Memories of Murder — confidence is not evidence
Bong Joon-ho finds grim humour in a messy investigation without losing sight of its cruelty. The detectives’ behaviour is as absorbing as the case.
Bong Joon-ho finds grim humour in a messy investigation without losing sight of its cruelty. The detectives’ behaviour is as absorbing as the case.
Spoiler-free review.
There is a strange rhythm to Memories of Murder. A scene can be almost ridiculous, then become deeply unpleasant before you have quite stopped laughing. Bong Joon-ho makes those changes feel like part of the same world.
The detectives are the reason I stayed invested. They argue, make assumptions, and confuse authority with having an answer. Song Kang-ho is especially good at making confidence look both funny and dangerous. Kim Sang-kyung’s more measured presence gives their clashes a useful edge.
I like how much happens around the investigation. People wander through spaces they should not be in, crowds gather, and the weather makes already difficult work worse. The direction lets you notice the disorder instead of always pointing straight at the next clue.
The dialogue is often blunt, which suits people more comfortable asserting themselves than admitting uncertainty. As the pressure builds, those habits stop being amusing. The film is good at making you question a method you may initially have accepted as part of the genre.
A few stretches feel repetitive, although that frustration belongs to the investigation too. 8/10. Funny in uncomfortable places, beautifully observed, and much more interested in fallible people than heroic detective work.
Directed by Bong Joon-ho · 2003 · Korean. Film details · Poster source. Artwork © its respective rights holders.
Bong Joon-ho finds grim humour in a messy investigation without losing sight of its cruelty. The detectives’ behaviour is as absorbing as the case.
— Desly