Nov

24

2007


Movie Review: The Last Breath | Epitaph | Gidam
Release Date : August 01, 2007
Country : South Korea
Director : Sik Jung, Beom-sik Jung
Starring : Bo-kyeong Kim, Tae-woo Kim, Ku Jin
Runtime : 98 Min
Editor Rating : 8.0
Users Rating: 7.94 1 Star2 Stars3 Stars4 Stars5 Stars6 Stars7 Stars8 Stars9 Stars10 Stars (16 votes)

Loading ... Loading …



First and foremost, Epitaph (aka The Last Breath) is a hauntingly beautiful film, which then falls under the horror genre. There’s even the occasional pale face ghost common in the horror genre, but everything else about the movie is truly unique. The setting takes place in Seoul during the Japanese occupation of Korea. The visuals are rich, but not in the typical Chungmuro style. There are numerous shots that stand out for its surrealistic compositions. The story itself, consists of three separate tales tied together in unexpected ways. The outcome of all this? One of the better Korean horror films made to date, “Epitaph” could even make “A Tale of Two Sisters” seem downright ordinary.

epitath-v1.jpgIn February of 1942, Jung-nam Park starts his medical school career and, as told in the preface; it’s also the year that a significant part of his soul dies. The director of the medical school has planned an arranged marriage for Jung-nam in the Spring, even though he has never met the girl before. He is currently assigned to work the late night morgue shift, which requires Jung-Nam to watch over the cadavers. During his shift, Jung-Nam finds himself falling in love with a dead body in the morgue.

There’s also a new patient that has arrived at the hospital. She’s a young child that has just survived a horrifying car crash. Her mother and boyfriend both died in that car accident. Now, the young girl is haunted by ghosts every night.

A married couple, that are doctors at the hospital, comes back from Japan. Suddenly, a rash of murders occur involving Japanese soldiers.

Although there is a surprise twist at the end of the film, the multitude of tricks excessively caked on by other recent Korean films like “The Cut,” “Return,” and “For Eternal Hearts” are passed over in favor of a more compelling script. The story does require careful attention, as its easy to lose track of who some of the characters are. My favorite performance in the movie was done by 13 year old Ju-yeon Ko. If you have seen “The Fox Family,” you’ll remember her as the cute, lovable kid in that film. This time around, she gives a downright adult like performance and is able to shriek like a banshee at just the right moments. Ku Jin (Dirty Carnival / A Bittersweet Life) also gives a stellar performance as Jung-nam Park. More low-key, compared to some of the other characters, but able to convey his confused state with aplomb.

As Korean horror films evolve, it’s clear that the better films share at least one thing in common; they all break free from the formulaic conventions of the past. Whether its “Muoi: The Portrait of Legend” and its lush Vietnamese landscape and Gothic horror or “The Black House” and its ability to provide tension normally found in well-done thrillers and now “Epitaph,” an elegant period piece, that weaves a complex story - but not overcooked like its lesser peers. “Epitaph” is simply a gorgeous film, that also brings about moderate amounts of chills and a heavy dose of interest as it weaves its complex tale. Check this one out, as you’ve likely found your new favorite Korean horror film.

buy Epitaph from YesAsia

Cast:
Bo-kyeong Kim - In-Young
Tae-woo Kim - Dr. Dong-Won Kim
Ku Jin - Jung-Nam
Dong-kyu Lee - Dr. Lee

Ju-yeon Ko
Soo-jung Ye
Ji Ye
Hwa-yeong Jeong
Eung-soo Kim
Ji-won Uhm

If you like this film you may enjoy: Alone, A Tale of Two Sisters, Muoi: The Portrait of a Legend


[Slashdot] [Digg] [Reddit] [del.icio.us] [Facebook] [Technorati] [Google] [StumbleUpon]

2007 Movie Reviews, Korean Movies, Movie Reviews |

Comments

Name (required)

Email (required)

Website

Leave a response

4 Comments so far

  1. 4 wisardofoz Says: February 4, 2008

    I can’t believe you compared this cheap horror movie with one of the best phycological thrillers of all. “A tale of two sisters” was more than a horror movie. This one is all about ghosts, and i didn’t get what all the hype is for. It was a boring experience for me.

  2. 3 Rico Says: January 3, 2008

    I watched it yesterday and i really enjoyed it, it was visually beautiful, the best korean horror movie of 2007 imho. Next one i will watch is shadows in the palace, i hope that one will be worth the watch also :-)

  3. 2 luna6 Says: November 27, 2007

    Hey Kobe,
    Good eyes. The 7.8 was posted yesterday, but was a typo on my part. So far I have mainly stayed with steps of .5 … 7.0, 7.5, 8.0, etc. But thanks for the comment and keen observation. Epitaph is a really good film, which I hope people check out. Cheers…

  4. 1 Kobe Says: November 27, 2007

    Hmm…that’s strange, I swear I remember you rated it as 7.8 just yesterday.

    Very well written review though :)