TELL MISIOM DING (TELL ME SOMETHING)

Korea, 1999, 117 minutes, Colour.
Directed by Yoon- Hyun Chang.

Tell Me Something is a police thriller, more like an American thriller than a Korean thriller of that period. It is a police investigation, the policeman under investigation by Internal Affairs, going it alone, encountering a mystery woman, following the clues, finding further deaths – with a twist at the end.

The film is reminiscent of some of those made in the United States during the 1990s, especially Silence of the Lambs and Seven. There is plenty of rain in the Seven vein as well as autopsies and severing of limbs in the vein of Silence of the Lambs.

The film has strong atmosphere, keeps the interest – but, in retrospect, it is more difficult to follow than one thinks at the time, some of the incidents and character behaviour is so ambiguous as not to make a great deal of sense. However, as an exercise in Korean film-making borrowing from American conventions, it is an interesting piece, well crafted.

1.A Korean murder mystery? Police investigation? The influence of American films of the 1990s? Absorbed into Korean context and style?

2.The city of Seoul, light and darkness? Homes, police precincts? Sinister aspects of the city? The special effects, the sets and décor? Suggestions of horror? The musical score?

3.The title, Detective Cho and his working with Su-Yeon?

4.The introduction to the detective, his being under inquiry? Vindicated? His becoming involved with the case? The macabre aspects of the case, the severed limbs, finding the different bodies? His becoming involved, meeting Su- Yeon? Investigating her? The story of her father and his being an artist? Her friend Seung Min? His collaboration with Detective Oh? The details of his work, being misled? Anticipating the bodies? The investigation of Su- Yeon’s relationships, the dead people? Her being suspect? His response to her, shielding her, giving her accommodation? The build-up towards the ending, her innocence, the story of her father? Seung Min and the siege in the record store? Su- Yeon and her going to France? The detective and his discovering of the house, her father’s body? Su- Yeon taking off in the plane – and Cho’s alternatives? How well delineated as a character? His work?

5.Detective Oh, older, collaboration? The investigations, working with Cho? The discovery of the house, his being killed? His message? Cho’s grief at his death?

6.Su- Yeon, her background, abused as a child? Her memories? Her friendship with Seung Min? Her relationships? Breaking them? The deaths? Her relying on Cho? Her seeming helplessness? Her art work? The build-up of suspicion? Her seemingly innocent? Her going to Paris, on the plane, the friendly man in the next seat? Her guilt?

7.Seung Min, her relationship with Su- Yeon, in the investigation? The siege at the record store – and her motivation? Her knowing the truth or not?

8.Popular ingredients for a murder mystery? Police investigation – with grim and gruesome touches?