The Good, the Bad, the Weird (2008)
Director: Kim Jee-woon
Starring: Song kang-ho, Lee Byung-hun, Jung Woo-sung, Yoon Je-moon
Primary genre: Action
Secondary genre: Western
What do you get if you blend together Korean cultural sensibilities, an expensive homage to Sergio Leone’s The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly (1968), a catchy Spanish-guitar soundtrack, gun-fu, martial arts, political commentary, Japanese imperialism, and the Manchurian desert? Kim Jee-woon’s oriental or better described by the director himself, Kimchi Western The Good, the Bad, the Weird of course. Not since Christophe Gans’ Brotherhood of the Wolf (2001), has such a rip-roaring, thrilling, and energetic genre hybrid graced the big screen. With a huge budget at his disposal and the authentic locations of China as a backdrop, Jee-woon leaves behind horror (A Tale of Two Sisters (2003)), black comedy (The Quiet Family (1998)), and crime (A Bittersweet Life (2005)) to visualize an extravagant treasure hunt story full of Leone’s trademarks under a Korean twist.
Pulling off successfully a pastiche of genres is extraordinarily difficult though and famous directors have fallen flat on their faces (John Favreau’s forgotten Cowboys and Aliens (2011)). Yet Jee-woon demonstrates impeccable skill at juggling a large number of different elements together to satisfy even the most picky viewer. While Leone’s legendary Western serves as a proto-template for gunslinger shenanigans here with shots feeling like a copy-paste Asian rip off, his pic becomes something new and exciting entirely.
“People must know that they’re going to die, and yet they live as though they never will. Hilarious.”
For westerners, some of the cultural elements will fly above their heads but then the script is not necessarily interested in presenting a history lesson about Korea’s Japanese occupation echoing again Leone’s take on America’s civil war which was playing at the background. Thus, despite a few political jabs regarding the corrupted elite and the struggle for independence, it is all an excuse really for zany individuals to parade on screen supported by inspired performances, and sharp characterization, especially our trio. Although the roles of the good, the bad, and the weird are modelled after Clint Eastwood, Lee Van Cleef, and Eli Wallach respectively, they are not as clearly separated as you might expect, all of them having short moments of introspection. The good is not that good, the bad is more than a stereotypical villain (if such a thing in this universe exists), and the weird might not be a weirdo at all. Kang-ho, Byung-hun, and Woo-sung have a blast sharing ecstatic chemistry, particularly Byung-hun who relishes as Park Chang-yi moving with incredible swagger (black suit and all) and martial art and gun skill all the while cutting through minions, and bandits as if they were made of paper.
This expensive and expansive rollercoaster of a film sees Jee-woon pushing the boundaries of how a Western should look. While he displays a much needed respect for the established tropes and frames that Leone (and others) bought four decades earlier, this is not the Wild West, hell, it is not even taking place in the same continent. Instead this revitalized tale of gold rush between three distinct cultures (Korean, Japanese, Chinese) boasts an infectious energy to get the ball rolling: from its speedy prologue under a bird’s eye view and a superb tempo driven score to a chaotic train robbery, within 20 minutes or so Jee-woon has established not only the key players but also the arena where they will face each other. In a clash involving the bad’s expansive, merciless, skillful, and diverse gang, the good’s lonely rifle skills, and the weird’s luck and survival instincts against the Japanese army, Korean rebels, and drifters of all sorts, things are going to get very messy.
And messy they become. First and foremost, the director insists this is an action movie against the Kimchi Western canvas, and he is right. Some shots involving real pyrotechnics are truly spectacular (watch the bomb going off behing Kang-ho’s back) with all the actors doing their own jaw-dropping stunts. A race under a Latin instrumental version of Nina Simone’s Don’t Let Me Be Misunderstood is perhaps one of the most memorable and inventive set pieces of 2000s amidst a barrage of non-stop action sequences and high body count that verge on gun-fu with a dash of martial artistry and a few touches of black humor.
So what if The Good, the Bad, the Weird does not know when to stop in its lengthy 2+ hours? If you would have packed the same firepower it does, you wouldn’t either. This OTT blend of explosive ingredients full of live works very well in its meticulous and expansive presentation, superb production and sound design, and appropriately sweeping cinematography. If only more motion pictures could bother to put so much effort.
Thunderous, charismatic, and fun
+Cast particularly Byung-hun
+Great pacing
+Expansive filled with life
+Awesome soundtrack
+Gun-fu Western
+Sound design
+Amazing stuntwork