He could be anyone. Could be anywhere. Could be you.
Release Year: 2003
Country: South Korea
Genre: Procedural suspense/psychological thriller
Director: Bong Joon-ho
Screenwriter: Bong Joon-ho, Shim Sung-bo, Kim Kwang-rim
Cinematography: Kim Hyung-ku
Music: TarÅ Iwashiro
Editing: Kim Sun-min
Actors: Song Kang-ho, Kim Sang-kyung, Kim Roe-ha
Country: South Korea
Genre: Procedural suspense/psychological thriller
Director: Bong Joon-ho
Screenwriter: Bong Joon-ho, Shim Sung-bo, Kim Kwang-rim
Cinematography: Kim Hyung-ku
Music: TarÅ Iwashiro
Editing: Kim Sun-min
Actors: Song Kang-ho, Kim Sang-kyung, Kim Roe-ha
In most fictional stories about murder investigation, it is always made clear to the audiences that the killer, no matter how smart or cruel he/she is, will always be captured by the end of the story. Body is found, clues are gathered, investigation is conducted, and a couple of red herrings later (or if this is a particularly blood-thirsty killer, another murdered body or two), the crime-fighter (either police force, forensic team, private detective, or even a civilian) will reveal the killer's identity in a dramatic fashion. Justice will always win.
Needless to say, murder cases in real life rarely work as smoothly as that. They often went unsolved, either through incompetence, bad luck, or just the fact that the killer had outsmarted the investigators. This harsh reality is magnificently illustrated by Memories of Murder, a depiction of real life murder investigation between 1986 and 1991 in Hwaseong, South Korea (a stage play version of the events was also made, whose screenplay is adapted for this movie).
In a sleepy village during the period of military dictatorship, bodies of raped and murdered young women are found and sparked an investigation for a potential serial killer. Bumbling local detectives, Park Doo-man (Song Kang-ho) and Cho Yong-koo (Kim Roe-ha) are in charge of the case, and they are soon joined by Seoul detective, Seo Tae-yoon (Kim Sang-kyung)--whose refined method and no-nonsense attitude cause him to butt heads often with Doo-man. However, as bodies continue to pile up and clues lead to nowhere, desperation mounts on the investigators.
The most remarkable thing about Memories' narrative is how well it juggles its duality of tones. Its beginning is surprisingly funny and comical, showing how out of depth Doo-man and Yong-koo are: they can't properly secure a crime scene, they conduct unethical interrogation techniques (Yong-koo is seemingly more adept in drop-kicking suspect than in doing any real detective work), and Doo-man likes to make ridiculous deduction and later even consult a paranormal. At first, Tae-yoon's arrival and his much more professional background seem to be the key to crack the case wide open and help the incompetent detectives, which is likely to happen in a more generic and less realistic movie. But, not even him could yield a significant breakthrough, as the tone and mood of the movie becomes increasingly dark and desperate.
Memories' real focus is not in the who's, how's, or why's o the murderer. It is about the investigators and their mental states: how they went from comical arrogance and dogged determination to growing impatience and anxiety, and finally to a soul-crushing sense of resignation and defeat (similar theme can also be seen in David Fincher's 2007 movie Zodiac, also based on an unsolved real life serial murder case). The actors' performances are wonderful and natural, most especially from Kang-ho as Doo-man, the chubby detective whose silly and comical attitude is a perfect mask for his inner turmoil and frustration.
Another highlight I would like to mention is Kim Kung-hyu's cinematography, which is often stunning. One such example is the darkly gorgeous landscape shots of a sprawling paddy field near the crime scene, which often becomes the backdrop for the investigators flailing their way around, just like some blind hunters in the killing field of a predator way too smart and elusive for them. While the movie does not have many action scenes, the framing of those scenes are very well-done. There are two exhilarating chase scenes that play out in a very realistic manner, and one particularly memorable scene where the shady killer ambush one of his victims--a very scary moment that builds up dreadful anticipation way better than most thriller movies.
While it looks like Song Kang-ho above is just making a slightly lost expression, when taken in context it makes for one of the most perfect and haunting final shot I have ever seen. That shot pretty much represents the whole movie. Do not watch Memories if you want clear definite answer for the question. Do not watch it as well if you want to see savvy genius detectives figuring out everything. Watch it if you want to see an excellent portrayal of a harsh and bleak reality, where sometimes there is no closure at the end of the road.
Justice cannot always win.
Needless to say, murder cases in real life rarely work as smoothly as that. They often went unsolved, either through incompetence, bad luck, or just the fact that the killer had outsmarted the investigators. This harsh reality is magnificently illustrated by Memories of Murder, a depiction of real life murder investigation between 1986 and 1991 in Hwaseong, South Korea (a stage play version of the events was also made, whose screenplay is adapted for this movie).
In a sleepy village during the period of military dictatorship, bodies of raped and murdered young women are found and sparked an investigation for a potential serial killer. Bumbling local detectives, Park Doo-man (Song Kang-ho) and Cho Yong-koo (Kim Roe-ha) are in charge of the case, and they are soon joined by Seoul detective, Seo Tae-yoon (Kim Sang-kyung)--whose refined method and no-nonsense attitude cause him to butt heads often with Doo-man. However, as bodies continue to pile up and clues lead to nowhere, desperation mounts on the investigators.
The most remarkable thing about Memories' narrative is how well it juggles its duality of tones. Its beginning is surprisingly funny and comical, showing how out of depth Doo-man and Yong-koo are: they can't properly secure a crime scene, they conduct unethical interrogation techniques (Yong-koo is seemingly more adept in drop-kicking suspect than in doing any real detective work), and Doo-man likes to make ridiculous deduction and later even consult a paranormal. At first, Tae-yoon's arrival and his much more professional background seem to be the key to crack the case wide open and help the incompetent detectives, which is likely to happen in a more generic and less realistic movie. But, not even him could yield a significant breakthrough, as the tone and mood of the movie becomes increasingly dark and desperate.
Memories' real focus is not in the who's, how's, or why's o the murderer. It is about the investigators and their mental states: how they went from comical arrogance and dogged determination to growing impatience and anxiety, and finally to a soul-crushing sense of resignation and defeat (similar theme can also be seen in David Fincher's 2007 movie Zodiac, also based on an unsolved real life serial murder case). The actors' performances are wonderful and natural, most especially from Kang-ho as Doo-man, the chubby detective whose silly and comical attitude is a perfect mask for his inner turmoil and frustration.
Another highlight I would like to mention is Kim Kung-hyu's cinematography, which is often stunning. One such example is the darkly gorgeous landscape shots of a sprawling paddy field near the crime scene, which often becomes the backdrop for the investigators flailing their way around, just like some blind hunters in the killing field of a predator way too smart and elusive for them. While the movie does not have many action scenes, the framing of those scenes are very well-done. There are two exhilarating chase scenes that play out in a very realistic manner, and one particularly memorable scene where the shady killer ambush one of his victims--a very scary moment that builds up dreadful anticipation way better than most thriller movies.
While it looks like Song Kang-ho above is just making a slightly lost expression, when taken in context it makes for one of the most perfect and haunting final shot I have ever seen. That shot pretty much represents the whole movie. Do not watch Memories if you want clear definite answer for the question. Do not watch it as well if you want to see savvy genius detectives figuring out everything. Watch it if you want to see an excellent portrayal of a harsh and bleak reality, where sometimes there is no closure at the end of the road.
Justice cannot always win.
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