Summary:
“Memories of Murder” tells the true story of the Hwaseong Serial Killer as told from the perspective of the police officers working to catch him.
My Thoughts:
I’ve found that I love South Korean thrillers, and Bong Joon-Ho (“Mother (2009)”, “Snowpiercer”) has proven himself to be one of the better directors working in South Korea today. His films are tense, beautifully shot, often shockingly violent, and infused with thought provoking themes. This film was only Bong’s second feature, but with it he proved how brilliant of a director he really is. “Memories of Murder” is not a fun watch, but it is deftly put together in a way that not only relays the true story of the Hwaseong Serial Killer, but also it contextualizes it in a way that mirrors social problems we as a society face today. If you’re familiar with South Korean movies, then this film is along the lines of Na Hong-jin’s “The Chaser”, or Kim Jee-woon’s “I Saw the Devil”. For American comparisons, think David Fincher’s “Zodiac” and “Seven”.
“Do you see this kind of thing in Seoul often?”
In 1986 in a small village in South Korea, Detectives Park Doo-man (Kang-ho Song, “The Good the Bad the Weird”) and Cho Yong-koo (Roe-ha Kim, “A Bittersweet Life”) find two bodies in a similar location within a very short timeframe. Using their less-than-keen detective skills and, when that fails them, unnecessary brute force with witnesses, the two are able to determine that both victims were probably killed by a one killer. Soon, the far more experienced Detective Seo Tae-yoon (Sang-kyung Kim, “Jang Yeong-Sil”) from Seoul comes to assist in the case. But Park Doo-man and Seo Tae-yoon soon find their investigation methods at odds. The two cops must work together and put aside their differences, lest the murderer continue his spree, or worse… get away…
So first and foremost, the directing in this film is absolutely astounding. There are so many dynamic shots with incredible deep staging, some of which coordinate hundreds of extras with mind-boggling camera moves. There is one shot in particular that sticks out, and the shot comes when Park Doo-man and Cho Yong-koo first arrive at a crime scene. Park Doo-man tries desperately to get his fellow police officers to rope off the area and secure a crime scene, but as he attempts this, the scene around him is flooded with people- reporters, gawkers, and other ostensibly clueless junior police officers. The scene plays out before us in a single long shot, and it’s like watching a chaotic but beautifully choreographed ballet. That shot becomes metaphorical for the way in which the police department has so far handled murder cases: they’re trying, but they’re just too ill equipped and unprepared for what hit them. Bong was also a co-writer on this film (he adapted it from a play by Kwang-rim Kim), and the way that he develops characters shows a lot of prowess.
This film, and the play that it was based on, was very clearly taking a stab against the police mishandling of this case (this was, after all, based on a true story), but at the same time, it’s a commentary on police brutality and coercion of testimony. Our two main characters, Park and Cho, are both rather brutal in their investigation tactics. They beat prisoners, force them into confessions, and they frequently skirt police procedures to ‘follow their instincts’. Bong convinces us to root for these characters, not because they’re using brutal tactics, but because the evil they are chasing is so much worse. In the minds of the detectives, their methods, while questionable, are producing results, though how accurate those results are is ultimately called into question when Seo comes into play. Seo’s methods, for the longest time, are by the book. But as the murders become more gruesome, Seo too tends to loosen his definition of what is honest police work. In the end, the mishandling of witnesses is what begins to drive the public away from wanting to talk to them.
The story is incredibly well told. The film never feels exploitative, as some true crime stories can; the film feels reverence for the victims. I do have to say that towards the middle of the film the storyline begins to feel a touch jumbled, though never to the point where I felt lost. At two hours and twelve minutes, this is a rather lengthy piece, but it does earn its length. I feel like there could’ve been a few minutes trimmed here or there, but there was a lot of information to convey, and the manor in which it was done was overall very satisfying.
(Some Spoilers Follow)
Because this is a true story and we’re in the spoiler section, I feel as if I can reveal without too much guilt, that the detectives do not find the killer responsible for the murders. According to Wikipedia, ten people were killed in total. The way this film ends really points a finger at the cops responsible, and more or less lays the blame on them for the way they mishandled the case and mistreated witnesses. I’m not an expert on the human rights records of South Korea, nor am I incredibly knowledgeable on the Hwaseong serial killer, so I can’t tell you if this film is accurate in its depiction of the police and their handling of this case. What I can tell you is this film had a message against police brutality, and it accomplished it in way that never felt preachy against police. Bong perfectly balanced theme, mystery, and action with this film, and the end result is undeniably impressive.
Verdict:
Bong’s “Memories of Murder” is a tense, beautifully shot thriller with absolutely outstanding performances and a tightly written script. While it might not be as frenetically action packed as his first American film, “Snowpiercer”, nor as crazy as his monster flicks, “The Host” or “Okja”, I would argue “Memories of Murder” might be Bong’s best film.
Review Written By: