8.5 | / 10 |
Users | 4.5 | |
Reviewer | 4.0 | |
Overall | 4.0 |
South Korea in 1986 under the military dictatorship: Two rural cops and a special detective from the capital investigate a series of brutal rape murders. Their rude measures become more desperate with each new corpse found. Based on a true case.
Starring: Song Kang-ho, Kim Sang-kyung, Kim Roe-ha, Song Jae-ho, Byun Hee-bongForeign | 100% |
Drama | 93% |
Mystery | 17% |
Crime | 15% |
Thriller | Insignificant |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 1.85:1
Original aspect ratio: 1.85:1
Korean: DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1 (48kHz, 24-bit)
Korean SDH, English
50GB Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Region free
Movie | 4.0 | |
Video | 4.0 | |
Audio | 5.0 | |
Extras | 0.0 | |
Overall | 4.0 |
Bong Joon-ho's "Memories of Murder" (2003) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Korean distributors CJ Entertainment. The supplemental features on the disc include two audio commentaries, behind the scenes featurette, making of featurette, an introduction to the film by director Bong Joon-ho, deleted scenes, and theatrical trailer. In Korean, with optional English and Korean subtitles for the main feature. Region-Free.
Somewhere in Korea
Presented in its original aspect ratio of 1.85:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, Bong Joon-ho's Memories of Murder arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Korean distributors CJ Entertainment.
Generally speaking, this is a strong high-definition transfer. Fine object detail is very good, clarity pleasing and contrast levels consistent throughout the entire film. The color-scheme is also pleasing, but during a few of the outdoor scenes from the first half of the film I noticed that some of the yellows, blues and greens were notably boosted. Some mild edge-enhancement also pops up here and there, but macroblocking is not an issue of concern. During the second half of the film I also noticed mild background flicker, as well as a couple of shaky frame transitions. Traces of heavy noise reduction, however, are not present. Finally, I did not see any large cuts, stains, marks, or debris to report in this review. (Note: This is a Region-Free Blu-ray disc. Therefore, you will be able to play it on your player regardless of your geographical location. This said, I had trouble figuring out the main menu, as everything is marked in Korean).
There is only one audio track on this Blu-ray disc: Korean DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1. For the record, CJ Entertainment have provided optional English and Korean subtitles for the main feature.
The Korean DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1 track is very strong. What impresses the most about it is the intelligent use of the surround channels - the ambient effects are outstanding and Taro Iwashiro's moody soundtrack very easy to appreciate. In fact, I felt that one of the key reasons why Memories of Murder works so well is the important role sound has in it.
The dialog is crisp, clean, stable and easy to follow. I also did not detect any serious balance issues to report in this review. Additionally, I did not hear any pops, cracks, or hissings. Generally speaking, the English translation is good.
Note: I would like to apologize to our readers for not being able to comment on the supplemental features that are included on this Blu-ray disc. Unfortunately, they are all listed in Korean and not subtitled in English. Even the names of the participants in the audio commentaries are listed in Korean only. There are two audio commentaries, a behind the scenes featurette, making of featurette, an introduction to the film by director Bong Joon-ho, deleted scenes, and theatrical trailer.
Memories of Murder is a very intriguing film. It looks and feels like a piece of Korean neo-noir, but I am fairly certain that it is actually a very smart political satire. It is unfortunate that none of the supplemental features on the disc we have reviewed here are English-friendly. I would have loved to listen to the audio commentary with Bong Joon-ho and get answers to some of the questions I have at the moment. The Blu-ray disc herein reviewed, courtesy of Korean distributors CJ Entertainment, looks and sounds very good. It is also Region-Free. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.
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