Vancouver International Film Festival: Movie Review #2
The Good, the Bad, the Weird - 좋은 놈, 나쁜 놈, 이상한 놈
South Korea. 2008.
This film has apparently created a new genre: the “Oriental Western”, more specifically the “Kimchi Western”.
(Kimchi is a traditional Korean dish made by fermenting seasoned cabbage and other veggies, commonly served as a side dish or with rice. Originally it referred to only salted vegetables, but after the 12th century other spices were added. In the 17th century, chili peppers were introduced to Korea, thereby becoming an essential part of Kimchi’s distinct flavor. I must confess that I myself have never tried Kimchi (to my knowledge), despite traveling to South Korea twice. But as a tourist you must know 2 things: Kimchi is spicy, and it can be difficult to find Korean dishes made without it.) So Kimchi is not only a part of Korean cuisine, but also part of Korean cultural identity. Hence, we have the comparison to Spaghetti Western (Italy).
Now back to the film. As the title could suggest, it’s good, it’s bad, and it’s weird. It’s essentially an action-comedy. It’s pure entertainment, nothing more. I think it’s important to state this, considering it premiered at Cannes Film Festival and some people may interpret it as an “art piece.” Before I offend anyone, I want to say that this is a very well-made film. It’s also extremely entertaining. This is a thrill ride with many laughs along the way. Judging by what I’ve seen of actors’ interviews and behind-the-scenes, that was the filmmakers’ intent. They worked hard and had fun in the process.
The plot: Manchuria….1930’s…the wild wild….um…East. Three villains, whom we are introduced to as “The Good, the Bad, and the Weird.” This is reference to the 1966 classic Western ”The Good, the Bad, the Ugly (Buono, il brutto, il cattivo) by famed Italian Director: Sergio Leone. They are all after the same thing: a map (and money?). Therefore, no matter how fast or how far they run, we know their paths must cross. (It’s not a very complicated plot, but is that REALLY why you decided to see this movie? Oh, but there is a nice twist in the end!) Much of the excitement of the film therefore comes from the lengthy middle section: essentially the running away part.
So, I’ll divide the rest of my review into 3 parts:
The Good: This movie has many good qualities. Music by Chan Young-gyu is modern and stylish, giving some heart-pouding rhythms to the action. Cinematography by Oh Seung-chul is fluid and moves almost as much as the actors, putting you right in the middle of gunfights and chases. Nam Na-yeong must have spent hours and hours editing this film to make it flow so well. I have much respect for filmmakers working in such extreme conditions (dessert heat, sand, wind, etc.). When you consider that most big budget movies capture about 1 minute of actual footage that ends up in the final movie per day, it becomes more impressive to consider how many minutes of this film involved explosions, stunts, visual fx, etc. (things that require additional time to prepare and execute). Visually the film is colorful (yes, even with dessert backgrounds) and creative with camerawork. The stunts are also quite good. If you’re an action movie fan, this is certainly a must-see.
The Bad: It’s violent. Very violent. Though I tend to prefer films with less violence, I try not to let it interfer with my moviegoing experience. However, this film is a bit excessive and brutal at times. Judging by the reactions of other moviegoers in the packed theater where I saw the film, I wasn’t alone in this feeling. Renting the video and watching it a smaller screen might downplay this and make it more comfortable to watch. Also, sound effects were a bit too loud at times I felt. You hear A LOT of gun shots in this film. Other than that, I think the film succeeds as entertainment.
The Weird: The film isn’t particularly weird. But I wanted to draw your attention to the three main actors. The “Good” Jung Woo-sung is apparently quite popular with girls in Korea now. I personally thought the “Bad” Lee Byung-hun was more handsome, but I learned that he is a bit short in real life. So if you decide to become an actor in Korea, make sure you are tall. Otherwise all of your hard work to look handsome could be futile and you don’t want to experience that kind of disappointment. I will say that watching Lee Byung-hun was much more interesting than watching Jung Woo-sung, since the Bad character is much more developed and expressive. Lastly, the “Weird” is played by Song Kang-ho, who you might recognize from “The Host” (Gwoemul), the very successful Summer 2006 Korean Monster movie. Song Kang-ho really carries this film on his shoulders. Without him, it wouldn’t have been so much fun to watch. He basically handles all of the comedy and often keeps the plot moving as well! I believe he’s a very talented actor and would like to see more of his work. So it’s not a weird film per se, but it has some unique qualities.
