“The Merciless” Korean Theatrical Poster
Director: Byun Sung-Hyun
Writer: Byun Sung-Hyun
Cast: Sol Kyung-Gu, Siwan, Kim Hee-Won, Jeon Hye-Jin, Lee Kyoung-Young, Jang In-Sub, Kim Sung-Oh, Choi Byung-Mo, Heo Jun-Ho, Kim Ji-Hoon
Running Time: 120 min.
By Martin Sandison
Since its inception in the mid-90’s, the Korean noir genre just keeps producing gems. Movies such as Lee Chang-dong’s Green Fish, Kim Jee-woon’s A Bittersweet Life and Park Chan-wook’s Oldboy are a few of the all-time classics; twisting and subverting noir tropes such as the femme fatale, unique visual style and brutal violence. Director Byun Sung-hyun’s first foray into the genre, The Merciless, almost deserves to be in the same breath as the aforementioned films, with a breakneck, gripping narrative, innovative action, superb characterisation and a visual style that is both obtrusive and atmospheric in its aesthetic brilliance.
Jo Hyun-soo (Im Si-wan, The Attorney) is an undercover cop in a prison in Busan, investigating various gangsters. He becomes close to a fellow inmate, Han Jae-ho (Sol Kyung-gu, Public Enemy) and a dangerous game begins between the two as they emerge from prison to rule the underworld. Twisted loyalties, gang wars and brawls ensue, with chaotic results. Who will survive this insane narrative? Watch on to find out…
Byun’s earlier films have encompassed Hip Hop culture centered comedy (The Beat Goes On) and romantic comedy (Whatcha Wearin’?), so it’s surprising that he directs The Merciless with such a deft hand. Expertly balancing the action with character development, he makes a supremely intricate narrative understandable. The first half of the film shifts time frames constantly – if you don’t pay attention, you’re lost. I find this annoying in films, but the construction is so lovingly put together that I made an effort to follow everything and most of the time, I did.
Byun directs in such a way that the roving camera and editing style create a technique that draws attention to itself, but in a gloriously entertaining and powerful way. One long take during one of the expertly choreographed Korean-style brawls has the camera turn almost upside down, before turning all the way back round. I adore this kind of visual ingenuity, and the Koreans are the masters of it. The important fight in a prison cell between the two leads is a superb example of this; the action is impactful and gritty, but also lends itself to representation of character. We discover Han is the better fighter, and has the cooler head than his younger, hot-headed friend.
The performances from the two leads are truly mesmerising. Sol as Han demonstrates the complete control he has over his parts, and is no stranger to the genre, having appeared in movies such as Public Enemy and Public Enemy 3. Im is a relative newcomer to the genre, and is a very young man. His boyish good looks and easy charisma reminded me of a young Leslie Cheung, and the relationship of the two harks back to John Woo classics such as A Better Tomorrow. Their respect and loyalty to each other, as the narrative builds and builds, is tested to breaking point. This being Korean noir, the outlook on male relationships is much more ambiguous than Woo’s, with true friendship and loyalty replaced by layers of deception.
The Merciless score points for twisting the trope of the femme fatale. Usually a gangsters moll who leads the protagonist into the tangled web of the narrative, here Jeon Hye-jin’s policewoman is the most in control character, despite her having limited screen time. Peripheral characters are also memorable, not least a henchman who aswell as providing laughs is responsible for a pivotal plot point.
Han’s repeated phrase ‘Don’t trust people. Trust the circumstances.’, while being a little spoon fed as the movie progresses, is the movies mantra, and is borne out with the outrageous twists and turns of the plot. The movie moves at such a breakneck place that it is difficult to follow at times. Also a slightly predictable ending aside, The Merciless is unmissable.
Martin Sandison’s Rating: 8.5/10
“One long take during one of the expertly choreographed Korean-style brawls has the camera turn almost upside down, before turning all the way back round.”
Reminds me of what Wai Ka-Fai did in: http://cityonfire.com/too-many-ways-to-be-number-one-1997/
Funny, the scene that sprung immediately to mind when I read that was the infamous 360 one vs. many shot from ‘Karate Kill’ (check out the scene here).
Glad to hear this one delivers the goods Martin! It hits Blu-ray in Korea next month, so I’ve been holding off watching it until then! Seems like the Korean film industry unintentionally made a Prison Trilogy last year, when you take this along with ‘A Violent Prosecutor’ and ‘The Prison’.
I was also thinking about this famous shot from Ryuhei Kitamura’s ‘Azumi,’ which blew my mind way back in 2003: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D0z5z1m2saI
That’s one of those movies I’ve been afraid to rewatch just in case it doesn’t hold up. But you just gotta love a good 360 camera move, right? I think Alex Proyas even lifted it for a shot in ‘I Robot.’
Jeff, I’ve wanted to see that movie for years, and I heard about that shot! I almost went to Manchester, England to see it a few years back.
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I got through watching this one recently, and fully agree with the review and score. It’s a brutal and thoroughly engaging roller coaster of a movie, and easily Sol Kyung-gu’s best work since 2009’s (equally brutal) ‘No Mercy’. Ironically the shock close of the opening scene reminded me of a similar set up in the opening scene of ‘Public Enemy’, which is long overdue a re-watch.