Kwak Yeon-soo is a digital editor at The Korea Times creating, editing and curating digital content for the newspaper’s website, mobile app and social media. She previously covered a diverse array of cultural, political and business topics.
Full of neo-noir film cliches, 'Hot Blooded' fails to impress
A scene from the film “Hot Blooded” / Courtesy of Kidari Studio
By Kwak Yeon-soo
By Kwak Yeon-soo
Cheon Myoung-kwan's directorial debut, “Hot Blooded” is full of neo-noir film cliches that are rather forgettable, in the big scheme of things. The film is a two-hour tale in which the audience is tasked with solving a riddle that ties the past with the present, featuring a vengeful anti-hero who uncovers a tangled web of betrayal, fights villains and seeks power.
Set in a shabby town near the port city of Busan, the film tells the story of a third-rate gangster, Hee-su (Jung Woo), who unwittingly becomes involved in a gang war and faces the brutal fate of having to kill his boss in order to take control.
The film falls into self-indulgence territory as it tries to adapt a 600-page book by novelist Kim Un-su into only a few hours. Even though the film cut out many parts of the original story, it is too slow and goes off into unnecessary tangents for its supporting characters with little to show for it.
Due to the overwhelming number of characters that challenge Hee-su, the first hour of the film is focused on drawing up narratives for each of them. Even the great performances of Kim Kap-soo, Ji Seung-hyun and Choi Mu-sung don't cover up the slow pace, as the movie struggles to get going.
Director Cheon Myoung-kwan discussed how his film differs from other typical neo-noir films.
A scene from the film “Hot Blooded” / Courtesy of Kidari Studio
“Unlike many other neo-noir movies that feature stylish gangsters in their suits and impressive action sequences, our film touches on sobering aspects of humanity and the survival of lonely and even helpless people,” Cheon said during a recent press conference for the film. “Like the ancient Greek tragedy (Oedipus), it's about the inescapability of destiny.”
“Hot Blooded” explores pseudo-family formations, especially father-son relationships. For Hee-su, his boss, Elder Son, is a father figure and he in turn serves as a father figure to Army (Lee Hong-nae). The sad thing is that they cannot protect one another and face the ill fate of having to die for one another.
Jung Woo said there was something about the script that resonated with him. “It's really hard to describe in words, but I found something deeper in 'Hot Blooded' that sets a different tone from other neo-noir films. For instance the story lays out a tragic accident that impacts Hee-su to change his mind. I'm excited to see what other people will think of the film.”
Actor Ji, who plays the role of the antagonist, Cheol-jin, recommended the audience to compare the novel and the film adaptation. “I read the original book before filming. I was able to follow the emotion of characters in the movie adaptation,” he said.
“Hot Blooded” hits local theaters March 23.