T. Rigney (![[info]](http://l-stat.livejournal.com/img/userinfo.gif){kind=small} filmfiend) wrote,@ 2006-04-26 18:04:00 |
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R-Point
Korea's answer to Session 9.
---
Horror movies don't scare me anymore. Try as I might, I can't seem to find one that causes my bowels to loosen and my paranoia to act up. Instead, I tend to drift towards the more atmospheric yarns, films that rely more on mood and suspense than "jump scares" and spooky-boos. So, after over a year or so of Internet hype, I finally landed a copy of Su-chang Kong's R-Point, a supernatural war movie set during the tail end of the Vietnam war. Mixing elements of Saving Private Ryan and Session 9, Kong has crafted an unnerving tale that has lingered with me long after the end credits, a trait I commonly use to judge a horror movie's worth these days. Though I wouldn't say I was mind-numbingly frightened at any point during the film's running time, I was more than a little creeped out. Those hoping for literal, in-your-face horror should probably look elsewhere.
After receiving a message from a squadron thought to be dead, the Korean army sends a small band of dodgy soldiers led by Lieutenant Choi (Woo-seong Kam) to investigate the situation. Their journey eventually leads them to an uber-creepy abandoned building located in the middle of a area known as R-Point. Rumors abound as to the sinister nature of this locale, punctuated by a gravestone that claims all who enter shall never leave. Though they're more than a little wary of the warning, the soldiers continue their investigation, which includes the building itself, a crumbling temple, and the surrounding area. Soon soldiers begin to drop like flies, including one guy in particular who was never a member of the investigating team. Throw in a radio signal from a pair of mysterious French twins and a visit by a strange group of American soldiers, and you've got yourself a supernatural mystery worth looking into. Who's responsible for sending the distress call from R-Point? More importantly, who will make it out alive?
The story is structured in such a way that you'll be questioning the how's and why's behind this strange series of events until the film's chilling conclusion. Thought it does fail as an anti-war film -- which, according to various sources, was director Su-chang Kong's intention -- R-Point is quite possibly the creepiest Korean horror movie I've had the pleasure of watching. The Creep-Factor(tm) is through the proverbial roof, and the atmosphere is thick enough to cause physical discomfort during several of the film's many horror-tinged moments. My only complaint is that Lieutenant Choi is the only man who keeps his wits as the situation goes from bad to worse; at one point or another, everyone in his squadron goes bonkers, resulting in a handful of scenes featuring lots of screaming and freaking out. While that's fine and dandy, these weak-minded fools aren't really worth caring about, leaving you with only one guy to pull for.
The performances are serviceable, though I do have a hard time judging such things through subtitles. Woo-seong Kam is easily the best of the bunch, and his level-headed character keeps things grounded when things turn bizarre. The only questionable performance comes from the American squadron; though they only appear briefly, it's enough to throw off the tone of the movie entirely. It wouldn't be so bad if the actors weren't so wooden, but their inability to deliver a believable line is sadly a stain on an otherwise wonderful horror movie. This is a tiny, minuscule complaint, of course, though it's certainly worth noting. Damn those Americans!
Thankfully, the scares are well-executed and quite effective. From an unexpected bloodbath to a surprise attack using a machete, there should be just enough bloodshed to appeal to those who enjoy the more visceral side of the horror genre. However, this is not the film's strongest point. As I've said before, R-Point is all about the atmosphere. The building the investigating team camps inside rivals Session 9's Danvers Hospital, a film that proves a standard horror script can be elevated by the filmmakers' choice of location. The same, of course, can be said of R-Point. A lot of the creepiness comes from that abandoned complex, referred to at one point as "the castle." I wish I knew what, exactly, it was, since I feel a bit simple using words like "building" and "structure" to describe it. Perhaps I should have watched the special features before writing this review. Whoops. Silly me.
I don't think your average horror fan would enjoy a film like R-Point; it takes its own sweet time getting to the good stuff, and even then you can tell its holding something back. There's also a lot of unanswered questions, though I happen to think leaving certain elements unexplained adds to the movie's spookiness. Not every horror flick needs to be over-the-top and clean-cut, which is why I can enjoy movies like Session 9, The Changeling, and the like. It's what I like to call a "slow burn," allowing you to get to know the characters and their surroundings before the blood begins to flow. Let me put it this way: if you found Wolf Creek to be quite boring, do yourself a favor and skip R-Point altogether. Leave it for the fans who don't need flashy editing and pointless scares every five minutes or so. Not that there's anything wrong with that, mind you, but I don't think this kind of movie would appeal to your nature. But what do I know?
At the end of the day, R-Point is just good ol' fashioned spooky fun.
Korea's answer to Session 9.
---
Horror movies don't scare me anymore. Try as I might, I can't seem to find one that causes my bowels to loosen and my paranoia to act up. Instead, I tend to drift towards the more atmospheric yarns, films that rely more on mood and suspense than "jump scares" and spooky-boos. So, after over a year or so of Internet hype, I finally landed a copy of Su-chang Kong's R-Point, a supernatural war movie set during the tail end of the Vietnam war. Mixing elements of Saving Private Ryan and Session 9, Kong has crafted an unnerving tale that has lingered with me long after the end credits, a trait I commonly use to judge a horror movie's worth these days. Though I wouldn't say I was mind-numbingly frightened at any point during the film's running time, I was more than a little creeped out. Those hoping for literal, in-your-face horror should probably look elsewhere.
After receiving a message from a squadron thought to be dead, the Korean army sends a small band of dodgy soldiers led by Lieutenant Choi (Woo-seong Kam) to investigate the situation. Their journey eventually leads them to an uber-creepy abandoned building located in the middle of a area known as R-Point. Rumors abound as to the sinister nature of this locale, punctuated by a gravestone that claims all who enter shall never leave. Though they're more than a little wary of the warning, the soldiers continue their investigation, which includes the building itself, a crumbling temple, and the surrounding area. Soon soldiers begin to drop like flies, including one guy in particular who was never a member of the investigating team. Throw in a radio signal from a pair of mysterious French twins and a visit by a strange group of American soldiers, and you've got yourself a supernatural mystery worth looking into. Who's responsible for sending the distress call from R-Point? More importantly, who will make it out alive?
The story is structured in such a way that you'll be questioning the how's and why's behind this strange series of events until the film's chilling conclusion. Thought it does fail as an anti-war film -- which, according to various sources, was director Su-chang Kong's intention -- R-Point is quite possibly the creepiest Korean horror movie I've had the pleasure of watching. The Creep-Factor(tm) is through the proverbial roof, and the atmosphere is thick enough to cause physical discomfort during several of the film's many horror-tinged moments. My only complaint is that Lieutenant Choi is the only man who keeps his wits as the situation goes from bad to worse; at one point or another, everyone in his squadron goes bonkers, resulting in a handful of scenes featuring lots of screaming and freaking out. While that's fine and dandy, these weak-minded fools aren't really worth caring about, leaving you with only one guy to pull for.
The performances are serviceable, though I do have a hard time judging such things through subtitles. Woo-seong Kam is easily the best of the bunch, and his level-headed character keeps things grounded when things turn bizarre. The only questionable performance comes from the American squadron; though they only appear briefly, it's enough to throw off the tone of the movie entirely. It wouldn't be so bad if the actors weren't so wooden, but their inability to deliver a believable line is sadly a stain on an otherwise wonderful horror movie. This is a tiny, minuscule complaint, of course, though it's certainly worth noting. Damn those Americans!
Thankfully, the scares are well-executed and quite effective. From an unexpected bloodbath to a surprise attack using a machete, there should be just enough bloodshed to appeal to those who enjoy the more visceral side of the horror genre. However, this is not the film's strongest point. As I've said before, R-Point is all about the atmosphere. The building the investigating team camps inside rivals Session 9's Danvers Hospital, a film that proves a standard horror script can be elevated by the filmmakers' choice of location. The same, of course, can be said of R-Point. A lot of the creepiness comes from that abandoned complex, referred to at one point as "the castle." I wish I knew what, exactly, it was, since I feel a bit simple using words like "building" and "structure" to describe it. Perhaps I should have watched the special features before writing this review. Whoops. Silly me.
I don't think your average horror fan would enjoy a film like R-Point; it takes its own sweet time getting to the good stuff, and even then you can tell its holding something back. There's also a lot of unanswered questions, though I happen to think leaving certain elements unexplained adds to the movie's spookiness. Not every horror flick needs to be over-the-top and clean-cut, which is why I can enjoy movies like Session 9, The Changeling, and the like. It's what I like to call a "slow burn," allowing you to get to know the characters and their surroundings before the blood begins to flow. Let me put it this way: if you found Wolf Creek to be quite boring, do yourself a favor and skip R-Point altogether. Leave it for the fans who don't need flashy editing and pointless scares every five minutes or so. Not that there's anything wrong with that, mind you, but I don't think this kind of movie would appeal to your nature. But what do I know?
At the end of the day, R-Point is just good ol' fashioned spooky fun.
