Young director and screenwriter Park Hoon-jung – one of the few modern masters who glorify criminal violence. In some ways, his work resembles a strange mixture of worlds. Takeshi Kitano and early Quentin Tarantino with a touch of Korean melodramatic lyrics. Last year’s work by the author, “A night in paradise”, Just recently released in the open Netflix, again addresses the topic of the underground world.
At the center of the story is a member of the gangpae Tae-gu, who rejects an offer from the boss of a rival faction to join him with his people. For a tough refusal, after some time, retribution follows: his own sister and niece die in a car accident. Overcome by revenge, Tae-gu commits an act that starts an already inevitable gang war.
On the recommendation of the boss, the main character goes to Jeju Island, where he must lie low, and then go to Vladivostok with new documents. In this heavenly place, he meets a terminally ill girl Chae-yeon, who, perhaps, will change his boring, meaningless life …
Despite the incredible level of brutality, “A night in paradise”Is a story of honor, loyalty, duty and love, wrapped in ultraviolent packaging. Acting duet Om Tae-gu and Jung Yeo-bin creates real magic on the screen, leaving all your senses beyond physical contact. The idea of the painting about self-sacrifice and the meaning of life is intertwined with lyrical digressions against the background of nature. Somehow these fragments and lengthy dialogues remind “Kikujiro” or “Fireworks”Takeshi Kitano. And somewhere the screen explodes with bright flashes of realistic battles and shootings. And this is perhaps the best combination of an action movie and a philosophical drama about the meaning of life. In any case, two hours of screen time, despite some delay at the beginning, just fly by unnoticed.
Of course, there are enough “cranberry” moments in the film, like dialogues about Russia, overly heroic scenes and the sudden appearance of the Russian mafia, but they are completely lost against the background of a strong idea and artistic staging.
Author: Alexander Loginov (xtr)
8/10
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