brutal justice to his unwitting and outmatched prey Kyung-Chul, a serial killer who preys on young women on desolate backwoods roads. But as Kim’s revenge grows more and more elaborate, he descends deeper and deeper into the morbid world of the irreparably deranged Kyung-Chul, and finds himself facing the very real possibility that his vengeance may have gotten the better of him.

"Try watching this film and then resisting the urge to call your loved one just to make sure they’re ok."

I Saw The Devil is much more a meditation on the futility of revenge than it is a slasher flick. The film is moody and dark, and features several harrowing scenes of brutality that are sure to test your gag reflex (And if they don’t, you might have some unresolved issues. Please go see a board certified psychiatrist before you boil the neighbor’s cat). The actors are stellar, especially Min-Sik Choi (who shot to international fame in Oldboy) as the psychotic Kyung-Chul, who brings unbelievable levels of menace to a character that, on paper, sounds little more than a completely outgunned and outmatched punching bag. The perfect foil to Kyung-Chul is Byung-hun Lee as Kim Soo-hyeon, the seemingly ‘noble’ victim delivering much deserved punishment, who is slowly losing grip over his own sense of justice. The production is slick, and serves as a perfect showcase of director Jee-woon Kim’s cinematic eye (he is the same guy who made arguably the most delightfully stylish ‘western’ of the last decade). The tamest film on this list, but easily enough to test the strongest movie goer’s mettle, consider I Saw The Devil your appetizer. Try watching this film and then resisting the urge to call your loved one just to make sure they’re ok. If you succeed, you may read on to #2 on the list.

2. The Chaser

This is a very unique serial killer thriller in that the mystery isn’t really the whodunit part, but rather the ‘will-he-get-away-with-it’ part. The basic plot is pretty simple: disgraced cop turned pimp Joong-Ho Eom finds his prostitutes disappearing without paying their bills, and decides to put his past skills to work to track them down. His search quickly leads him to Young-min Jee, a madman with a penchant for bashing women’s skulls in with a ball-peen hammer. Unfortunately for Joong-Ho, things don’t quite go as planned, as a bumbling police force whittles away precious time while the clock ticks away on Young-min’s latest victim, and we are treated to a gut-wrenching, edge-of-the-seat thrill ride that is sure to leave your knuckles whiter than a Dave Matthews Band fan club and your palms sweatier than a pro wrestler’s jockstrap (you’re welcome for that image...).

"Scary, gritty, human, and thoroughly harrowing..."

From the opening shot to the gripping finale, the film is filled with enough genuinely shocking twists and turns to rival the deadliest Afghan mountain pass. Every time you think you have a handle on how things are going to turn out, the film throws a curveball your way, forcing you ever closer to that seat edge we talked about. Scary, gritty, human, and thoroughly harrowing, The Chaser is one of the very few films (that don’t feature ghostly little girls in pale white frocks with faces obscured by matted hair) that I’ve actually watched through the slits between my fingers as I squirm in terror. And as you are biting your way through the stubs of your fingers where your nails used to be, just remember that this film is director Hong Jin-Na’s debut feature!

1. Lady Vengeance

The top of our list, and a film that shocked me enough that I am covering it twice on this blog, Lady Vengeance is the final film in Chan-wook Park’s legendary ‘Vengeance’ trilogy. Playing out almost like a twisted, whimsical fairy tale, the film chronicles the story of Geum-ja Jee, a mild-mannered, unassuming woman who is falsely convicted of kidnapping and murdering a little boy. Released after 13 years, Geum-ja returns to the outside world determined to get her life back on track and exact sweet revenge on the real murderer.

One of the few times I was left speechless for several minutes after the film ended...

Lady Vengeance is by far the least ‘violent’ film on this list. While there is a lot of bloodletting, it is not the focal point of the film. The film builds up to it beautifully and unhurriedly, as a gently absurdist fantasy, and then unleashes a gut wrenching final chapter that has to be one of the few times I was left speechless for several minutes after the film ended. Giving away anything more would be a major spoiler, though my fingers are itching to. All I can say is I’m glad I don’t have any kids yet, because this film truly makes me think it’s a good idea if junior doesn’t leave the house, ever...

I know I’m probably not selling these films very well, but most of you wonderful, law-abiding, tax paying citizens go through enough stress in your lives already, and I believe I owe you fair warning lest I ruin some well deserved ‘me time’. But like I said before, think of it as seeking out spicy food. Most of us don’t enjoy the feeling of concentrated sulphuric acid down our throat, but those that do find some truly delightful flavors along the way. The others just end up with a very upset stomach the day after...

P.S: If you really want to make a true event of it, why not pick up some authentic KFC and Soju from your friendly neighborhood Bon Chon... It’s yummy, spicy, and oh so Korean...

P.P.S: Since we try to avoid novellas here at tinseltownspeople, here are some well deserving films that I’ve relegated to an honorable mention, but are just as much worth your time: Oldboy, Thirst, Memories Of Murder, Sympathy For Mr. Vengeance, Three Extremes (The Chan Wook Park short), and many more that I can’t, for the life of me, remember.