If all you're interested in is murder mystery novels. In addition to directing, Joon-ho co-wrote this movie, assisting in the adaptation of Kim Kwang-rim's stage play, which was based on a true string of murders. Even though Memories of Murder is set about two decades after the events in the film, it is nonetheless incredibly beautiful.
Earlier this year, director Bong Joon-ho created Oscar history when his picture Parasite became the first-ever winner of both Best Picture and Best International Feature picture. Over the course of his 20-year career as a director, Joon-ho has built a career of certified hits and consistent praise, making his résumé both diverse and well-respected. This means that the timing could not be more ideal for the re-release of his 2003 movie Memories of Murder, given that Bong Joon-ho's second movie is getting a fresh theatrical and home media release.
The bulk of Memories of Murder revolves around the ongoing investigation into a string of rapes and killings that occur in a small South Korean town in 1986. We follow the development of this case with the addition of a younger detective (Kim Sang-kyung) from Seoul and an experienced local detective (Song Kang-ho) to aid in the investigation. They clash with one another as well as their coworkers since they keep running into dead ends. The labor of these guys threatens to swallow them and change them into completely different persons than when they started, as the pieces begin to come together.
Memories of Murder has all the sensitivities that Bong Joon-ho flaunted in Parasite with great style and panache, which has truly helped the film's aging process. Certain films, whether in their technical execution or storytelling methods, are very much of their period, but that doesn't make them any less good. Even still, it's remarkable how new this film feels in terms of both theme and visuals when compared to more recent productions.
Bong Joon-ho's quirky sense of humor and deft timing are two further elements that keep Memories of Murder relevant for a contemporary audience. The horrifyingly horrible crimes portrayed here are based on actual incidents. It is just as horrifying to watch the investigation into the dreadful events that take place as it would be in a very serious and lethal police procedure. Memories of Murder has a highly compassionate sense of style that Bong Joon-ho manages to bring to life through the morally confused characters, who are not content to simply depict a picture of a "good cop/bad cop."
Detective Park Doo-man from Song Kang-ho and his associates routinely crack each other's chops, get wasted and sing karaoke together, beat defendants during interrogations in between meals. Memories of Murder's mystery aspects are enhanced by humor and quirky personalities because, by the time the film's conclusion, when the drama picks up, you'll be struck by how profoundly our characters have changed. The protagonists on screen genuinely evoke empathy, and the whole cinematic experience benefits greatly from the dedication and hard effort they put into their roles.
