No Tears for the Dead

Holy Smokes I just finished watching this movie and I absolutely loved it. I'm a huge fan of Korean films and they are my favorite films off all time. I will say that I haven't seen a ton of them but I'm working on it. I loved the setting and also the story plot while unoriginal kept the plot moving forward. The actors and actresses all did an Amazing job especially the main protagonist "Gon" played by Jang Dong-gun which was the first Korean movie I have seen him in and what a tremendous actor. I will move forward with the action and Man O Man was it Insane. The one thing Korean films do better then any other films from around the world are to choreograph wonderful firefight scenes and jaw dropping Brutal fight scenes. I have seen a ton of movies in my 25 years of existence lol and being from America I will also say that these films put to shame what America comes out with in terms of action. Well anyways this is a must watch movie and you will not regret it I guarantee you that and you will want to watch more Korean films afterwards but understand that if you can't or are to lazy to read subtitles you might not enjoy it as much but the action scenes might just alleviate that feeling.

The movie is about a hit man from America's mid-west who is of Korean decent. When he botches what was supposed to be his last job by killing an innocent kid, he is sent to Korea to fix what he screwed up by killing the kid's mother.

It sounds a bit like a fish out of water story, but the movie only proves that the crime world is the crime world no matter what country you are from. Some of the criminals were speaking up to three different languages, but in the crime game there are only two languages in you really need to know …money and guns.

The gun part was not as much as the money part but when the gun part was done it was violent, like Chow Yun Fat 80's style violent. The action sequences were stylish and bloody, just how I like it

The money part is where all the crime Drama comes in as it's about a Korean gang uses a legit network to launder Triad money, The plot tries to be complex with the an everyone is not who they seem kind of situation. They film also tries to give some depth to the main character showing us why a harden hit man would allow an accidentally killing to melt his heart like it did. For me the story was not as complex as the action sequences.

Some of the midsection could use more gun play, but overall it was a great seeing it.

Ironically, No Tears for the Dead, a film with themes concerning honor, power and greed, is strongly focused on mourning the deceased, conveyed emotionally through the plot, which concerns death and suicide. This subsequently reveals how simple it is to take a life, and how pointless it can often appear, while suggesting that the execution of an individual goes much deeper, the impact killing their closest friends and family who must suffer the pain, and the consequences, of their passing.

When we first meet Mo-Kyung (Kim Min-Hee), it is difficult to discern if she is aware of the tragic loss she has suffered, the professional climate she inhabits forcing her to work as she hides much of her pain, after having lost both her daughter, the adorable Yoo-Mi (Kang Ji-Woo) and husband, while the two were overseas. The use of contextualization over the duration of the feature layers the emotional depth over time, Ms. Min-Hee being responsible for one of the film's most poignantly incredible scenes, that is especially due to her exceptional talent.

However, she is not the only person suffering from this loss. Gon (Jang Dong-Gun), the hit-man responsible for inadvertently snatching away Yoo-Mi's life, a character who often appears stoic and emotionally impotent, is plagued by the trauma of his wrongdoing, while also suffering the pain of his past, the consequences of which inevitably formed his character's views and values. This pain only grows stronger as the narrative progresses, though the motivations that inspire this are largely conveyed visually, rather than being further scaffolded through dialogue, the feature, at one point, reducing this sub-plot to little more than a stereotypical cliché. Gon's inability to hide his regret is largely caused by the order he receives to terminate Mo-Kyung, to ensure she does not ask unwanted questions, in an attempt to shelter other antagonists involved in the corruption and money laundering schemes, including the vile John Lee (Kim Joon-Sung), from being apprehended by police.

Originally beginning in Los Angeles, before moving to South Korea, at least half the script is presented in English, and not only is this written in an exemplary fashion (which, unfortunately, isn't always the case with Asian movies - I'm looking at you The Viral Factor), the actors speak their lines of dialogue with educated professionalism.

As Gon fights his personal moral battles, those giving the orders begin to doubt his resolve, leading them to send his brother in arms, Charles (Brian Tee), and his proficient team, to complete his assignment, friendship and loyalty being major themes that begin to be contended. The battles that ensue are absolutely outstanding, not only being incredibly violent, sometimes hilariously so, but being intelligently thought out, as the characters attempt to out-think each other, rather than simply using brutality. In many of these instances, characters are horrifically wounded, and yet unrealistically survive, this tactic seemingly granting the plot further longevity, which may cause some viewer's to question the necessity of this action.

Occasionally, the directionality of the plot and character progression can become predictable, though that doesn't mean the film is not without its surprises. The characters, especially the villains, are capable of making dialogue reflective of black humor, though at the same time, enemies, despite exhibiting recognizable influences, can appear a little two-dimensional.

Despite the ending been quite a surprise, while beneficially fitting the narrative, the conclusion raises additional questions that are unresolved, providing limited closure, while the fate of one of the leads is entirely uncertain. Audiences throughout the story may be hoping for Gon's character to find redemption or forgiveness, and in the end, a question worth asking is: are we satisfied?

Although No Tears for the Dead is viciously entertaining, emotionally poignant, and efficaciously acted and directed, more depth could have been provided to truly resolve some of the film's most impacting story-lines.

The first half of this movie is rough to get through, with the exception of the initial scene, which sinks its hooks into you as any first scene of a movie should. But then it drags, painfully, and hits you with waves of cliches, the helpless damsel in distress being the most tiring for me. The action scenes are brutal and well filmed though, which in addition to the great acting saves this from damnation. The emotional ending I also have to applaud, and the climactic scene that precedes it.

NO TEARS FOR THE DEAD is yet another addition to an exemplary list of South Korean action thrillers made in the last decade; such titles include THE BERLIN FILE, THE MAN FROM NOWHERE, A BITTERSWEET LIFE, A COMPANY MAN, and THE SUSPECT. I was long excited for this film as soon as I found out it was a follow-up to the same director's THE MAN FROM NOWHERE, which is one of my all-time favourites.

NO TEARS FOR THE DEAD isn't quite up there with the standard of the earlier film, but it has its moments. This is an exciting story that mixes superbly-shot, hard-hitting action sequences with a tragic human drama at the core. It's dark indeed, featuring heartfelt performances from the central actors who are inevitably playing broken characters, and it's fun to see how the tone shifts from adrenaline-pumping action to gut-wrenching emotion and back again.

The storyline is predictable for the genre: an assassin screws up by failing to take out his intended victim, only to face the wrath of his former employers. The action is blistering, with lightning fast editing and gobbets of grisly violence. But the human drama also draws you in, building to a moving but expected ending. The South Koreans have come up trumps again with this one.