Memories Of Murder
Picture: B-
Sound: B- Extras: C Film: B-
Serial Killers are everywhere it seems, though the media
exaggerates their existence quite a bit.
Is it because they are a convenient distraction from those in power who
are not doing their job? After all, any
generic killer will do and no one has to give them big paychecks. However, Bong Joon-ho’s Memories Of
Murder (2003) is a bit different in that it is about the first-ever such
killer in South Korea and the major efforts it took to hunt the killer down.
Joon-ho co-wrote the screenplay with Shim Sung-bo, mixing
the actual case with some off beat humor that is not typical of the genre and
makes for an interesting change in one of the worst cycles in recent cinema
history. Most of the films have been
awful, but a few classics and interesting little pictures like this have
resulted just the same. The cops and
their attitude about the case is as believable and convincing as anything you
would see on TV’s Homicide, a real compliment, and gives us a look at a
country we hear so much about yet see too little of. This is made more interesting due to their lack of advanced
forensic technology at the time. The
cast is very good all around and the film justifies it 132 minutes length well.
The anamorphically enhanced 1.85 X 1 image was shot by Kim
Hyung-Gu and is not obsessed with the tired, clichéd, dark, color-gutted look
of so many bad Hollywood productions of late, yet has a natural looking
darkness to it when those scenes surface. The Dolby Digital 5.1 English, 2.0 Korean and 2.0 English all
playback well. The 2.0 mixes have Pro
Logic surrounds and the English dubbing is not bad, though the Korean mix is
the most natural. Extras include
weblinks, deleted scenes, cast/crew interviews mixed with behind the scenes
footage, original Korean teaser & trailer and previews for other Palm
titles. Memories Of Murder is
about a six-year period where a country felt helpless because of one
killer. You will be surprised how good
it is if you give it a chance, so catch it.
- Nicholas Sheffo
