Based on a true story about a serial killer who terrorized a rural Korean village, “Memories of Murder” is a powerful crime thriller that combines moments of comical absurdity and gripping suspense.
While the plot unfolds as a typical police procedural, the scope of the story is much broader and it packs an emotional resonance not often seen in the genre. On one level, it’s a “buddy cop” story that focuses on the conflict between the two detectives assigned to the case: Park Doo-Man (portrayed by Song Kang-Ho in a terrific performance) is the jaded, earthy insider who relies on instinct and brute force to solve the case. He clashes with Seo Tae-Yoon, a quiet, methodical detective sent from Seoul, who values analytical thinking and disdains his country bumpkin peers. On another level, “Memories of Murder” casts a satirical eye on Korea’s military dictatorship during the 1980’s, underscoring the ineptitude of the murder investigation despite the substantial manpower resources deployed.
Although the whodunit aspects of the movie are compelling, director Bong Joon-Ho’s focus is not so much on the crimes but on the detectives, their increasing frustration and obsession with nailing the perpetrator over the course of the investigation and how they learn from each other and change. The tension is palpable as various suspects are dismissed by the evidence, with the solution always remaining just out of reach.
Acting performances are uniformly strong and the stellar cinematography underscores the dark, macabre tone. Although more a character drama than action-thriller, “Memories of Murder” boasts a very cool chase on foot sequence at night that is on par with any classic action flick and should not be missed.
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