samsblood

The previous reviewer dwelled on the penis thing and the erotic aspect of this film, but I think he, along with many others, missed the point. It's partly the fault of the advertising campaign, which I understand emphasized Jo YeoJung's (as well as other actors') nude scenes -- but I don't know how anyone can still retain the impression that this movie is an erotic bodice-ripper after actually watching it. This is a dark, perilous journey through the obsessions and grudges of people who cannot stop running lest they fall behind, and the sweat is all of the cold kind.

The said scenes involving nudity and sexuality are not in the least erotic, nor did I find Kim DongWook's reaction to the coitus-by-the-book(literally) as the hapless young king at all comedic, intentionally or otherwise; rather he did a fine job of assaying a pathetic and desperate character trapped in an intolerable situation, and his mental near-collapse was almost palpable. And the supporting characters' stories did not interfere with the unfolding of the main plot for me -- they were not subplots so much as back stories for the characters' motivations, and served to flesh out, not complicate, the plot.

Aside from the mostly fine direction and the acting -- which latter ranged from decent (in a few cases) to very good (mostly) -- for me the art direction and cinematography were particular standouts. While most historical epics tend to emphasize sumptuous costumes and the splendor of the architecture and ornamentation, this movie did the opposite; while it is visually rich in its own, gloom-laden way, everything in it is in dark, muted colors as if it were dyed with tea, the ladies wear little jewelry and the sets are kept very lean, to sometimes very striking, almost expressionistic, effect, as when HwaYeon's maid is assigned new, better quarters of her own after catching the King's eye, but the room is entirely empty, and the woman is shown laughing in semi-hysterical self-congratulation on a tiny mat on an otherwise bare floor.

There are many, many scenes shot at very close range, often lit by simulated candlelight at night, creating an overall claustrophobic feel that visually replicates the suffocating atmosphere of the intrigue-riddled court these people endured. Fittingly, the scenes of violence are presented suddenly and starkly, with minimal cues in the soundtrack, which makes them all the more shocking yet realistic.

While not exactly a masterpiece, this movie is a well-thought out and well-executed production, much superior to the kind of titillating fluff it is made out to be by some. It definitely deserves a thoughtful watch.

I'm not sure why the previous reviewers were so down on this movie; my guess is they saw the title and went in expecting something very different, like a cute romantic comedy with beautiful stars and a fluffy lighthearted plot -- which this movie ain't, by a loooong shot. I read their extremely negative reviews after I rented the movie, so as you might imagine I was rather apprehensive about what I was in for. Well, guess what -- I loved this movie! I'm not normally a huge fan of dramedies about 'quirky' divine-fool type characters wending their way through a brutal world and finding some kind of meaning to it all - but not a plot resolution - by the closing credits; usually they end up being pretentiously artsy or pompously 'wise', but this movie had me laughing out loud at several points. Mostly, though, it's a goofy, slow-burn kind of humor it projects, and I'll grant that it probably isn't to everybody's taste.

(MINOR SPOILERS AHEAD)

Also, the fact that the overall style of the movie feels as if it just manages to stay on this side of the Twilight Zone (the opening scene is so surpassingly strange I was sure it was a dream) probably doesn't help those who like their movies safe and familiar. On the other hand, if you are the type that likes having a tiny monkey wrench thrown into the works now and then, you'll love this movie. How can you not love a movie that actually has fun portraying the surreally offbeat lives of Soon-Yi, a sprightly free spirit (or should I say a tarnished angel) who ekes out a living making popcorn/puffed rice with an antiquated machine-that-goes-Boom! and is a magnet for loser-type men, in this case a lustful, failed cult leader and his three sons by former 'disciples'?

And those sons happen to be: an angsty motorcycle delivery man (I mean I think he delivers things on a motorcycle, not that he delivers motorcycles) who lies in his diary; an evil tow-truck driver (yes, evil); and a low-key gangster with three stabbing murders to his name. The wacky yet strangely tender and affecting scene in which the middle-aged gangster gravely and politely asks his much younger 'stepmother' if he could feel up her breasts had me busting my gut laughing, it was so out of left field. Add to this mix some fire-bug street urchins, gangster honor colliding with filial duty, an airhead TV personality, a camel joke, underage drinking by a very cute and feisty little girl who's got a crush on the evil middle son, some equally evil pimps, and yet another stabbing murder, and you've got one heady ride. The wonderful ending, in which a much used and exploited Soon-Yi, having been through purgatory if not quite hell, manages to give as good as she gets and emerges with her freedom and humor somehow still intact, had me cheering.

By the way, while Ye Ji-won does not have the kind of beauty that we've by now come to take for granted from S. Korean movie stars, I think she's adorable in her own idiosyncratic way, and I think her looks are just about perfect for this unusual role. All in all, this is definitely a movie worth watching. I know I'm adding it to my collection.

I've read the user comments on this forum and found a blithe lack of concern in many of the posts for the fact that 'Zinda' is a total ripoff. Here are some telling examples, along with my own not-very-profound responses. I trust I need do no more than that to make my point:

"It is unfortunate that bollywood ripped off OLDBOY, but if that is the only way that the Indian audiences would get a glimpse of what the original was like, so be it" (Huh? Ever hear of buying the rights to do an official remake?)

"I am reading the reviews of OLD Boy too, which i have not seen. But I should say that it is a great experiment by Indian cinema" (Yeah, a repeat experiment -- like where somebody else first came up with the ideas and took the risks before you came along and decided to do the exact same thing)

"The legendary action-scene with the hammer looks as hard as it was in Korean version". (the Korean version? Almost makes it sound like 'Oldboy' ripped off 'Zinda')

"First things first , i haven't seen Old Boy so just cant judge Zinda by it's standard... He did full justice to the role of Balajeet Roy(on par with Choi Min-shik" (So you haven't seen 'Oldboy', but you HAVE seen Choi Min-Shik's performance in it? Do the police come to you for psychic impressions when they run out of clues?)

(And what does this mean): "There is no doubt that 'ZINDA' is a complete rip-off of Korean movie 'OLDBOY' but I must add that it is an excellent adaptation of 'OLDBOY'".

--And I won't spoil the pristine effect of these following remarks by adding my own commentaries:

"Hollywood is also planning a rip of this one, so what's the fuss all about"

"People tell me that this movie is inspired/copied or total remake of a Korean masterpiece "OldBoy"; but I don't mind it"

"Yes agreed that he copies other films scene by scene, but who doesn't? Why is he called a copycat, when i can add a long list of other copycats? Take Ek Ajnabee - which was an exact copy of Man On Fire, or Vivek Agnihotri for Chocolate - which was a ridiculous version of the classic 'The Usual Suspects'. At least Sanjay Gupta makes a good replica of a film"

"Copy of old boy backed up with Sanjay direction makes it truly a ride you will never forget".

"The story may be inspired from a Korean film, or so we are told, but is doesn't matter because no one's really seen it".