Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		4.0
Audio		5.0
Extras		0.0
Overall		4.0

Memories of Murder Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov July 3, 2010

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

Korean director Bong Joon-ho’s Memories of Murder tells two very different stories. However, most critics who have written about it address only one of them. I believe that this is due to the fact that one would have a very difficult time recognizing all of the subtle references in Memories of Murder without being well-versed in Korean history and politics. I know I did.

The first story in Memories of Murder is about a serial killer roaming freely in the provincial town of Hwaseong between 1986 and 1991. He is a man who goes after young women, which he rapes and kills in a shockingly brutal fashion. The killings occur only when it rains.

Two cops are ordered to solve the killings. One is Detective Park (Song Kang-Ho, The Good, The Bad, The Weird) from the local Police Department. The other is Detective Suh (Kim Sang-Kyung, Tale of Cinema), who has been sent from Seoul to assist the local authorities. Detective Suh has substantially more experience than Detective Park, but his local colleague is clearly a lot more enthusiastic about his job.

The two detectives go to work but quickly get frustrated with the lack of credible information. They question a number of suspects, some of which they torture. The local media is immediately tipped and the two detectives become targets. Meanwhile, the killer keeps doing what he has been doing, a suspect gets killed by a train, and mandatory electrical blackouts are introduced by the Korean government. The killer remains on the loose, and Detective Park and Detective Suh get demoted.

The second story in Memories of Murder, which I found to be a lot more intriguing, indirectly addresses Korea’s uneasy political climate. The film opens with the last days of General Chun Doo-hwan’s government - tension is in the air and the pro-democratic demonstrations that would eventually oust Doo-hwan are already underway. In the village where Detective Park and Detective Suh are trying to nab the killer things are relatively quiet, but everyone senses that something serious is happening elsewhere.

I wonder if the title of the film has a special meaning. The more I think about it, the more I am convinced that it does. In 1987, a Korean student, Park Jong-chul, was tortured and then killed by Doo-hwan’s men. The news about Jong-chul’s death spurred massive protests that dramatically changed the political climate in Korea. Furthermore, a lot of the very dark humor in the film comes during some of its most violent scenes. At first I thought that this was very strange, but then I realized what Joon-ho was after -- these scenes actually satirize the easiness with which Koreans tolerated violence and repression at the time.

The acting in Memories of Murder is very good. Song Kang-ho is a terrific improviser who can be delightfully unpredictable in front of the camera. Time after time I could not figure out when he was bluffing during the interrogations. Kim Sang-kyung is also convincing as Kang-ho’s reserved and experienced partner. The supporting cast is also very good.

Cinematographer Kim Hyung-ku, who collaborated with Chen Kaige on Together (2002) and Hong Sang-soo on Woman on the Beach (2006), has given Memories of Murder a notably stylish look. Japanese composer Taro Iwashiro’s music score is also very effective.

*In 2003, Memories of Murder won the Silver Seashell, FIPRESCI Prize, and Best New Director award at the San Sebastian International Film Festival.

Memories of Murder Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

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).

Memories of Murder Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

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.

Memories of Murder Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

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 Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

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.