Salinjaui gieokbeo (Memoir of a murderer) : South Korean movie review
My spree of watching South Korean movies continues. Next I watched this movie, based on a novel (A murderer's guide to memorization) by Kim Young- Ha .
I have not read the book, but the movie is gripping! There have been different movies based on the premise of the mind and memory, and I find this topic to be a really fascinating one. After all, we're still discovering interesting insights about the brain. This movie does justice to the topic, as it makes you think, and takes you through the protagonist's mind and his dilemma. Your memory is your best friend. What do you do when you cannot rely on it? What method will you adopt to ensure that you stay sane and trust what you know? How do you protect the citadel of your reality? Can anything erase the core of your being? This is what we're set to unravel...
The initial half of the movie has a very dark mood, with shots at night, or late in the evening. The degeneration of the mind from Alzheimer's and dementia has been represented well, with the story line switching between the different strands of reality in the protagonist's universe.There are also frequent cuts from present to the past and back, making this a demanding watch. Add to this the anarchy in his mind, and I really have to pay attention, and keep guessing till the end, and on the edge of your seat! There are many instances where you begin to doubt your assumptions and prejudices about everyone, such is the writing.
Some sequences in the movie are shown in a very innovative cinematic way - the flashbacks from the protagonist's life, a rotating montage of purging and vigilante justice (not the kind you see these days, of the blind following the blind), a recurring dream with the memories buried deep in the mind, colours enhancing the movie's mood, the flashbacks in a dark tone. The camerawork deserves a mountain of praise.
Byung- su (Kyung- gu Sol) is the pivot in this movie. His every move, his lost expression, bewilderment, fear and anger are depicted extremely well. The movie is narrated by him, and we are taken through the upheaval with him. He plays the caring father to the T, ready to do anything to protect his daughter from the evil eye.
Seol-Hyun Kim has done a good job as Eun - Hee, the daughter, who is the center of her dad's universe, the apple of his eye, the twinkling star in his universe undergoing a massive upheaval.
Nam- gil Kim is the bad guy, and the only complaint I have in this movie is his acting. There is a menacing feeling to him, but not enough to give you the jitters. If this could have been improved, the movie would have been potent tenfold.
The last few minutes of the movie are crafted to perfection, and will move you to shreds. The movie wraps around itself neatly, similar to what happens in Peppermint Candy. I find this style to be fascinating, for it may indicate a return to a primordial state, and a simpler time.
In fact, the first and last scenes bear a striking resemblance to peppermint candy, so I wondered if they were from the same writer or director. Turns out that Kyung- gu Sol is the lead actor in both movies. Also, here, white sneakers are the recurring theme, which stand still in an arena where minds collapse and lives are lost. Similar to the peppermint candy in the movie mentioned earlier, the sneakers signify a time of innocence and hope, of childhood and an important bond. But in Memoir of a murderer, things are kept open to interpretation, or maybe to spawn discussions.
A movie which makes you ponder is a good movie. What do you think about it? Please share your comments.
(Thanks, Krips for proofreading this :) )
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| http://library.klti.or.kr/node/22196 |
I have not read the book, but the movie is gripping! There have been different movies based on the premise of the mind and memory, and I find this topic to be a really fascinating one. After all, we're still discovering interesting insights about the brain. This movie does justice to the topic, as it makes you think, and takes you through the protagonist's mind and his dilemma. Your memory is your best friend. What do you do when you cannot rely on it? What method will you adopt to ensure that you stay sane and trust what you know? How do you protect the citadel of your reality? Can anything erase the core of your being? This is what we're set to unravel...
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| Source |
The initial half of the movie has a very dark mood, with shots at night, or late in the evening. The degeneration of the mind from Alzheimer's and dementia has been represented well, with the story line switching between the different strands of reality in the protagonist's universe.There are also frequent cuts from present to the past and back, making this a demanding watch. Add to this the anarchy in his mind, and I really have to pay attention, and keep guessing till the end, and on the edge of your seat! There are many instances where you begin to doubt your assumptions and prejudices about everyone, such is the writing.
 |
| Image courtesy netflix |
Some sequences in the movie are shown in a very innovative cinematic way - the flashbacks from the protagonist's life, a rotating montage of purging and vigilante justice (not the kind you see these days, of the blind following the blind), a recurring dream with the memories buried deep in the mind, colours enhancing the movie's mood, the flashbacks in a dark tone. The camerawork deserves a mountain of praise.
Byung- su (Kyung- gu Sol) is the pivot in this movie. His every move, his lost expression, bewilderment, fear and anger are depicted extremely well. The movie is narrated by him, and we are taken through the upheaval with him. He plays the caring father to the T, ready to do anything to protect his daughter from the evil eye.
Seol-Hyun Kim has done a good job as Eun - Hee, the daughter, who is the center of her dad's universe, the apple of his eye, the twinkling star in his universe undergoing a massive upheaval.
 |
| Image courtesy netflix |
Nam- gil Kim is the bad guy, and the only complaint I have in this movie is his acting. There is a menacing feeling to him, but not enough to give you the jitters. If this could have been improved, the movie would have been potent tenfold.
The last few minutes of the movie are crafted to perfection, and will move you to shreds. The movie wraps around itself neatly, similar to what happens in Peppermint Candy. I find this style to be fascinating, for it may indicate a return to a primordial state, and a simpler time.
In fact, the first and last scenes bear a striking resemblance to peppermint candy, so I wondered if they were from the same writer or director. Turns out that Kyung- gu Sol is the lead actor in both movies. Also, here, white sneakers are the recurring theme, which stand still in an arena where minds collapse and lives are lost. Similar to the peppermint candy in the movie mentioned earlier, the sneakers signify a time of innocence and hope, of childhood and an important bond. But in Memoir of a murderer, things are kept open to interpretation, or maybe to spawn discussions.
A movie which makes you ponder is a good movie. What do you think about it? Please share your comments.
(Thanks, Krips for proofreading this :) )
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