Based on a true case that took place in 1986 around a series of murders in that took place in a Korean town, set against the backdrop of military rule, Memories of Murders is a mostly dark and tightly scripted crime drama that really stands out from the competition.

The opening scene threw me a little, as it seemed to suggest a film that was a crime drama with elements of dark and silly humour. In many ways this is true, as the first half has a much lighter feel to it, until around a third of the way through, when things take a more tense turn. Most of the humour is through the desperation the detectives face in trying to crack the case, even if it means breaking the rules, and trying to torture confessions out of their so-called suspects.

Acting throughout is just fantastic, in particular the role reversals of the two main characters Park and Seo. Seo arrives from the capital to solve the case, and steps on a few of the toes by providing logical solutions to finding the murderer. Eventually, however, we see the deterioration in his self control and his own morals as the case begins to worsen. Park, on the other hand, adopts Seo’s role just as Seo adopts the bullying tactics of Park. It’s brilliantly, and gradually done providing some really solid character development. I would say that characters perhaps develop into their roles a little too fast for comfort, but this isn’t over emphasised in anyway, thankfully.

There are a lot of moments of coarse sad irony throughout the film. Korea’s occupation under military rule was responsible, in many ways, for the difficulty in trying solving this case. Without giving too much away, the sirens used within the film are that of a curfew, and the enforcement of martial law; no one is allowed to leave their premises after the siren has sounded.The authenticity with which the film is made, circa 1986 is also quite impressive. Whether it’s the ring dial telephones, the 80s style trainers and clothing, through to the often trendy rectangular cameras. Detail is intricate, from decor to political angst and extremely intertwined within the main plotline.

Cinematography is quite stunning at times, and although much of the film is shot in the dark, the daylight scenes really show the beauty of the countryside against the harsh reality of the murders that are taking place within this beauty. Bong Joon-ho does a great job of directing, and keeping the continuity, tension and mystery. It’s no surprise really, as his previous film, Barking Dogs Never Bite, had a similar, ironic mystery surround it, and was equally engaging.

What is surprising is the choice to use black comedy within the script. As I mentioned earlier, I was thrown off from what the film eventually turned out to be. The humour is not hilarious to the point of rib tickling, but more a case of a snicker here and there at the stupidity and antics of the fumbling detectives.

Some of the theories they come up with are absolute lunacy as you laugh at the lengths they go to just to prove as much to their superior, only for it to be completely wrong. It’s very funny, but in n complete contrast to the very dark theme of the film, and really reminds me of the harsh humour used in Joon-ho’s previous work.

Korea is rapidly building itself a reputation of a nation able to pump out a stream of wonderfully original film making. The directors are exciting aiming to always try something different. Imagine the original or US remake of Insomnia, and imagine it had moments where you might laugh out loud; I just cannot see it possible to script such a humour with as much panache.

There is something uniquely Korean about the manner in which humour is used and expressed (a lot of Korean films that contain humour also use humour in a violent way, be it smacking or bullying), and in this film, it’s almost a welcome distraction from the murders that take place. As each murder becomes more gruesome and sadistic in practice, the number of suspects narrow, and the tension reaches fever pitch as the detectives try their hardest to end the nightmare that is opening before them.

Memories of Murder is an incredibly fascinating film. At over two hours long, some may fall asleep due to the controlled nature of the film, however, it’s gritty, dark, and yet has moments of humour that lift the film from the drudges of misery.

The characters have depth, conviction and are really well played. The ending is also relevant to what actually happened, but is a theory as to the answer to the question that is posed throughout the film; it’s abrupt, but it’s even more shocking when you remind yourself, these events actually took place, and these people were killed in such a manner. It’s quite stark.

Verdict: Miserable, depressing, but thoroughly gripping Korean take on crime drama. Mesmerising stuff