The City Of Violence (짝패)
Director: Ryoo Seung-wan (류승완) Screenwriters: Kim Jeong-min (김정민), Lee Won-jae (이원재) & Ryoo Seung-wan (류승완)
Starring: Ryoo Seung-wan (류승완), Jeong Doo-hong (정두홍), Lee Beom-soo (이범수) & Jeong Seok-yong (정석용)
Running Time: 92 mins
Korean Release Date: 25/05/2006
Korean Box office admissions: 944,507 admissions (18/06/2006)
Let’s face it, everybody likes a good old fashioned ass kicking, and when it comes to Korea, there’s no better man to call than Ryu Seung-wan. Ryu has declared himself as the most enthusiastic director of action films in Korea, and this tells in his interviews in which he constantly refers to all the classic action movies that he loves. It is exactly these movies which Ryu is paying homage to in The City of Violence. From the soundtrack to the sets to the costumes, this film is style personified. It’s a fully fledged salute to the glory days of 70s Asian action and the style, verve and attitude that these films possessed. The unfortunate thing is that Ryu seems to have picked up all the bad habits from those days as well, most of which lie in the story.
Action director sumpremo Jung Doo-hong has never been known for his acting. In fact his acting has always been something of a joke in the industry. The City of Violence was his chance to turn that around, as he plays Tae-su, a Seoul cop who comes back to his home city after the death of a close friend. Him, along with rough neck Seok-hwan (Ryu himself) investigate into the murder to try and find out who was behind it and exert their own brand of revenge. The unfortunate thing is that that’s about it as far as the story concerns. The rest of the film flows with very little in the way of surprises and most of the surprises you see coming from a mile away. Although the style is updated in the sense of dialogue, setting and style, very little else is changed from the classic action revenge plot. There is something about real-estate and a casino thrown in, but by the end of the film all of it seems like a pointless exercise in trying to create something out of nothing. Most worryingly, there are some moments in this action film, where it is, dare I say it – boring. The sad thing is that Ryu did so well to create powerhouse characters and performances in Crying Fist, that he brought a real human element to the action in violence. In The City of Violence is there very little sign of anything remotely human. All that the weak story is really carried by is the trademark dialogue which is as razor sharp as ever.
"As a film The City of Violence is a good one, not a great one"
But perhaps delving too much into the story is beyond the point. As the title of the film suggests, there is little room in this city for anything else but violence. And violent it is! Many of the fights are shot with the same kind of intensity which the fights in Crying Fist had, although many might recall the raw action in the down and dirty Die Bad. Much of this is thanks to Jung Doo-hong, who once again puts his stamp on this film with the close up violence and the patent crazy kicks. The two fights that stand out are the ruckus with break-dancers in a high street and the final fight in the complex. The final fight in particular is spectacular, with the colourful traditional sets and the choreography working in harmony to create something new and something nostalgic. One stand out moment sees the fight spew into a room which then intern leads into many identical looking rooms, all packed with knife wielding hard men. Ryo and Jung make a good team, with Ryu being the smart ass wise-cracker and Jung being the no nonsense bone-cracker. This also tells in their conversation during the fight in which Tae-soo questions why Seung-hwan can’t take the pain as he is younger, to which Seung-hwan coolly reply “The hurt doesn’t discriminate between the old and young”. But make no mistakes, this action is awesome. The fight between the two heroes and the four white clad feminine looking killing machines is bone crunching to say the least. One particular moment in which Seung-hwan tries to make a quick escape by jumping down the stairs is thwarted as one of the silent assassins leans over the banister and grabs him and dangles him, by his hair. That’s right, his hair. Ryu is obviously a director who likes the audience to feel what the characters are feeling, which is certainly evident in those particularly painful close-ups. Leaving the audience in pain is also coupled in leaving them in awe, which is the end of the deal Jung Doo-hong holds up. His martial arts has always been breathtaking, and the former Taekwondo master’s moves are all there in this. You can never get tired of watching his flying, spin kicks thumping some poor guy in the face.
As a film The City of Violence is a good one, not a great one. Comparisons with Kill Bill are inevitable, but really any old school homage is compared to Kill Bill. The neat fades, cuts and zooms are in true 70’s style (one scene fades in through cigarette smoke), but those not in the know will be screaming Kill Bill till the cows come home. Comparisons aside, the film offers decent performances (in particular from Lee Beom-su as the cunning gangster Pil-ho), witty dialogue and excellent action. If you just want to watch a lesson in style and action then The City Of Violence is food for thought, but don’t expect much more than that. If all is to believed, this is Ryu Seung-wan’s last action movie, which might not be the ideal way to go out, but something tells me this might not be the last we’ve heard from Korea’s premiere action man.
* * *
AASHISH GADHVI
The Host. (괴물)
Director: Bong Joon-ho (봉준호)
Producer: Choi Yong-bae (최용배)
Starring: Song Kang-ho (송강호), Byeon Hee-bong (변희봉), Park Hae-il (박해일), Bae Doona (배두나), Ko Ah-seong (고아성), Oh Dal-soo (오달수), Lee Jae-eung (이재응)
Distributor (Korea): Showbox
Distributor (UK): Optimum Releasing
Release Date (Korea): 27th July 2006
Release Date (UK): 10 November 2006
Running Time: 119 mins
Cert: 15TBC
Trailer (Optimum Releasing)
Box office results.
Synoposis
It begins at a US army base where they contaminate the Han River (runs through Seoul) by pouring formaldehyde into the river. Some time later in a matter of years a monster begins to terrorise the Seoul suburbs and kidnaps Hyun-seo, the daughter of absent minded Gan-du (Song Hang-ho). Inevitably he goes on a deadly quest to try and rescue her.Review
One
of the hardest jobs as a successful film director has got to be meeting
the inevitable high expectations the public and critics demand
following a hit. Bong Joon-ho was clearly faced with this predicament
when he arrived at Cannes in May and likewise last month when the real
test of pleasing the Korean public fell on to his shoulders. His
anxiety was somewhat eased after Cannes where the film pleased critics
from all over the world and when The Host opened
on a recording breaking weekend, he must have been jumping from the
ceiling and deservedly so since this is a cracking film.
For me,
Bong’s greatest attribute is his ability to take a conventional
narrative and almost turn it upside down, shake it around and add what
ever he feels is necessary to deliver a finished product. The Host has about as much in common with The Relic, Alien or Predator as it has with Gone with the Wind. Bong refuses to follow redundant formulas and instead devises a new one - the Bong formula.
A
key to this formula is his black humour, but unlike Park Chan-Wook, it
is not too black but rather quite refreshing and at times very dry.
Throughout the film, the audience is constantly laughing, yet at the
same time he is delivering potent messages about our current political
climate. His main area of focus is towards the U.S and Korea’s
willingness to adhere to their demands. He also explores the issues of
paranoia and the obsession of ‘taking control’ even if it means
deceiving the public. Current policies on terrorism and the
justification of the invasion of Iraq through the supposable existence
of WMD’s are no doubt central to these themes. Although there is no
clear reference to Iraq or terrorism, at some points you feel like you
are watching an episode of the award winning BBC programme, Panorama mixed with a few scenes out of One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s nest.
At
the same time Bong is keen to take a rest from the political satire and
focus on the importance of family and how powerful the family bond can
become even in the most difficult times. This is something he touches
on towards the end of Memories of Murder and it arguably serves as a foundation to one of the key themes throughout the film.
As for the special effects, there is much to say. On the whole the work by the Lord of the Rings team has obviously been well prepared and executed. The monster (literal translation to the Korean title Gui Mul)
has a great deal of texture and authenticity for the most part. As the
creature begins to explore Seoul life, it is clear that the expense is
more than justified. As the film progresses Bong reveals more and more
about the look and feel of the beast. He brings you up close and it
gets to the point you can almost smell the stench he must be carrying.
One of the surprising features of the deadly beast is its ability to be
a gymnast, which you don’t often see. Quite entertaining.
"Bong refuses to follow redundant formulas and instead devises a new one - the Bong formula."
However
as the finale approaches it becomes evident there are limitations when
using CGI effects, which is a real shame especially so because for the
most part the effects are first class, but sometimes you have to accept
some short falls.
Aside from the graphics, technically it is
brilliant and faultless. Sound is crucial in any film, but more so in a
film that involves so much activity. Bong and his team carefully blend
in the sound with very fine precision and care. Bong is also keen on
the big drums to build tension. This was key to one of the scenes the
killer emerges out of the grass in Memories of Murder and
again he does exactly the same thing as they play war with the beast.
But during the more reflective moments of the film the sound is almost
cut out in places to allow you to digest the film properly.
You may have noticed Bong doesn’t hold back on the amount of tracking shots he uses in his films and The Host
is no exception. With a Monster on the loose he makes full use of
tracking and aerial shots, but also remains focussed on using close-ups
to really bring out the characters expressions. This works very well on
both Song Kang-ho and Byeon Hee-bong who are naturals at expressing
themselves.
On this note, the acting doesn’t let the film down,
not by any means. Song Kang-ho comfortably leads the cast with his
strong presence. Meanwhile Byeon Hee-bong delivers a sensational
performance as the father. Park Ha-il is also impressive, but lacks the
experience of his colleagues. Bae-Doona as the Korean version of
Legolas is very strong, it is just a shame she doesn’t have a more
significant role. Last but not least Ko Ah-soung and Lee Dong-ho are
both delightful as the savage beast picks them both up.
At over
two hours, this is a very long film, though the time races by. It is
also worth mentioning the version that was screened at the Frightfest
Festival was an extended edition so how different it is to the version
that is to be released globally, I don’t know. But I am confident it
won’t be much different if any different at all.
Some people may
feel it drags, but from where I was sitting it did no such thing. It is
utterly compelling, thought provoking, visually stunning, hilarious,
unpredictable, shocking, moving and in short breathtaking filmmaking.
It is no Memories of Murder,
but nor was it meant to be. There are small areas that need a little
more work, but in all honesty I don’t think you will see a film like
this for a very long time. Superb.
* * * * *