“I’m a Cyborg, But That’s OK” Theatrical Poster
Director: Park Chan-wook
Cast: Lim Soo-Jung, Rain, Oh Dal-Su, Park Jun-Myun, Choi Hee-Jin, Kim Byung-Ok, Lee Yong-Nyeo, Yoo Ho-Jeong, Park Byeong-Eun, Kim Do-Yeon, Son Young-Soon
Running Time: 105 min.
By Paul Bramhall
In 2005 director Park Chan-wook wrapped up his Vengeance Trilogy with the release of Sympathy for Lady Vengeance, concluding 3 of the most iconic movies of the 21st century (and which, to this day, I find my answer changing every time someone asks me which is my favorite). The trilogy put Chan-wook on the map, and naturally, the audience which had lapped up the gritty, morally ambiguous, and always confronting slices of cinematic vengeance eagerly awaited whatever he was going to deliver next. Looking backwards from the perspective of 2020, not many people expected it to be a love story between two patients in a mental institution, and when I’m a Cyborg, But That’s OK was initially released, for many their feelings landed somewhere between stumped and confused.
Of course since then we’ve had horny blood-sucking priests, murderous uncles, and erotically charged lesbianism. It’s easy to argue that if Chan-wook released IaC,BTOK (as I’ll refer to it from here on in) now, it would be accepted and enjoyed far more than it was back in 2006. In many ways the reaction to its release at the time, at least from a western perspective, was a culmination of factors. In the mid-00’s most distributors had cultivated an image of Asian cinema as being some kind of Extreme variant on what you could expect from Hollywood – it was all about ultra-violent gangster flicks, black haired ghosts seeking revenge, or fast paced action. Chan-wook’s Vengeance Trilogy fit the bill to a tee, but IaC,BTOK felt like the opposite. In the UK it didn’t hit DVD until 2008, and in the US even later, eventually hitting shelves in 2011.
I stand guilty myself to the fact that, thanks largely to the lukewarm (or bewildered) reviews at the time, and the ease of availability coming long after interest had waned, I only watched IaC,BTOK for the first time recently. At some point it dawned on me how little sense it made that I proclaim Park Chan-wook to be one of my favorite directors, however despite seeing everything he’s sat in the directors’ chair for, I’d intentionally made an exception not to watch this one. So, was it worth the (self-inflicted) wait? In short, absolutely. Those going in expecting a conventional love story should adjust their expectations from the word go, as we’re plunged into an opening credit sequences which introduces us to a factory line of transistor radio makers, all decked out in a wardrobe which wouldn’t be out of place in The Handmaid’s Tale.
One of the workers, played by Lim Soo-jung (A Tale of Two Sisters), hears the radio intercom tell her to slit her wrist, insert the transistor wires inside, and plug herself in, an act which sees her carted off to the mental hospital like her grandmother was years before (Chan-wook would explore hereditary insanity again in Stoker). Sporting a shock of jet-black hair, blonde eyebrows, and occasionally her grandmothers’ dentures, Soo-jung genuinely believes she’s a cyborg, and spends her time talking to the fluorescent lights and vending machines. The problem is cyborgs can’t digest food, so instead Soo-jung spends meal times licking batteries, an issue that eventually draws the attention of a personality trait stealing kleptomaniac, played by Rain (Ninja Assassin). Intrigued by Soo-jung, the pair form an unlikely bond, with Rain determined to get Soo-jung to eat, and unravel the mystery of her grandmothers’ final words.
Not a traditional plot description by any means, and definitely not a traditional movie. Chan-wook himself described IaC,BTOK as a chance to let off steam after the intensity of the Vengeance Trilogy, and also gave him an opportunity to experiment with the new HD format. However the end product is far from throwaway, and could just as well be called Sympathy for Young-goon (the name of Soo-jung’s character, and an actual line spoken in the movie!). Soo-jung is very much the heart of IaC,BTOK, playing a character who wishes she had a clearly defined purpose in life like the fluorescent lights and vending machines, and her wide eyed stares and goofy mannerisms strike just the right balance between edgy and endearing. An already slender actress, Soo-jung got her weight down to just 39kg for the role, and her unique appearance is definitely a striking one that lingers in the memory.
For Rain IaC,BTOK would mark his big screen debut after starring in a handful of TV dramas. As one of the biggest K-pop stars of the 00’s, his presence is also what irked many western viewers at the time, as the mid-00’s marked a peak for Asian cinema fans complaining they were sick of pop stars being cast in movies. Never mind that it was a practice that had been prelevant since at least the 60’s. He handles himself well, and ironically his subsequent Hollywood work, playing a supporting role in 2008’s Speed Racer and taking the lead in 2009’s Ninja Assassin, is far more entertaining than the productions he’d go on to appear in on home soil. In IaC,BTOK we learn that his handsome looks led to his character being gang-raped while on military service, an act that resulted in him stitching closed his own you know what, which results in occasional fidgeting. Oh, and his vocals don’t go to waste either, thanks to some spirited yodelling!
As you may have guessed, Chan-wook’s penchant for black humor feels like its at the forefront here, and like the Vengeance Trilogy, I often found myself laughing and feeling immediately guilty afterwards. Similar to how Ryoo Seung-beom’s character in Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance can only watch on while the girl drowns, then realises later the reason he thought the shallow water was too deep is because he was recalling a childhood memory, some of the jokes are so ruthlessly subtle you can almost miss them. Indeed with increased awareness of mental health, there are times when the portrayal of the other patients may feel too played for comedic effect, but there’s nothing on display here that’s not also on display in the likes of Girl, Interrupted, made just 7 years prior. Oh Dal-soo is a particular highlight, playing a patient who feels that anything that goes wrong is his fault, and his subsequent need to apologise to everyone.
For a director as structured as Chan-wook, the somewhat free flowing form of IaC,BTOK is a welcome experience. I daresay that it contains one of the best hospital shootouts committed to film since Hard Boiled, and if you’re wondering what on earth a hospital shootout is doing in a love story (and it’s not even the finale!), then you’re not alone. Just trust me that it’s worth a watch, and makes sense within the context of the plot. As with all of his productions though, even if here he paints with slightly broader brushstrokes, the real highlight is the characters that Chan-wook has created, and the narrative that he weaves them through. Rain’s kleptomaniac doesn’t want to cure Soo-jung’s delusional cyborg, he just wants her to eat so she can feel better, and a quiet moment shared together in the basement, in which he fits her with a ‘rice-megatron’ (a device which converts food to electricity!) is genuinely touching.
Despite the entire narrative being set in and around the institution, proceedings never feel suffocating, with Chan-wook injecting regular flights of fancy that add a fantastical feel to the overall tone. Like most of his movies (particularly Thirst), CGI is used more than its noticed, and its understated inclusion elevates several scenes. From a pair of socks that allow whoever wears them to fly (just don’t stuff yourself with fried chicken before trying), to an x-ray vision of Soo-jung’s torso, every shot has a meaning and intention behind it. Bong Joon-ho has taken most of the spotlight for Korean cinema as of late, and rightfully so thanks to the fantastic Parasite, and while some of Chan-wook’s detractors have accused him of style over substance, for me he’s always been a master storyteller, and IaC,BTOK is a great example of that.
Chan-wook once said that the theme of his Vengeance Trilogy was about the futility of revenge, so if that’s the case, then perhaps we can say that the theme of IaC,BTOK is about finding someone to share your purpose with in life, regardless of how crazy that, or you, may be. Containing undoubtedly the most intentional happy ending out of Chan-wook’s filmography (in a scene which has parallels with the final moments of Thirst), the performances of Soo-jung and Rain make it almost impossible to not be invested in whatever it is they can be described as having. A quirky, off-beat, and sometimes challenging entry in what I consider a flawless run as a director, IaC,BTOK may not have the blood and grit of Chan-wook’s other works, but after watching it I’m sure you’ll agree, it doesn’t need either.
Paul Bramhall’s Rating: 8/10
