DISSECTING THE DIRECTOR: Jee-Woon Kim

Last Updated on August 5, 2021

“JEE-WOON KIM”

If you looked up the term ‘epic’ in the dictionary, you should find a picture Jee-woon Kim. The man defines the term perfectly with his impressive filmography. Kim crafts films with such intricate detail that when you sit down to watch something of his, you just know you’ll be taken on an extraordinary ride. I find there is so much to experience with a Kim film. I really love it when a director can give that to their audience. In a way, Kim reminded me a bit of David Lynch. And it really doesn’t surprise me that I have completely fallen in love with Kim’s work. He is definitely becoming a bigger name to a wider audience, and I really hope more people discover what he has to offer.

BEST WORK

Get I Saw thw Devil on Blu-ray here

I Saw The Devil is Kim’s most recent film and I can easily call this his absolute masterpiece. A majority of his films are just so fantastic, but he really went all out with this one. It’s a serial killer film like no other. It’s a revenge film like no other. I Saw The Devil for me was one of a kind. Min-sik Choi (You’ll remember him from Oldboy) plays the serial killer Kyung-chul, where one night he kills a young pregnant lady. Her fiancé Kim Soo-hyeon (Byung-hun Lee), who is a secret agent, makes it his mission to track Kyung-chul and exact revenge on Kyung-chul, no matter what the cost. The lines between right and wrong and good and evil get crossed as the two men play a game of cat-and-mouse that’s just not going to end well. The film is certainly not for the faint-hearted: this is a very mean-spirited film. When the violence hits, it really is no holds barred. The film also delves into the psychological, as we see things from both of the two main characters’ point of views. We see just how crazy Choi is, and just how far Soo-hyeon is willing to go.

I Saw The Devil isn’t a film of just one genre. This film mixes up so many different elements. There’s a lot to experience and go through. We go on this epic and crazy journey with the characters, and we get to feel what they feel. There were times where I just felt such empathy with Soo-hyeon that I almost felt as if I were in his shoes. There is such an inner struggle with his character. It’s very powerful and hard-hitting. As the director, Kim manages to make this film so beautiful, as strange as it feels to say that. But with the story, he really does make you care about what’s going on and feel it, too. The scenes are shot with such grace. There’s always so much to look at, with interesting uses of colour, sets and locations. It almost feels like poetry in motion. There were some scenes and visions in this film that really stuck with me. But what really holds this film together is the two main actors, Min-sik Choi and Byung-hun Lee. Both give flawless performances, and are just two fantastic actors that really showcased their range in this film. It was simply something special to experience. The chemistry between them was outstanding. In my opinion, with this film, Kim has really made something perfect. I don’t feel my words have done it justice. All I can say is that you must see this as soon as possible. And if you have seen it, well see it again!

WORST WORK

Get The Quiet Family on DVD here

After having gone through Kim’s filmography, I have found that I have really enjoyed his films. It feels strange to name something and say that it’s his worst film, so instead I’ll go with the film that I rated the lowest (and it still got an above average score from me). His first feature, The Quiet Family, is a really good film, but I don’t think it’s quite as good as his other films. It’s an odd little comedy/drama/horror type thing about a strange family who run a lodge that doesn’t see much business, due to how remote it is. When guests finally start showing up, they also just happen to show up dead. The family have no idea how to deal with the body count, so they dispose of the corpses, which just ends up causing more drama.

The film is rather offbeat at times, and during the middle it did kind of lose me a bit. It didn’t really feel like a Kim film, but I appreciated the genre and change of pace. This might just be his shortest film, and for the subject matter that worked in its favour. The performances were all very quirky and enjoyable, as were the characters they played. The setting also worked really well, and I could see the beginnings of Kim’s gorgeous visual style that he’s now known for. I think, however, that this genre mix just doesn’t suit him as much, as I was far more engaged with his other films. It’s not a bad film by any means, but not near his best efforts. Still, this is worth a watch if you can find it.

TRADEMARKS

One of the biggest trademarks that I’ve noticed through Kim’s films is his storytelling. The man likes to take the time to tell his story and establish his characters. His films generally have long running times and he makes the most out of everything, as you definitely get some fantastic development. As I mentioned earlier, he has a unique visual style, and he’s very much a visual director. He films some incredible images, with vibrant colours being very important. I feel he really sets up a scene to have a lot of meaning. If you look hard enough, you’ll find it. He also likes to take his audience for a ride, and at the same time, his films are almost like watching a live painting. I was very much reminded of David Lynch when I watched these films. I think both of these men are very similar in what they do. They both make films that require your full attention, and you need to think about their films. Kim also uses the same actors for his films, and for me the most notable was Byung-hun Lee. The man is an amazing actor, and this relationship with Kim is pretty fantastic. They make quite the duo and this has become a new favourite pairing.

HIDDEN GEM

Get A Bittersweet Life on DVD here

From my point of view, I consider Kim to be a hidden gem himself, and I could almost say that most of his films fall into this category. But the film I wanted to pay more attention to is A Bittersweet Life. I had only recently heard about this one and finally sat down to watch it. This film is right up there on the level with I Saw The Devil. For me, it was a near perfect film, and dealing with a very different story than what Kim has done before. The film centres on Sun-woo Kim (yep, played by Byung-hun Lee in another fantastic performance) who is an enforcer (hitman) for a crime boss. He gets sent out on an easy task, which is to watch over the boss’s mistress to see if she is being unfaithful, and to dispose of her if it turns out to be the case.

As it turns out, nothing is that easy, and things just keep getting more complicated until Sun-woo finds himself in a position that he just doesn’t want to be in. Everything about this film worked: The story, the characters, the setting, and the actors. It was such a pleasure to watch and experience this one. The film is violent, and has some fantastic action sequences. It’s also a bit of a drama, and held my attention the entire time. I cared about the characters and what happened to them. Kudos, Jee-Woon Kim.

NEXT PROJECT

It was only a matter of time before the man headed to Hollywood to make his first English-language film. His next film, The Last Stand, is in fact that very film. It’s about a drug cartel leader who tries to escape across the Mexican border, only to find a sheriff in his way. Liam Neeson was attached to the project, but has since seemingly dropped out. The latest in the way of rumours states that Arnold Schwarzenegger was circling the film, since Arnold made the announcement that he would get back into acting. The film is currently slated for a 2013 release, so we’ll all be keeping our eyes peeled for that one.

OVERALL

I think I have found a new favourite director with Jee-Woon Kim. The man is fantastic, and I would gladly watch anything with his name attached to it. He’s a grand storyteller, and his films are a thing of pure beauty. I think he is easily one of the most unique and hard-working directors of the past decade. He’s been steadily making films, and with all of his success around the world in doing that, he’s going even farther. I can safely say you can’t go wrong with one of his films. And if you haven’t experienced the man yet, you’d better do yourself a favour and go discover his work.