BAD GUY (나쁜 남자)

Directed by: Kim Ki-duk
Country of origin: South Korea
Starring: Cho Jae-hyun, Seo Won


As a pair, I decided to pop in the lesser known Bad Guy to complete my Kim Ki-duk double feature. The film, like all of Kim's works, is very explicit in the portrayal of its themes of and contexts. It chronicles a young college girl who is imprisoned into prostitution by this creepy, stone-faced mute. As the horrors of her new life unveil, the man (who works as some sort of bouncer for the brothel) grows protective of her. He is instantly shown as attracted to her from the beginning, when he sexually assaults her in the middle of a square in bustling Seoul. He then begins to watch her through a hidden vantage point while her "customers" have their way with her, frequently fighting off her frantic screams. The scene in which the girl loses her virginity is particularly relentless, and the camera lingers on the act, perhaps for too long. After that, the job seems to sink in, but the relationship between the girl and the "bad guy" only gets more complicated.

I am not a fan of this film. Frankly, both of the times I've watched it, I came out of it saying the same thing, "What a mindless movie." Obviously. director Kim's mission is to portray the odd relationship and sexual tension between the two protagonists. But the lack or\f moral and conscience in his approach really catches you off guard. The whole film is best described as claustrophobic. Everything is dark and slow. There are little signs of kindness or hope. Violence and graphic sexuality are around every corner. These are themes that are not foreign to East Asian cinema, and I am more than used to viewing them. But Bad Guy just did not click with me. In any other film there would be some payoff, some kind of reason that these things are happening. There was nothing of the sort in Bad Guy. Maybe I just flat-out didn't get it, but I don't think I wanted to. The film was alienating, puzzling, and disgusting, all in equal doses. It was hard to get through, and the typical stylized beauty that plays such a big part in Kim Ki-duk's films is missing, replaced with dank, dusky scenes. I can't say I recommend this one.

* / *****