Memories of Murder (2003) User Reviews

The Slow Development of a Masterpiece

[WriterDave · 9/10 · 15 July 2005]

This is probably the best crime thriller I've seen since "Insomnia," and contains the most haunting climax of any serial killer flick since "Seven." But like most films reaching for greatness, this is most admirable for its striking details.

The filmmakers here craft a taut, careful, and delicately strung together motion picture that relishes in its amazing development of mood, place, and character.

First, the mood: Haunting cinematography (rain falling on a small village at night, shadows darting across a thick field of grass, figures lurking in the woods, a masterfully choreographed hot pursuit scene on foot), a poignant music score (aided by the creepy use of a Korean pop song that accompanies each murder), and no-nonsense direction (peppered with fabulous doses of comic relief--how Shakespearan!) keep the film more and more intriguing at each turn and fascinating to watch.

Second, the place: South Korea, circa the late 1980's, and apparently under some sort of militia rule. This is inspired by the true story of Korea's first publicized (and still unsolved) serial killer case. This unique time and place serves as a wonderful respite from the typical American big-city setting of so many other films of this ilk.

Finally, the character development: The small details revealing the haunted souls of the detectives on the case is nothing short of brilliant. Witness the tiny executions of minutae: The cloth one rogue cop wraps around his boot so as not to leave scars when he kick-boxes suspects into submission, the harried chief of police checking his own blood pressure while trying to keep his off-the-cuff detectives in line or fighting to keep headline-starved reporters at bay, the young female officer desperately trying to showcase her abilities in crime solving between serving the chauvinistic detectives cups of fresh coffee, the outsider detective from Seoul's insistence that documents never lie (and the brutal irony at the climax that challenges his entire sense of being), and the main village detective's scathing speech on the difference between American FBI agents and Koren policemen. The beauty is in the details, and this film, like all the great ones, revels in their uncovering.

One flaw is that some might find the film a bit long in the tooth, but this is not to be missed for fans of serial killer thrillers and police procedural movies. For the Korean filmmakers, and the amazing cast...this is their master stroke.

Great serial killer drama

[AKS-6 · 9/10 · 1 January 2005]

I'm one of those people who tend to think that South Korean movies are perhaps a bit too slow-paced for my taste. Memories of Murder isn't a fast-paced film, by any means, but this time the slow pace made this movie about an investigation of serial killings so much better than 95% of its American counterparts.

Essentially, Memories of Murder is a drama first with thriller and comedy elements (yes, in the first hour or so the movie is actually quite funny). Kang-ho Song and Sang-kyung Kim are brilliant as the two cops who have drastically different views on how to solve a crime. The character development is fascinating and believable thanks to a great script.

Highly recommended.

Must See

[dbborroughs · 8/10 · 10 December 2004]

After two women are found dead in a rural community, a detective arrives from the big city to help out. Things quickly mushroom with the discovery of more bodies, more suspects and no end in sight.

Whether you like police films or not you should see this movie about the real hunt for Korea's first known serial killer simply because its a great movie. This is a movie that alters your expectations and changes your view of things. Its impossible to guess whats going to happen simply because the twists and turns are so unexpected. At times this is a funny funny movie, especially if you like shows like Law and Order or CSI since what we take for granted in those shows is stood on its head. At other times this is a very taut thriller and you become as desperate as the police in needing to put an end to the madness.

On top of all of this is a picture of Korea in 1986, a place with political unrest and civil defense drills that for me at least makes it seem like something out of the 1950's.

This is brilliant brilliant film-making.

I've given the film an 8 out of 10, even though it probably deserves to be higher, simply because some 12 hours after seeing the film, I'm still pondering what I thought of it, how good is it? At least an 8. I'm sure a second and third and fourth viewings will change my mind.

Yea its that good

The Shaman's Eyes

[tieman64 · 23 February 2009]

Joon-ho Bong directs "Memories of Murder". A police procedural, the film's first act flows along conventional lines. Here a murder takes place and detective Park Doo-Man is assigned to the case. He's a hotshot cop, hardworking and determined, who thinks he can spot a criminal simply by "looking into their eyes". Joon-ho Bong, however, repeatedly questions Park's abilities. Early in the film, for example, Park's commander points at two men at the far side of a room and asks Park to pick out the criminal. Park looks deeply into each man's eyes, but before he gives his answer, the director cuts to black. We assume that Park has picked the right guy.

But 20 minutes into the film, and our faith in Park begins to crumble. Indeed, he begins to come across as a bit of an idiot. He's deeply superstitious, relies on fortune tellers, believes in hunches, and is highly insecure.

At this point the film introduces another detective. His name is Sae Yoon, and he's been assigned to help Park on his case. The film's second act is thus a repetition of the first act, Sae Yoon re-enacting all the scenes that we just witnessed Park do. The way Park handles the film's first crime scene is contrasted with how Sae Yoon handles the film's second crime scene. The way Park handles an interrogation is contrasted with how Sae Yoon handles an interrogation. In seeing how a methodical, clever and genuinely skilled detective like Sae Yoon handles his job, the audience is forced to reconsider their views of Park. Maybe Park wasn't a hotshot cop after all. The juxtaposition between the way the two men handle the film's first two murders forces us to re-evaluate our perceptions.

This notion of reassessing what our eyes see, is constant throughout the film. A mentally ill kid seems like a likely suspect, but is actually not. A local pervert seems like the killer, but is actually a caring husband. An effeminate loner may be the rapist, but DNA samples prove otherwise. Detective Sae Yoon, himself a "by the books" cop, eventually becomes a violent, loose cannon, determined to throw away rules and regulations based on a hunch, whilst Park, the very cop who consults shamans and witch doctors and stages false confessions, becomes the film's voice of law-abiding righteousness.

And so it is the way the film's characters are constantly in a state of moral flux that makes "Memories of Murder" so exciting. The audience is constantly asked to "look the characters in the eyes" and reassess what they're seeing.

But what makes the film great is its ending. If surface perceptions are inadequate, then how can we truly understand another human being? If personal emotions get in the way of objective truth, how can we ever trust our own acuity? And so because the criminal is never identified or caught, suddenly everyone is guilty. There can be no closure because everyone, police included, is implicated. Watch how the director contrasts the film's first shot (the innocence of a child's face) with the film's final shot (the retired face of detective Frank staring down the camera and directly at the audience). Frank's catch phrase, "look into my eyes", now takes on a whole new level of meaning. He's a cop again, and everyone including we the audience are now under suspicion.

And so while most serial killer films end with closure, or in the case of the recent "Zodiac", with the comfortable knowledge that our killer is now old and largely impotent, "Memories of Murder" leaves us on a note of profound paranoia. We're left uncomfortable, disturbed, and everyone now seems a potential suspect.

8.5/10 – Though it isn't brave enough to stray far from genre conventions, this is a stylish, engrossing film. Worth two viewings.

nothing prepares me for this masterpiece

[edoy · 10/10 · 10 February 2004]

I read a review about this movie and am aware what business it made in Korea, but nothing (I mean NOTHING) prepares me for this great work. With the exception of, perhaps, SE7EN, serial-killer movie has never been this good. The story (about real-life killings of 10 women in Korea during the 1986-1991) is compelling enough, but the actors (Song Kang-ho cuts you deep even when he's silent, and his big-city partner offers emotional jolts at the end), the director (effectively plays some scenes in docu-style approach), the cinematography (a shadow creeps out in the paddy field will give you, well, creeps. big one.), and the music (haunting) are welcome bonuses.

One scene that impresses me most is the crime-scene midnight chase between a suspect, 2 local detectives, and a big-city detective (who doesn't know his local partners are there watching him). Humorously intense, or intensely humorous, whichever serves you well.

The only regret is I saw this one on DVD, while I believe a movie this big (in many senses) deserves to be seen in theaters. Korean movies rarely touch Indonesian theaters.

**** out of ****

Try to listen the song SAD LETTER in this movie and tell me it's not haunting you. A magnum opus.

A Masterpiece that you cannot miss

[whitecatus88 · 10/10 · 21 August 2006]

Beginning in the fall of 1986 and continuing for the next four years South Korea was haunted by the nation's first recorded serial killer. Preying upon women in a remote rural community the killer was both vicious and meticulous, strangling his victims with their own undergarments and leaving nothing of any use to the police investigating the crimes. The killer was never caught.

I do not envy any director trying to make a true crime film, particularly not one so high profile and so recent that the crimes still live on in the public consciousness. Stray too far in one direction and you devolve into saccharine sentimentality, go the other direction and you risk crass exploitation. Director Bong Joon-Ho avoided both of these traps by charting an altogether different route: he has made a film that is not about the killer or the crimes or the victims but one that is purely about the police officers charged with the case and the devastating emotional toll it took on their lives. In charting his unusual route Bong has created a bleak masterpiece, one that took home a stack of film awards in its native land but which has been largely neglected on these shores until now.

The film begins with the first body discovered, a woman strangled with her own stockings, raped, tightly bound, and hidden in a drainage culvert. The detective in charge of the case is Park Du-Man (Song Kang-Ho) and it is immediately clear that he is out of his depth, that the entire local police force, in fact, are out of their depth. The crime scene is chaos, crowded by reporters and locals trampling over potentially vital evidence. Park himself is not what you'd call a systematic investigator, scoffing at the scientific approach and trusting in his supposedly unerring eye at picking out criminals just by looking at them. He relies on swagger and bravado and the brute force of his uneducated assisting officer Jo Yong-Gu.

Serving as a foil to Park and Jo is Seo Tae-Yun (Kim Sang-Kyung) a detective from Seoul who has volunteered to assist with the investigation. Seo is the polar opposite of Park - methodical and rational - and it takes mere moments for the two to clash, clashes that lead to the two of them overlooking some key pieces of evidence.

As the film progresses and the body count continues to rise you can feel a sense of desperation slowly settle over the department. Under educated, under manned and woefully under equipped the local force is simply not up to the task. As the realisation that they will not find the evidence they so badly need begins to set in Park and Jo resort to planting evidence to bring in suspects Park picks out with his 'keen eye', suspects they then set out to extract coached confessions from. The process inevitably leads to public humiliation. Soon even Seo begins to lose his faith in reason and just as things bottom out they finally catch a break and settle on a prime suspect, one who truly appears likely to be their man. But can they make it stick? What sets Memories of Murder apart from the crowd are the rich performances from its leads and the sure hand of Bong Joon-Ho. Bong knows exactly what he wants to do with this film and he steers the ship with a firm hand. He has a keen eye for imagery but he consistently avoids the cheap resolve, the quick hit, in favour of a slowly building mood and the film is all the stronger because of it. Song and Kim are both stellar in their roles, giving their characters much needed depth. You can feel their frustration and helplessness continually growing and when the final crushing blow is delivered you can feel their utter despair at being abandoned by a system that they have given their lives to. Bong isn't just asking how this could happen, how someone could be as evil as this killer, but how could a government allow this to happen? How could the police not be given the tools and manpower they so obviously needed to protect the people? The DVD release has been given the standard Palm treatment. The transfer is strong and presented in anamorphic widescreen. The film is presented with both the original Korean language track in 2.0 stereo and an English dub in both 2.0 and 5.1. The English subtitles are solid, clearly translated and easy to read. The disc also includes a reel of cast and crew interviews discussing their characters and the creation of the film as well as an extensive reel of deleted scenes.

Memories of Murder is a minor masterpiece, a film that moved Bong immediately onto Korea's A-list of directing talent. It is richly detailed, beautifully performed and disturbing in precisely the way that people need to be disturbed in from time to time. Don't miss it.

American thrillers should learn from Korean ones

[guycorhuo · 9/10 · 26 May 2004]

What a good movie.What a great work of casting. Perhaps a little bit long, but the most part the movie is enjoyable and there's no perfection without mistakes. I think i haven't ever seen before a Korean movie and if there are much of them like this one i shall become Korean movie fan. The tempo, the thrill, the development of characters, everything it has been well worked.The direction is good yet without emphatic resources, there are just two moments with a little much use of slow motion but it doesn't arrive to be an abuse of it.

If you can see it don't loose your time with Hollywood sad-bad thrillers bet for this Korean present.

9/10 cause perfection doesn't exist.

What's Korean for "nuance"?

[Groverdox · 8/10 · 24 November 2018]

The more South Korean films I see, the more I understand how it came to pass that filmmakers from that part of Asia are basically leading the world in terms of cinema in the 21st century.

These films are always very well made, with interesting plots and characterisation. But above all, they have nuance in spades. Nothing on screen is as simple as it appears. None of the characters are typical heroes or typical villains. None of the responses to anything on-screen are simple, either.

Scenes unfold in comedy and then tragedy, or the other way around - or both at once.

The additional layers to every scene and every character add a panoramic realism to what unfolds. These characters live and breathe on the screen. After watching "Memories of Murder", "The Wailing", or "The Host", you imagine that the characters are still doing what they were doing when the credits played.

That's the gift the South Koreans have given us with their wonderful and inventive cinema.

Forget America, unless you are addicted to comic book movies or remakes.

Korea is the one to watch.

Walking in Dangerous Rain

[hagfish · 10/10 · 29 March 2006]

Since a synopsis would be redundant here, I'll confine myself to praise alone.

Each positive comment that precedes this is accurate. I watched this movie yesterday. I couldn't take my eyes off it. Everything taking place on screen was riveting, from the simple act of walking down a dark lonely road in the rain, to a wild chase by three desperate detectives. This movie held me in thrall.

As a new viewer of Asian movies, I try to analyze the reason I tend not to be interested in western works any longer. I finally came to the conclusion that it has to do with the accessibility of the players. They seem to be people first, actors by choice, and stars, by the public making them so.

In Memories of Murder, I saw this human factor almost too painfully. By the end of the story, I was in tears. Even now, the mood prevails. It's been so long since these crimes took place, and I don't know absolutely that they remain unsolved, but I think it's the case, and I think about that, and how frustrating it still must be to those who worked on the case.

The actors have become the people in my mind, and the horrible sense of defeat that becomes palpable eventually, is heartbreaking. When one relates to the inroads made on the health; mental and physical; of the detectives, who are ultimately portrayed as tireless and completely dedicated to the case, you realize that you've watched something that is historic. You have seen the probable truth.

The way this movie draws you into it, so that you are walking through dangerous rain, with a warning shout in your throat, points to the brilliance of the director and the players.

It is difficult to say, "I love this movie", just as it is hard to say, I love Silence of the Lambs, because love is a peculiar word to use for such fare.

But yes, I love it for the fact that during it, I was in a small village in South Korea in a terrible era of sirens blaring, military dictatorship, and the hopeless pursuit of a serial killer. I landed back here in this time and place with a thud, only after turning off the DVD player, and going to the kitchen for a glass of water. While I was caught there mentally---I felt the desperation, and I felt the defeat and the sorrow of the detectives, who were essentially decent enough human beings when all was said and done.

There are not many movies that can time-travel you into their present. This will do it.

I most seriously recommend that you view the interviews with the director and the stars (all of them are stars of a special kind in my mind) in order to dispel some of the hold the story will have on you.

These are incredibly interesting people, and it's a sheer joy to see them smiling and peaceful. They're intelligent, educated and articulate. The younger members of the cast, the less seasoned, are so beautiful in their desire to do it right.

They definitely did it right. They were wonderful, and they thanked the interviewer. How lovely that was to see.

I watched the movie using the English subtitles rather than the English dubbing because I wanted the authenticity. The subtitles were very good.

"What did he look like? Just... ordinary."

[SantiagoDM1 · 10/10 · 29 December 2022]

It's hard to encapsulate what Memories of Murder stands for as a movie, but I would say it's a sorrowful, but human experience, portraying various emotional stages throughout a harsh story which we, the audience, are going to live with the protagonists.

Cinematographically mesmerizing, it makes the most out of the scenery of everyday life on rural South Korea. Rain, solitude, quietness, the vastness of the grassland, the depth of a tunnel, all tainted by sepia colored lenses.

In this film Bong Joon-ho proves that he not only is an incredible storyteller, but also master in composition and camera movement. One of the finest examples is the scene where a new body is discovered. Here, the director unfolds the situation with a long take through the grassland, taking us on a trip in the disaster that Detective Park Doo-Man is going through as reporters get into the murder scene, a tractor erases a footprint, police officials falling as they try to get to the place, etc.

One of the biggest achievements resides in its pacing, achieving a subtle and brief change of moods, the film takes its risks with the ludicrous methods of Detective Cho Yong-koo without making the viewer think that some particular scene is out of place. The chase scene inevitably comes to my head as another prove of Bong Joon-ho ability with the camera, as he doesn't abuse any resource, he sneaks it by switching between quick cuts and long takes.

Bong's films are always impregnated with a political background that includes class struggle, heavy bureaucracy, corruption & civil guard brutality. The Host, Mother, Snowpiercer, Okja are clear examples of this and Memories of Murder isn't an exception. South Korean police force is depicted as an inefficient and arrogant law enforcement political arm that isn't capable of accepting the case is beyond their capabilities and these feelings of discomfort and anger caused by the police's negligence are exacerbated by the political scenario South Korea was experiencing.

My final word on this masterpiece is the tunnel scene. It makes the film's final transition from what began as a crime thriller to an exasperating psychological and sorrowful cinematic experience as we grow fond with our desperate protagonist, in what seems to be his last try to see through the eyes of the number one suspect, which ends in a frustrated attempt to solve the case. This takes us to the ending of Memories of Murder, which I will say is one of the most powerful ever seen on film... as detective Park Doo-Man looks straight into the camera, breaking the fourth wall and sorrowfully starring at the audience, looking one last time for those indistinct murderous eyes within the average crowd.

10/10.

A Gritty Murder Mystery with Political and Social Overtones

[noralee · 7/10 · 22 July 2005]

"Memories of Murder (Salinui chueok)" is an involving, cross-cultural take on the "L.A. Confidential" noir genre of a murder mystery with a political filter, layered with elements that gritty British TV detectives have mastered, from "Prime Suspect" on.

While co-writer/director Joon-ho Bong uses the conventions of the contrasting buddy cop movie, sometimes simplistically for comic effect, he has more social commentary on his mind than a captivating investigation into a serial killer and avoids the usual titillating gore fest.

Set specifically in 1986, the film visually captures the changes in industrializing, modernizing and politically restive South Korea, where new, dark, noisy factories were sprouting up in the middle of agricultural areas. From the opening shot that could be out of "Witness," we see a peasant bring what looks like a city sophisticated cop to a crime scene.

But that's just the start of the conflicting comparisons. We've seen enough "CSI"s to sympathize with him immediately as he hopelessly tries to secure the crime scene for clues despite a Keystone Cops-incompetent forensics and investigative team who keep sliding into the irrigation ditch. But he starts to seem a bit of a buffoon to us as he gives more credence to gossipy tips from his girlfriend than clues from the scene and he manufactures "evidence."

Our sympathies are curdled even more as we see him conduct an old-fashioned coercive interrogation of a developmentally disabled suspect -- and he's the good cop. Even without knowing anything about Korean law, it certainly looks like they are compromising the investigation, as his thug partner, who is nowhere as complex as Russell Crowe's Bud White, gets as out of control as a cartoonish "Lethal Weapon" cop, and that cop never grows and develops in the story beyond being a brutality enforcer so becomes a pathetic comic figure. Their complicit boss just seems ineffectual as he's clearly over his head with this kind of murder investigation.

But through the background TV broadcasts of demonstrations and civil defense alerts and drills, we gather that their interrogation procedures were more developed through oppressing political dissidents and forcing confessions than professional criminal detective work. Ironically, they ultimately can't get the resources they need in this difficult case because of these politically-drummed up time-consumers, especially for manpower and sophisticated forensic tools that they have to beg from the FBI.

The film changes tone and settles down into an intellectual thriller as a classic big city detective is sent from Seoul, and we have some of the interchanges we've seen in "In the Heat of the Night" and in "Insomnia," as the first cop now seems even more of a simpleton in his standard operating procedures of relying on his knowledge of the locals and instincts about human nature (though even a fellow officer teases him about whether he can tell apart a rapist and victim's brother), while the city guy is looking and listening for clues and real evidence, like a Korean "Dalziel and Pascoe." But the tension is ramped up as the killer keeps killing – and the film starts showing us the murders as they are about to happen just as the cops are getting hints about his modus operandi and even after the police are on alert. Their frustration at not being able to stop him is grippingly conveyed by the lead actors, as each starts to abandon their usual procedures out of mounting frustration, and by the editing.

A droll side bar is that the macho team is given a key clue by a policewoman who they otherwise relegate to getting them refreshments. Their macho attitudes also keep them from learning vital clues from the marginalized men they pick up as suspects.

The coda in contemporary Korea is effective, reinforcing a sense of societal complicity is letting such murders happen and go on, though I was curious what happened to the city cop as well as the local guy. I had no idea until I read the IMDb message board that this was a based on a real case, so I appreciate even more that a cheap ending wasn't tacked on.

The cinematography and editing are terrific throughout, with many of the scenes in the dark and rain. Particularly dramatic are harrowing scenes along railroad tracks and a tunnel that are reminiscent of stark imagery from Mervyn LeRoy's "I Am a Fugitive from a Chain Gang."

It is frustrating for English subtitle readers that not more of the Korean on the screen, such as newspaper headlines or heard, such as the TV broadcasts and pop tunes, isn't translated.

Do watch out for The flying kick, my favorite interrogation technique. Excellent n engaging crime drama.

[Fella_shibby · 10/10 · 2 June 2021]

I first saw this more than a decade ago n loved it.

Revisited it recently.

This one is truly one of the best crime drama.

I feel Zodiac, True Detective S1 n the recent The Little Things borrowed few stuff from this movie.

After the discovery of two dead bodies in a small village, a detective n his partner decides to question a mentally handicapped young man because the man used to follow one of the victims around town but their forced confessions n interrogation techniques are questioned when a detective from a city volunteers to assist them.

Apart from being a very engaging movie, this one has sufficient suspense n tons of atmosphere.

Another good aspect is the character development.

This movie amazingly showcases the faulty police interrogation techniques, the lack of securing the crime scene, evidence being improperly collected, non availability of extra police personnel, the non-existent forensic technology n the superstitious beliefs.

The isolated rural landscape where the killings take place is as much a character in the movie.

Salinui Chueok

[johnny-08 · 7/10 · 3 April 2007]

This movie shows us how all countries in the world are able to make a good movies. South Korean movie "Salinui Chueok" (Memories of Murder) is a very good movie for everyone to watch. Movie is based on real events. Film is about one murder that happens in one little city. Local investigators are on the job in very strange circumstances (it appears that no one knows what to do when something like this happens). Local cops got help from a detective who came from the big city to solve the crime. The story is usual and this is not something new. But this movie is good because it's well directed and at the beginning you can't say how it's going to end. I can only say that I'm satisfied with the movie. You can easily imagine Hollywood stars in roles and script like this, but these actors were very good and all I can say is that this is a very pleasant surprise.

I have no idea what movie all of these reviewers saw

[slappytheclown · 5/10 · 31 July 2021]

This was not an exceptional movie.

It was barely a decent movie.

I have no idea what all these unbelievable reviews are about.

I felt minimum tension, I rarely laughed and mostly found myself confused as to why certain things happened; events that seem to have no connection to anything; characters appeared & then disappeared for no clear reason.

The pace was good; I like movies that take their time. The acting was good, but I have no idea how anyone could give this anything higher than a five.

The Last scene . . .

[jack_o_hasanov_imdb · 8/10 · 28 August 2021]

It was a great movie, I like it very much. I understand why it was so recommended by others.

The last scene was perfect. . .

Best crime/detective film ever

[wiseman-4 · 10/10 · 10 November 2004]

My "one line summary" might be too subjective (well it's just an opinion after all), but that's what kind of thought came to my mind after seeing this film. It just sucked me in and didn't let away until the ending credits appeared. I'm really not a fan of this genre which is popular in various "detective" TV series but this film was something exceptional. A perfectly made detective film based on a real shocking murder case in S.Korea in 80's. This is a must see Korean film for everybody and this must be a real pearl for those who love detective stories because perhaps it's the best detective film ever...

I give it a 10/10 this film is worth it.

Left me in AWE!

[Kazombie · 10/10 · 9 December 2005]

Being a movie buff and a director in the making, I watched this film (with English subtitles, Korean not being my mother tongue), I was completely blown away by this piece of cinematic excellence. There is not a single thing about this film that I can think of in a negative connotation. I wouldn't want to give away anything about this masterpiece. All I would like to say is that this is a film not to be missed. If I want any of my movies to be globally renowned one day, I hope it resembles "memories of murder" in any form whatsoever.

This film simply belongs in the top 10 of the greatest movies ever made. 10/10.

the crime is solved - decades later

[ferguson-6 · 8/10 · 19 October 2020]

Greetings again from the darkness. Between 1986 and 1991, 10 women were raped and brutally murdered in the province of Gyeong-gi outside Seoul. Considered South Korea's first serial killer case, the crime went unsolved until 2019. The case was the inspiration for writer-director Bong Joon Ho's second feature film, as was Kwang-rim Kim's play, "Come to See Me". Director Bong Joon Ho co-wrote the screenplay with Sung-bo Shim, and of course, went on to win an Oscar for PARASITE (2019), in addition to providing other popular features such as OKJA (2017), SNOWPIERCER (2013), and THE HOST (2006). This early film can be compared to David Fincher's ZODIAC (2007), although this one is a blend of murder mystery, crime thriller, black comedy, and political commentary.

Kang-ho Song (PARASITE) stars as Park, a local detective called to the scene of the first victim. Almost immediately we can tell Park and the police force are borderline incompetent. Park is convinced he has "Shaman eyes" and can identify the guilty party simply by looking at them. Of course, this is ridiculous and is proven so on a few occasions. Park's partner, Detective Jo, is a hothead who takes a heavy-handed approach to interrogation (though he later experiences true karma). When a second victim is discovered, a more seasoned professional, Detective Seo, arrives from Seoul. In contrast to Park's gut-feeling approach, Seo puts faith in evidence, proclaiming, "Documents never lie". These two detectives are at the core of the story and we watch as each evolves.

The film begins on October 23, 1986 as the body of the first victim is found. We witness how the crime scene is immediately corrupted by both cops and local kids. This is also our indoctrination to how the filmmaker is treating this much differently than most crime dramas. A stream of suspects Park refers to as "punks" are paraded through the station, but true chaos ensues at the scene of the second body. We can't help but be relieved when a professional, big city detective arrives. Bits of evidence are slowly assembled - red clothes, rainy nights, a song on the radio - each may play a role in the actions of the killer. Frustration builds as more murders occur and the detectives are unable to pin down the perpetrator.

The mental and physical toll that detectives endure with such a case are on full display. The obsession with finding the murderer never ends and the fantastic ending proves that even a career change doesn't erase the failure. We are inundated with crime thrillers these days, but it's difficult to grasp how this masterpiece was put together by a director whose career was just getting started. Certainly today we recognize the brilliance of Bong Joon Ho, but this was 17 years ago! It plays as a time capsule of South Korea socially and politically in 1986, and it works on that level every bit as much as a crime thriller. Cinematographer Hyung Koo Kim (THE HOST) balances the crime scenes with the police station, as well as the telling facial expressions of the characters. Last year's solving of these horrific crimes pushed this classic into release, and it's well worth a watch.

Jarringly disturbing and haunting film

[yonghow · 9/10 · 21 February 2004]

I have long since heard of the excellence of this korean movie on koreanfilm.org, but it was only after reading the review in detail and realizing that the score was written by Taro Ishiwaro ( a well known Japanese musician who also wrote scores for Shohei Imamura and Japanese TV serials, including The Inanimate World ), and that the DOP was Kim Hyung-gu (who also shot Musa, One Fine Spring Day and Chen Kaige's Together) that it stumped on me I was indeed missing a masterpiece.

And a masterpiece it is, one deeply haunting and disturbing asian crime thriller. The mood invoked during the last few minutes of the film is something you would probably never forget.

Watch this film not only for its cinematic brilliance, but also because of the mezmerising score written by Taro Ishiwaro, track no 29 on the OST the favourite on my list.

Entertaining procedural thriller with tons of character.

[Victor_Fallon · 8/10 · 6 July 2021]

This movie is in the tradition of hard-boiled detective stories. A rag-tag bunch of largely incompetent police detectives are on the hunt for a serial killer and blunder their way through a thick-headed investigation. Although it's based on real events, it never falls into the trap of treating its characters as accurately portrayed historical figures and instead goes full-on with digging around in the dirt of the story.

The recreation of 80s Korea is amazing. Everything is portrayed as cramped, squalid and thoroughly grimey. The cinematography is great all the way to the end, as is the music, costume, set design and acting. There is a good dose of comedy in many scenes, which I didn't expect in this sort of story. It works well.

It's a rock-solid piece of cinema with characters that never fall into good guy / bad guy stereotypes. It's much more thoughtful than it initially lets on, hiding a complex theme behind a seemingly straightforward cop thriller. Will watch again.

This movie will haunt you for ages.

[ramis666 · 24 June 2009]

Two weeks ago I happened to watch David Fincher's "Zodiac", then (thanks to IMDb) I found out about "Salinui chueok". I got the DVD of the movie instantly and saw it the very next day I saw "Zodiac" and the outcome? I have then decided that no other crime/detective movie can be as goo as this South Korean masterpiece. It is power packed Two and half hour movie with equal amounts of action and emotion.

Set in the times of mid 80's, the period in which the military rule imposed strict rules on the civilians, a serial killer raped women and killed them. The movie follows the investigation sequences of the village policeman with the help of the police officer from Seoul. The story deepens as it goes ahead, revealing a whole lot of sub plots, each one telling the complexity of team work and human nature. The last scenes of the movie can set your tear glands to work.

The last scene of the movie needs a special mention in which Inspector Park comes to the scene of crime after a long time and a girl approaches him and asks him what he is looking for. And she then tell that a man had been there at that place earlier before (suggestively the Murderer). Inspector Park asks the kid how he looked like and the girl replies, "He looked Normal" saying that she goes away and Inspector Park looks at the camera indicating that the killer might be one of the audience watching the movie. This scene by far is the best one I have ever seen on celluloid so far. Kudos to the director Bong Joon Ho for making a crime master piece.

Note: Please do not watch this movie if you do not have respect towards cinema made in other languages and also towards other countries culture and also this movie is not for people who always want a villain in the end!. Saying that I conclude saying, one of the best two and a half hours you can ever spend your life is watching this movie!

Cheers!

Overrated

[javakka · 6/10 · 17 February 2019]

Don't believe all those reviews that say "the last scene will haunt you for ages", it might as well not. If you're like me, you'll probably won't get any closure at the end, just sitting there with a "was that it?" face, wishing you wouldn't spend two hours of your life on something that dull and shallow.

Comparing this to "Seven" is ridiculous. In "Seven", you had a gripping story, gory killings and a few "holy sh.." plot twists. This movie is a linear narrative about couple of stupid clueless cops running around in circles, randomly busting and torturing vulnerable people without any reason. Most of the traces go nowhere, most of the "Chekhov's guns" never fire.

I didn't like "Zodiac", and I didn't like this movie. Looks like the writers of both just tried too much to recreate the "actual events", forgetting that the real life isn't so interesting to watch on the screen.

Oh yeah, some good cinematography. But that's it.

One of the best open ending movie!

[pramodpj-52581 · 10/10 · 10 July 2021]

So many of you can't find out the killer in the movie! It's depends ond you totally! The last scene says it all! When the girl said that he was a normal guy! He looks at camera.

YOU!

Flying Kicks

[patrickbateman-84347 · 7/10 · 5 January 2021]

Memories of Murder is about a detective team who tries to solve a series of rape-murder crimes(Its based on a true events). Cinematography was through the roof , every scene was perfectly made. For a crime drama had really funny scenes to it and it was kind unexpected. Through the film you understand how bad is the Korean detectives and you imagine how they even got the job in the first place. The first half of the film(if you cut the rape and murder) you can be really interpret it for a comedy but the second half is when it get serious. I didn't mind the comedy and made it seems more natural I was kinda bored with the American type production crime movies who they are 100% drama. I recommend this film 100% if u have not seen it already you are missing big time. P.S I had to google what the ending was trying to say(maybe I am stupid(i am not)).

I was let down by the high ratings....

[keelhaul-80856 · 5/10 · 23 May 2019]

I love Asian cinema, and good movies of many genres from across the world. I think Korea has some of the best new films I've seen in years, compared to the dead drivel oozing from America and Hollywood these days. Admiral: Roaring Currents is a good example, as is Outlaws, and there are several epic drug or detective dramas and serial killer thrillers like "I Saw the Devil"--- absolute masterpieces, or at the least, excitingly different takes on modern thrillers. There are many others I can't remember by name, but you get the point. I enjoyed "Outlaws" the other night, which has a 7 rating, so when I saw that this film has over 8, I was thrilled. I had contemplated watching it for some time, and even got my wife to watch(she is not nearly as into foreign flicks, but enjoyed the Handmaiden and a few other horrors or thrillers from Asia.

Anyway, this was intriguing, and had the potential to be very spooky and chilling. I just found that the direction they took with this made everyone seem humorous, disjointed, and inept idiots. The local cops are so unbelievably lazy and stupid that it ruins the realism. The pacing is bad, and way too slow or comedic for such heavy material in places. I was really hoping for a big twist, only to be let down by a "it could be anyone, even you" ending for finding the killer. There are many holes in logic in this movie, and I really need to read what the true story is based on-- because this surely cannot be the full true story. There are interesting moments, and the cinematography and music are quite haunting in places. The 8.3 or whatever score is a bit absurd, though. I can name at least 5 Korean films that are ranked lower than this one, but are extremely better in action, pacing, acting, script, and payoff. Worth a watch, but I was fooled by the over-the-top ratings and hype surrounding this film.