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发表于 2014-11-20 21:52
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http://hk-magazine.com/movie-review/haemoo
MOVIE REVIEW:
Haemoo
Drama/Thriller | 111 minutes | release date Nov 06, 2014
By Evelyn Lok | Nov 13, 2014
(South Korea) What is it about Korean thrillers, that they so often manage to successfully slice into the dark underbelly of human experience? With repeat partners Bong Joon-ho (of “Snowpiercer” and “The Host” fame) and debut director Shim Sung-bo (who wrote the screenplay for Bong’s highly awarded “Memoirs of a Murder”) at the helm of “Haemoo,” we were very excited to see them bring their signature raw beauty into each dark and downtrodden scene.
Taking place in 1998 following the IMF crisis that crippled the pockets of many South Koreans, “Haemoo”—or “Sea Fog”—is about a crew of five fishermen led by Captain Kang Chul-joo (Kim Yun-seok). Faced with a meager catch one season, the owner of the beaten-up old ship threatens to trade it in, and in attempting to save their way of life, the sailors take on a dangerous task of smuggling Korean-Chinese immigrants into Korea from China. It’s based on a true story that occurred in 2001: a horrible misjudgment results in the deaths of the 25 refugees, and the group is forced to reconcile with what they’ve done.
The tension and build-up throughout “Haemoo” is impeccable: you’ll be clawing at your armrests as the danger slowly builds. It starts off tame and incredibly beautiful, with scenes showing the humble fisherman’s way of life—men huddled around a light bulb for warmth; eating steaming food cooked with the fresh leftover catch of the day; the camaraderie of working at sea. The tension between the men begins to boil over as they embark on the illicit task, the hours of waiting leading to frayed nerves all round. At the stowaway drop-off point, young female immigrant Hong-mae (Han Ye-rin) falls into the ocean, and the youngest crewmember Dong-sik (Park Yoo-chun) jumps straight in to save her. He develops a trusting, protective bond with her, as two other sex-starved sailors lurk close by. “How dare they bring a woman on this ship?” the captain angrily mutters: It’s deemed bad luck for seafarers, and as Hong-mae’s presence clouds half the crew’s minds, all order on the ship falls apart. What once was a solid common goal of saving their ship slowly unravels into a manic bloody scramble, with every man for himself.
Cinematographer Hong Kyong-pyo (who also worked on “Snowpiercer”) brings that recognizable grime and filth to each scene, which only further highlights the lack of morals on deck, but there’s a certain allure in how he has captured the salty surrounds. Taking place on a very small and cramped set, “Haemoo” gives off the feeling of a stage play (the film was adapted from a 2007 theater production), and, sure enough, the way the story unfolded was akin to a very theatrical kind of drama, which audiences may either hate or love. When the violence erupts, the dialogue is soon filled with delirious monologues. As the two bawdy sailors, actors Lee Hee-joon and Yoo Seung-mok powerfully portray this madness as they hunt down Hong-mae, but— I suppose you could say fortunately—the theatrical, almost stylized nature of the scene gives the viewer a much-needed sense of distance from the horror they’re portraying.
In the vein of highly acclaimed, brutally violent thrillers from Korea such as cult favorite “Old Boy” (and for that matter, Park Chan-wook’s entire “Vengeance” trilogy), “Snowpiercer,” “The Host” and so on—this talented director and writer team makes an amazing gritfest of the physical and psychological horrors at sea. It’s an excellent feat, diminished slightly by the addition of a somewhat crowd-pleasing epilogue that pumps hope back in after the rest of the film leaves you breathless. It would have been perfect otherwise, but still: as an entry into next year’s Oscar’s Foreign Film category, we have high hopes for this one. |
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发表于 2014-11-22 09:35
