Memories of Murder (2003)

Memories of Murder (2003)

 

7/10

Starring

Song Kang-ho

Kim Sang-yung

 

Directed by Boon Joon-ho

 

The idea that back in the late 80s and early 90s many people were able to get away with murder because of the lack of good DNA records can be scary. The movie takes us back to South Korea in the late 80s where a man committed a series of rape and murders of women. The movie shows us how deeply involved and engrossed by the case were two detectives who wanted to catch this criminal and bring the killings to an end.

The movie’s biggest selling point is the whole setting. The movie does well in posing like something from the 80s, with great acting and actors who carried their role with almost clear perfection.

As said, the two leads were detectives Park and Seo who were ready to do what they can to bring this case to a close. Park was a much older detective whose choice of solving the murders were crude and the younger detective Seo was more polished. Park was used to beating suspects and forcing them to confess which led to him believing he already had the murderer. His initially suspect on the case was a young man who was mentally challenged who described the crime like he was the one who committed it. You can tell by his behaviour that he did not have the mental capability to be as precise and as cunny as the person who would have conducted this killing spree.

It was later that the two realised that the man was a witness, and his mental ability and the beatings from Park made it harder for him to comprehend that he was a witness not the perpetrator. But by the time the two ran around and came to that conclusion it was a bit late.

The murders were cruel as the murderer goes out in the rain, catches his victims, ties them, and gags them with their underwear. Before he rapes and eventually strangles them.

The case was dragging and eating away at these two as the delay in catching the man meant more women were dying.

The movie is based off a real case which happened in the late 80s and early 90s in South Korea. Even back then they case went on for decades before they were eventually able to catch the killer who was at that time serving time in jail for a rape offence.

Memories of Murder is regarded as a cult classic in South Korea and seen as one of the best movies to come out of there. Written and Directed by Bong Joon-ho, the movie is see as one of the best movies he has done for which he won numerous awards for in Asia.