Memories of Murder (2003, dir. Bong Joon-ho) - review by Rookie-Critic

Prior to 2019 (really 2020, if we want to get really specific) there probably weren't a lot of people in the States who could tell you who Bong Joon-ho is if pressed. Nowadays, after Bong's historic first non-English language Best Picture win for Parasite, most people would at least identify the name as familiar, and for good reason. Parasite is undoubtedly amazing; its message is both regionless and timeless, it has superb acting and brilliant cinematography, it is one of the best films of the modern era, if not any era. However, prior to Parasite, back in the days when Bong's fanbase outside of his native South Korea was limited to foreign film lovers and people who really liked Snowpiercer, most people would probably point to his breakout film, Memories of Murder, as his best work, and for a lot of the same reasons that people point to Parasite as his best now.

I'm not entirely sure why it has taken me so long to sit down and watch this considering how much I've enjoyed the other films of his that I've seen, but I'm glad I finally did. Following the true story of the detectives that investigated the Hwaseong serial murders of the mid-80s to the mid-90s, the film works as both a gripping crime thriller and a social satire of the failings of the legal system and the corrupt nature of a lot of its employees. One of our protagonists, Detective Park Doo-man (played brilliantly as always be Song Kang-ho) as well as his partner Detective Cho Yong-koo, are horrible police officers. They fake evidence, they torture victims until they'll confess to anything to make it stop, and they scoff at real investigative discoveries and excuse them as the other detectives "watching too many crime movies" (which in and of itself is an amazing line that both pokes fun at and winks a respectful eye towards the crime films that it follows in the legacy of); all they care about is putting someone away, regardless of if the person is actually guilty of the crime they're accused of committing or not. You can watch the film purely from a plot perspective and be entertained and engrossed, but much like Parasite, the true genius of it lies within this satirical commentary.

The knowledge that maybe the killer could have been stopped, victims could have been saved, if more resources had been poured into actually searching for the real killer instead of trying to put away people who obviously had nothing to do with it is maddening, but somehow Bong is able to inject humor throughout the film that makes all of these frustrating people and darker moments have a brief sense of levity without taking away from the nature of the subject matter. It's truly amazing the way he is able to craft stories that are not only interesting from a surface level perspective, but that contain darker themes and complex social commentary that even casual moviegoers can pick up on and appreciate, and then even with all of that blend comedy and drama so seamlessly you rarely notice the change. Another element of the film that I personally found brilliant, and that I briefly mentioned above, is the way that it seems to be a love letter to the crime dramas/thrillers that came before it and a criticism of them at the same time. If you've been following my reviews for awhile, you'll know how deeply I appreciate films that are able to strike that balance (Scream, Nope, etc.). The ability to acknowledge the problems with a genre without completely dismissing the films that portray those flaws as lesser or bad is something that just appeals to me on such a core level. This may just sound like a meeting of the Bong Joon-ho Fan Club, but it is truly awe-inspiring that he can make a film that has something for everyone in it, and can make everyone enjoy the other bits that, in any other movie, they may not have.

Now, Memories of Murder isn't perfect, it is only Bong's second film and some of those early film maker pitfalls exist here. A lot of the first half of the movie tends to drag a bit, and there may be certain scenes that could have cut or sequences that could have been re-edited to keep that sense of urgency (or maybe even the lack thereof on the part of the detectives) a little more present and flowing. Also, and I know I just got done ranting about how great this exact quality was, but sometimes the injection of humor could overtake the film a little too much. It doesn't happen but maybe once or twice, but I did take note of those moments as something that stood out to me, at least. Outside of these few kinks, Memories of Murder just further proves that Bong Joon-ho just knows what he's doing, and I can safely add another film to the "great" column of his filmography, and hopefully soon I can finish out watching the rest of them.

Score: 9/10

Currently streaming on Hulu.

살인의 추억 - Memories of Murder Bong Joon-ho (2003)

val3n_roig

Memories of Murder (2003)

Bong Joon-ho’s 2003 feature 살인의 추억 (Memories of Murder) is an example of a familiar genre made unfamiliar in its trappings, at least at first. Initially, this is because it is set in the yesteryear of 1986—and, as L.P. Hartley noted in his 1953 novel The Go-Between, “the past is a foreign country” where things are done differently—but also because it takes place in the South Korean city of…

View On WordPress

Memories of Murder (살인의 추억) (Salinui chueok) (2003) Bong Joon-ho

December 28th 2022

Strong Girl Nam Soon (2023) – Ep. 3 Strong Woman Do Bong Soon (2017) – Ep. 16

park hyung shik is such a kdrama male lead like he plays these cringey yet hilarious, funny but emotional, suave yet sweet, rich and successful characters so well. he's so annoying but strangely charming and i am obsessed

#always there to calm each other down

jeong woo in every other scene of doctor slump

like one thing about park hyung shik is that he WILL play a delulu character in love

Yeongwoo & Haneul ● Ep 10: First Kiss

Source: Doctor Slump/JTBC/Netflix

Shirtless male leads in kdramas 🔥

Gong Yoo- Coffee Prince

Park Hyung Sik- High Society

Ahn Hyo Seop- Lovers Of The Red Sky

Ji Chang Wook- The K2

Lee Dong Wook- Bad And Crazy

Woo Do Hwan- My Country The New Age

Park Seo Joon- Midnight Runners

Kim Soo Hyun- It's Okay Not To Be Okay

Ahn Bo Hyun- Military Prosecutor Doberman

Rowoon- The King's Affection

The best couple of 2017 comes back to rule 2023!

source: PBY's IG

PARK HYUNG-SHIK as YEO JEONG-WOO in DOCTOR SLUMP 닥터슬럼프 (2024) dir. Oh Hyun-jong

the loserism is high with these mfs

USERDRAMAS: EVENT 11 - INSPIRATION (in/sp) USERDRAMAS: GET TO KNOW ME BINGO: RELATIONSHIP ⇢ ride or die

I’ll stay with you from now on. Stay with me.

↳ Han Hyo Joo & Park Hyung-sik as Yoon Sae-bom & Jung Yi-Hyun in HAPPINESS (2021)

Strong Woman Do Bong Soon (2017) – Ep. 5 Strong Girl Nam Soon (2023) – Ep. 3

Park Hyung Sik for Marie Claire Korea, Feb. 2024