Author Topic: 1990s Far East Bracket: Verdicts  (Read 561544 times)

edgar00

  • 00 Agent
  • Objectively Awesome
  • *
  • Posts: 12131
  • corndogs are better than Die Another Day
    • Between The Seats
Re: 1990s Far East Bracket: Verdicts
« Reply #620 on: April 19, 2009, 09:50:23 PM »
The Taebaek Mountains (1994, Kwon-taek Im  ) against Down the Drain (1993, Shinobu Yaguchi)


The Taebaek Mountains

Back in high school and in college I wrote a few papers about the Korean War, which lasted from 1950 to 1953 and pitted U.S.S.R. supported North Korean communist forces against Western supported capitalist South Korean forces. I’ve always felt 20th century Korean history fascinating. Raped and pillaged during the first few decades by Japan (a result of the (Russo-Japanese war of 1904 which decidedly pushed the Russians away from having influence over the Korean peninsula) and then, following WWII, politically conquered and divided by the Soviet Union and United States.


The Taebaek Mountains
is a historical drama in the traditional sense, with its many central characters, both communist and capitalist, engaged in a unforgiving battle for the control over a moderately sized Korean town shortly before the start of the war. As the movie opens, the town is under control of the capitalist inclined forces, essentially, the forces of the current government. However, the nationalist (or patriotic, or even ‘the clique’) group is proving to be quite the opposition. Control over the town shifts from one side to another at alarming speed. In their attempts at gaining or preserving control as well as hunting down members of the opposing group, members of each side demonstrate a brutality and a fervor that is at times beyond sensible reason.




The film is populated by many, many characters, several of which I recognized by face, hardly any of which I recognized when their names were mentioned, so I shan’t bomb you with names since, quite frankly, based on names alone I wasn’t sure who was who myself. Of course, there is the leader of the communist group, the chief of police, the leader of the investigation/anti-communist group, their wives, the somewhat calmer character who refuses to partake in the violent nonsense of either side, etc.

The Taebaek Mountains is a film where I think director Kwon-taek Im has his heart in the right place, but the execution was less than impressive. Well, that sounds rather harsh, for there there were things I liked about the film. Some of the performances were admirable I will admit, particularly from the actor playing the moderate ‘non-committal’ character I mentioned earlier and from the man playing the leader of the anti-communist investigation force. The latter shows a diabolical psychology for a man who, if one chooses not to read between the lines of text books, was supposedly one of the ‘good guys’ who tried to prevent communism from spreading across the country. To a certain degree it was interesting to see because it turns someone we would want to see as noble and just into a freak. Conversely, it feels a bit too on the nose, with director Kwon-taek telling the viewer ‘Look, there were evil people on both sides. Such is the reality of war.’

That seemed to be a running issue that irked me somewhat throughout the film however. There were too many what I call ‘obvious moments’, during which I could feel the director trying to show me a point of view, or an argument.  One scene involves a mother (capitalist supporter) showing her lightly injured son to another mother (communist supporter) whose son is the perpetrator of the injury. She scolds the communist mother calling her…various names and points out how their two sides cannot coalesce. So the ideological and physical battle between the two sides is tearing the Korean population apart. Of course it is and I have no problem with a film showing that, I only felt that the scene was plagued by a heavy handedness that I disliked. That’s only one example. There are bits of dialogue that felt forced as well. A woman shaman who performs exorcisms for the deceased is approached by the moderate character (the same I mentioned above) and she explains how her practice  is in fact a celebration of life for the dead, or to honour life for the dead, or something like that…whatever. This scene takes place only hours after the Korean War as we know has begun so the moderate character replies something like ‘A celebration for the dead? You’ll have a lot to do.’ I get it, but I just couldn’t help but feel like such dialogue was too ‘on the nose’ for me. I won’t go into more examples of scenes or dialogue which underperformed in my opinion, but there was a good handful of them.




I wasn’t too impressed with the film’s attempt at helping the viewer follow the unravelling of events. Dates and brief snippets of major events, such as a takeover or a new government bill, appear at the bottom of the screen (at the top of the screen if you watch it with English subtitles) very often and very rapidly. Sometimes the news flash merits our attention, but other times less so. Even for someone who was read a few books on the subject and wrote some papers, I had a hard time following all of them. City names are tossed around in these news flashes like hot cakes and I lost interest in them quickly. The real weakness in this tactic lies in the strategy of providing the viewer with as much information as possible to understand everything that is going on and possibly affecting this town. I can understand the need to provide some context, I’m all for that, but because the story of the film spans a lengthy time period, the filmmakers thought it wise to tell the audience absolutely everything. The film even cuts to several 9 or 10 second scenes sometimes showing the consequences of the content in the news flashes and I was never sure we really needed to see them. The apex of all this exposition arrives when the moderate character takes the time to fully explain what led to the country’s current situation to a visitor in his home. ‘Show me, don’t tell me’ is what Matty often says. In the context of this film, boy did I have that thought in mind.  Had the film focussed solely on the stories of the central characters, to have a character driven plot within the context of the Korean War, I think the movie would have been better.

Having said that, I did admire the cinematography. I was privileged enough to watch the film on dvd and it is really well filmed. Shot compositions, camera movements and angles, lighting, all of it was pleasurable to the eye. Whether in an urban environment or in the Taebaek mountains themselves, the movie had a confident visual sense that kept many of the locations fresh and interesting to look at. There is nothing too fancy going on here, but the director, cinematographer and dp come together to give the viewer a sharp looking film.

Despite some fine performances and a surprisingly sharp visual sense, The Taebaek Mountains left me disappointed to say the least. It has its moments, there is no doubt about it. This is by no means an awful film, some things work quite well (acting, cinematography), but others fall well short of what I was hoping for, especially in a Korean War film (mainly, the writing).


Down the Drain

I take it some of you are aware of, or have even experienced situations when Murphy’s law was hanging down on you. For the unaware, Murphy’s law dictates that whatever can go wrong will indeed go wrong. In Yaguchi’s  Down the Drain, whatever can go wrong for the young Junco (Saori Serikawa) does indeed go horribly, horribly wrong, and consistently so.

Underperforming at school with and seeing her hopes of entering college flounder before her very eyes, Junco’s friend lends her a bus pass for her to visit her grandmother. Once on board however, a ticket officer discovers that the pass is not hers (I’m not sure how that works in Japan, but I ran with the idea anyways) and asks her to come with him to a police station. Mistake number one. When the police are distracted, Junco makes a dash for it. Mistake number two. And so begins a long, long few days or so for our unlucky heroine.  A ruptured relationship with a boyfriend, a deceased grandmother, her former clique from school turning on her, a car accident, house break-ins, rape… things go really downhill.




Before any of you begin to think that this sounds like just a silly comedy, allow me to say two things. The first is that yes, the film is silly just by the nature of its plot. However, Down the Drain succeeds in juggling the comedic and darker aspects of the storyline. There are indeed some zany moments that stretch beyond believability, but Down the Drain also makes sure to preserve a certain tone which fits the context of the character. Junco is, like many teenagers do, experiencing a difficult period of adolescence. Her grades aren’t the best, there is the pressure of a college future, boyfriend issues, and she is feeling a sense of alienation from her family. Rather than take those elements and make fun of them, a trap that other comedies would easily fall into, the film uses them to create a black comedy. Her emotional and psychological state thus becomes the inspiration for events that at times offer some hope and at other times test her resilience. I wouldn’t want to make the argument that the film makes genuine attempts at being profound and thought provoking, but I nonetheless had the impression that it was making effective use of Junco’s adolescent problems, while still keeping things rather wild at times. I fear that I’m not explaining this well at all, but hopefully anybody willing to watch the film despite my horrendous argument for its quality will understand what it is that I’m trying to get at.

For the record, there are no cute laughs to be found here. As I mentioned above, this is a black comedy. The comedic quality of the movie resides not only in the absurd nature of the events that transpire but also in the dialogue. There are some brutal lines in the film, but I found myself unleashing some belly laughs for several of them. Early in the film the viewer is privy to Junco’s boyfriend’s thoughts for a brief a moment as he mulls over her many quirks. He describes how she enters a trance like state when working on mathematical problems, how numbers in general seem to have potent effect on her, which at times causes her to drool. It is almost as if ‘numbers make her come.’ (actual quote). Now, some of you might not find that funny at all and I can understand that. However, in the context of the film, with this absurd, weird and dark tone set up already, I thought that was pretty funny.




Saori Serikawa is quite likable in the starring role. While she may not be given that much to do seeing as how a lot happens to her rather than her doing things, I thought she was quite likable. Through it all I did support her in this mess of an adventure. The most memorable character however is a sexy and witty homeless women who, in truth, isn’t really homeless at all since she sneaks into peoples homes while they are away. How Junco gets into this mess I won’t divulge so not to spoil the fun, but that entire sequence is oddly entertaining. The character returns later in what is easily the movie’s most controversial scenes. I haven’t seen the recent Seth Rogen comedy Observe and Report, but I am aware of the scene that many moviegoers are complaining about. There is, I would argue, a similar scene in Down the Drain. While the act itself is not funny (as pathetic as I can be at times, I do retain certain minimal standards), I must admit that the before and after scenes are indeed pretty funny. I’ve probably lost a significant amount of credibility with that confession alone, so I’ll make this short and escape with my skin intact.


Down the Drain
is not one of the funniest films I’ve ever seen, but I did find entertainment its is dark tone and strange sense of comedy. I liked the main character of Junco and understood her plight, the actress playing her was strong. Several supporting characters, most notably the homeless woman, were fun to have around. All in all, when a comedy works, I personally find it difficult to pinpoint major complaints. The film simply tapped into my own weird sense of humour.


In what I consider an upset given my propensity to appreciate historical dramas, I'm allowing Down the Drain a passage into the second round instead of The Taebaek Mountains.
« Last Edit: April 19, 2009, 09:54:39 PM by edgarchaput »
-Le Chiffre: You changed your shirt, Mr Bond. I hope our little game isn't causing you to perspire.

-James Bond: A little. But I won't consider myself to be in trouble until I start weeping blood.

https://twitter.com/Betweentheseats
http://crabkeyheadquarters.wordpress.com/

worm@work

  • Godfather
  • *****
  • Posts: 7445
Re: 1990s Far East Bracket: Verdicts
« Reply #621 on: April 19, 2009, 10:04:09 PM »
Nice verdict edgar.

Kwon-taek Im hasn't been doing very well in this bracket, has he? This heavy-handedness you refer to was definitely a problem with the Kwon-Taek Im film I had for a matchup as well. Down the Drain sounds intriguing.



edgar00

  • 00 Agent
  • Objectively Awesome
  • *
  • Posts: 12131
  • corndogs are better than Die Another Day
    • Between The Seats
Re: 1990s Far East Bracket: Verdicts
« Reply #622 on: April 19, 2009, 10:08:51 PM »
Which Kwon-taek Im film did you review?
-Le Chiffre: You changed your shirt, Mr Bond. I hope our little game isn't causing you to perspire.

-James Bond: A little. But I won't consider myself to be in trouble until I start weeping blood.

https://twitter.com/Betweentheseats
http://crabkeyheadquarters.wordpress.com/

worm@work

  • Godfather
  • *****
  • Posts: 7445
Re: 1990s Far East Bracket: Verdicts
« Reply #623 on: April 19, 2009, 10:12:55 PM »
The General's Son

edgar00

  • 00 Agent
  • Objectively Awesome
  • *
  • Posts: 12131
  • corndogs are better than Die Another Day
    • Between The Seats
Re: 1990s Far East Bracket: Verdicts
« Reply #624 on: April 19, 2009, 10:33:55 PM »
The General's Son

Oh yeah, the 'I won't have sex with a woman whose husband is in jail' movie. This Kwon-taek Im guy seems to pick interesting topics but doesn't posess any natural storytelling instincts. He makes good subjects boring.
-Le Chiffre: You changed your shirt, Mr Bond. I hope our little game isn't causing you to perspire.

-James Bond: A little. But I won't consider myself to be in trouble until I start weeping blood.

https://twitter.com/Betweentheseats
http://crabkeyheadquarters.wordpress.com/

pixote

  • Administrator
  • Objectively Awesome
  • ******
  • Posts: 34237
  • Up with generosity!
    • yet more inanities!
Re: 1990s Far East Bracket: Verdicts
« Reply #625 on: April 19, 2009, 11:37:10 PM »
I'm still a little wary of Down the Drain after my disappointing experience with Yaguchi's My Secret Cache, but you do make it sound quite a bit better.  As for Taebaek Mountains, your write-up matches my own expectations from the movie just from skimming through the DVD.  It'll be interesting to see how Im's other films fair in round one.  Sopyonje is supposed to be his masterpiece, I think, but it has yet to be matched up.

pixote
« Last Edit: April 19, 2009, 11:39:01 PM by pixote »
Great  |  Near Great  |  Very Good  |  Good  |  Fair  |  Mixed  |  Middling  |  Bad

pixote

  • Administrator
  • Objectively Awesome
  • ******
  • Posts: 34237
  • Up with generosity!
    • yet more inanities!
Re: 1990s Far East Bracket: Verdicts
« Reply #626 on: April 19, 2009, 11:41:10 PM »
Takeshi Kitano seems to be a one man wrecking crew in this bracket.

And I have Getting Any? vs. God of Gamblers 2.   Will the streak continue?  Find out soon.

I can't wait for your season to wrap up!

pixote
Great  |  Near Great  |  Very Good  |  Good  |  Fair  |  Mixed  |  Middling  |  Bad

1SO

  • FAB
  • Objectively Awesome
  • ******
  • Posts: 36128
  • Marathon Man
Re: 1990s Far East Bracket: Verdicts
« Reply #627 on: April 20, 2009, 01:24:00 AM »
Takeshi Kitano seems to be a one man wrecking crew in this bracket.

And I have Getting Any? vs. God of Gamblers 2.   Will the streak continue?  Find out soon.

I can't wait for your season to wrap up!
The season wraps this week, but I think my Goodfellas vs. Glengarry Glen Ross verdict in the other bracket needs to come out first.  I hope to fulfill my duties with this bracket at the start of May.

edgar00

  • 00 Agent
  • Objectively Awesome
  • *
  • Posts: 12131
  • corndogs are better than Die Another Day
    • Between The Seats
Re: 1990s Far East Bracket: Verdicts
« Reply #628 on: April 20, 2009, 12:40:09 PM »
I'm still a little wary of Down the Drain after my disappointing experience with Yaguchi's My Secret Cache, but you do make it sound quite a bit better.  As for Taebaek Mountains, your write-up matches my own expectations from the movie just from skimming through the DVD.  It'll be interesting to see how Im's other films fair in round one.  Sopyonje is supposed to be his masterpiece, I think, but it has yet to be matched up.

pixote

As a black comedy, Down the Drain probably won't be a movie that has people laughing out loud from start to finish. I don't think a lot of dark comedies do that anyways. There were indeed moments that I found quite funny, but overall I was simply having fun watching this bizarre chain of events afflict the character of Junco. By their very nature dark comedies aren't for just anyone.


Taebaek Mountains
was needlessly long. It's funny how most directors who make war films have this idea that the movie needs to be over 2 1/2 horurs long. Sometimes the story deserves that kind of running length, other times not at all. Taebaek Mountains commits too many of the same mistakes that 'message movies' do. It was really kind of you to help me out to obtain a good copy, but unfortunately it really wasn't worth it.
-Le Chiffre: You changed your shirt, Mr Bond. I hope our little game isn't causing you to perspire.

-James Bond: A little. But I won't consider myself to be in trouble until I start weeping blood.

https://twitter.com/Betweentheseats
http://crabkeyheadquarters.wordpress.com/

smirnoff

  • Objectively Awesome
  • ******
  • Posts: 26251
    • smirnoff's Top 100
Re: 1990s Far East Bracket: Verdicts
« Reply #629 on: April 20, 2009, 12:46:41 PM »
Would've been nice to have a Korean War story in the mix somewhere. Too bad it wasn't so good.