Memories of Murder (2003)
Director: Bong Joon-ho
Starring: Song kang-ho, Kim Sang-kyung, Kim Roi-ha, Song Jae-ho
Primary genre: Neo-noir
Secondary genre: Crime
Third genre: Thriller
The second output from Korean auteur Bong Joon-ho (Barking Dogs Never Bite (2000), Parasite (2019)) is a remarkable and melancholic neo-noir crime thriller retelling a true story. Dealing with South Korea’s first documented serial killer case in the mid 80s, Memories of Murder is a fantastic film on all fronts featuring complex characters and clever hints of social commentary.
Joon-ho stages a handful of brilliantly executed suspenseful sequences but the idea here is to create a sense of dread and not to encourage repeated viewings for gore hounds and genre aficionados. An unsuspecting victim walking in the night rain through a field can be as unsettling as they come using Hitchcock’s infamous approach: the character does not know where the monster lies but the audience does and that’s enough to create tension. Considering the true nature of the committed crimes that saw an unchained predator raping and murdering women of all ages, Joon-ho is more interested in the reaction of the Korean law enforcement (and society) and less into creating a graphic serial killer motion picture. Despite its grim murder scenes boasting a Seven (1995) and Silence of the Lambs (1991) flavor, these occur off-screen forcing the audience to use their imagination without stripping away their impact.
Interestingly, any sort of onscreen violence comes from the police whose detectives are so desperate to pin down a suspect and close the case they are willing to cross plenty of moral and legal boundaries. And this is where Memories of Murder shines. Its critique on the lack of procedural ethos and competence is the source of black humor despite the difficult (and uncomfortable) topic. Several wrong decisions occurred and frankly, overwhelmed the then local authorities giving the movie a nuanced texture which extends beyond a whodunit mystery and a good-vs-evil agenda. The script (written by Joon-ho) though is not about firing accusatory missiles to society but opts to explore the personal odyssey of two polar opposite detectives (Kang-ho and Sang-kyung giving strong performances); each one starts from a different place but ends up acquiring what they perceived as negative initially the attitudes of the other. Fascinating stuff.
“What kind of detective sleeps well?”
Populated with details that carry their own metaphorical meanings (in the form of objects and secondary characters with their own mini arcs), Memories of Murder is shot under a bleak earth-inspired color palette where everything is black, white, brown, grey, or yellow. At nighttime, things are almost monochromatic with the victims’ red clothing being the visual standout. The cinematography of Kim Hyung-koo is masterful at capturing a countryside’s landscapes full of an ominous and intrinsically sad atmosphere (courtesy of Taro Iwashiro’s score) and a refuge for an unseen force to devour the next person. Even in the film’s beautiful opening in lush yellow, there is a feeling of unease. Houses, shops, taverns, and other types of places look isolated and distant from each other, the crimes occurring being the only thing that brings together residents, news coverage, and ineptness under a barrage of never-ending rain.
Memories of Murder is one of the most original serial killer flicks in cinema history and unfortunately for it, one whose subject matter actually happened (like David Fincher’s Zodiac (2007)). Despite its topic, the movie has a lot to say in its minimal expository dialogue and outstanding frames establishing Bong Joon-ho as a cinematic force to be reckoned with. The final haunting image will have you thinking for days about humanity’s nature and its inability to be able to sense, understand, or extinguish evil.
Sensational serial killer flick
+Cinematography
+Layered crime proceedings
+Amazing performances
+Engaging and grim true story
+Joon-ho’s meticulous direction
+Beautiful visuals