Flandersui gae

The movie never has a real climax nor is it set up to have one. The most redeeming quality is its passivity. Such a comment may not seem like flattery, but hear me out. The movie very accurately captures the mundaneness that is life and the ever so rare mishaps that disrupt it. If drama is life with the boring parts cut out then this movie manages to successfully cut nothing out. I suppose that is the beauty of the movie: nothing ever seems contrived or pieced together. There are no real villains in this movie nor is it designed for the audience to choose sides. The movie is therefore flat, but in this case that is a good thing because it is different. As far as the comedy goes, on about three or four jokes I genuinely laughed at. Again, they are lines one might hear in real life discourse. Ultimately I got a sense of sincerity out of the movie, and for that it is worth a viewing.

This is something of a rarity, a indie Korean film. It's also Joon-ho Bong's directorial debut. It's brilliant. Slow, but impeccably paced and broadly intermixed with multiple levels of wonderful comedy, acting, atmosphere (a kind of existential (and cement) wasteland), and directing. Be warned. Pet lovers are going to be shocked, and maybe outraged. But really, don't take this too literally, Joon-ho Bong knows he is playing with your sensibilities and he knows that you know it (or you should know it by now, if you have been watching film, tv, and advertising for your entire life). This is real cinematic virtuosity.

The promotion for this film compared it to American Beauty and that was a somewhat surprising but very apt comparison. American Beauty would be a fine double bill with this. But, if you have not seen any other Korean films you should give some a try. I saw this as part of a festival with JSA (Joint Security Area), The Isle and some others, but those two were very good and would also be good for a double bill. A little farther afield might be Tsai Ming Liang's the HOLE, or even farther, (and certainly not for the fainthearted) Go Go Second Time Virgin by Kosi Wakamatsu. Both intense looks at life in barren modern times and barren apartment complexes.

Bong Joon Ho's first feature is a pseudo satirical black comedy centred on a sad lecturer who decides to take drastic action on a barking dog that's mildly annoying him as he wallows in his own self pity. Needless to say, 'Barking Dogs Never Bite (2000)' is unconcerned with giving us sympathetic characters to root for. Instead, it presents everyone amorally, regardless of their actions. This isn't a bad thing, but it means that you have to be willing to accept - and, in some ways, see past - each major character's flaws in order to remain invested in their journeys. For me, that isn't an issue. I can see how it would hamper some people's enjoyment of the piece, though, especially if they're expecting something more traditional. Another thing that will likely put people off is the movie's unflinching depictions of animal abuse; basically, dog lovers beware. The thing never feels especially cruel but it's certainly rather shocking when it comes to its treatment of its canine characters. It's perhaps important to state, as the flick does in its opening titles, that no animals were harmed during the production. Still, there's a known rule that when a character kills a dog, the audience will start to hate them; that's why such an act is usually reserved for villains (and not often seen, either). This picture asks you to root for a protagonist who has partaken in such behaviour. That's going to be a major put-off for a lot of people. However, having said all that, I ultimately like the movie quite a bit. It's an unconventional and unpredictable mix of genres with several surprisingly exciting set-pieces. It's engaging all the way through, although it does slow down considerably for its extended denouement. It's often quite funny in its own sort of way, too. It's a rock-solid start for a director who consistently presents genre-bending, audience-challenging fare. 7/10

There is a trove of criticisms of life in Korea embedded in this film, which was the first from director Bong Joon-ho:

• The bribery of professors needed to get a positon at a university.
• The corruption and the use of cheap materials in the construction boom of the late 1980's.
• How the dogs of the affluent live better than many people.
• How worthless a graduate degree in the humanities is.
• How no one in Korea follows the rules.
• How clouds of billowing insecticide are sprayed in a public area for "pest control."
• How at great risk to herself, a bank teller is lauded for taking on an armed robber, rather than rewarded for just doing her job.
• A homeless guy living in a basement who is happy to go to prison, where he'll get regular meals.
• A woman begging for money on public transportation with her small child strapped to her back.
• A woman let go from her job of eleven years because she's gotten pregnant.

I love some of things he was aiming for, many of which are clear precursors to his later films, but unfortunately, the messages here are wrapped up in a story that's pretty lackluster. A man in a loveless marriage is trying to get a job as a professor and takes out some of his frustrations on the dogs in his apartment complex whose barking irritates him. A janitor in the complex secretly kidnaps dogs to stew them up and eat them. A couple of young women see one of the dogs killed and try to do something about it. It's all kind of blah, which maybe was also part of the point, but it didn't make for compelling viewing to me, particularly as the pace was on the slow side.

It's possible that this dark comedy will slip from my memory before too long, but as I write this just having viewed the film (on home video), I have to say it made for an excellent viewing experience. It's rare to see a comedy in this day and age with such an offbeat sense of humor, let alone one that keeps viewers guessing so much as to where the plot will head next. There's also a lot of care put into the cinematography and editing of this film, adding some extra layers of satisfaction from a cinephilic perspective; this is one comedy that doesn't insult the viewer's intelligence, and need never be regarded as a guilty pleasure.

Specifically, the way this issue pinpoints its moment in time regarding Korean culture's evolving relationship with dogs is constantly mined for humor, but also provides moments of real insight and touching emotion.

I watched this film on the strength of director Bong Joon-ho's Memories of Murder, an excellent thriller with a deep mordant streak. If this previous film had to be nailed down to a genre, I'd call it a dark comedy -- albeit an extremely idiosyncratic one -- but there are effective splashes of the thriller and horror genres throughout, not to mention some nicely done surrealistic touches. All in all, these two films make me sorely regret missing Bong Joon-ho's "Host" at this year's Toronto film fest; I've added his name to my short list of Korean directors (the others being Park Chan-wook, Hong Sang-soo, and Kim Ki-duk) to follow closely.