While the Chinese are trying to emulate Hollywood, they are filming wuxia films against green backdrops, getting tangled up in stunt ropes, churning out second-rate "Ip Manov" (without Donnie Yen) and "Won Fei Hungov" according to established patterns, without introducing anything new; Bye Jackie Chan takes a break from creative work and shines his face in expensive, but at the same time, hack projects; bye movies with Donnie Yen come out only once every year or two; Bye Jet Li и Sammo Hung moved away from leading roles; While the Indonesians are making good action, but with third-rate content...
At the same time, Koreans from the South are making first-class films in all genres. And they succeed in almost everything: be it drama, spy or crime thriller, comedy or zombie horror. And in 2019, they even won the Oscar for Best Picture (“Parasite”), being the first in history to receive this award as a foreign contender. Americans and Indians are already making remakes of their films. Well, the Koreans don’t forget to please fans of action films, periodically producing, if not masterpieces, then strong projects for fans of the genre. In short, South Korea is currently the only Asian country that is still capable of making good original films without looking too closely at Hollywood, including in terms of action. This is the kind of film we will be talking about.
Plot: A former secret operative of the South Korean intelligence services, In-nam has been working as an assassin for 9 years. After completing his last task - killing the head of the Yakuza clan - he is about to leave for Panama forever, but suddenly finds out that his ex-girlfriend was killed. It also turns out that she had a little daughter, who was kidnapped by her own nanny shortly before. Having used all his connections, In-nam sets out to search for the child, and at this time he himself is being hunted by a killer known for his cruelty, who seeks revenge for the death of his brother - that same Yakuza.
While reading the synopsis, the thought may come to mind: what’s new here? Again, a former intelligence agent or a killer, and in this case - two in one; again the murder of a person close to the main character and a child who needs to be saved from bandits of various stripes as motivation for action. Yes, it sounds very banal and there is nothing new here. BUT! But unless the Koreans take on the implementation of such trivial plots, they have their own unique film language, capable of always bringing something new to the well-not-forgotten old. The main advantage of Koreans as filmmakers, in my opinion, is their amazing ability to maintain a harmonious balance of moods and genres in one film. They always know how to dilute their dish so that it does not seem bland, and at the same time there is no oversalting. Their films are of high quality, both in form and content. There are no obvious weak aspects like in the cinema of other Asian countries. In one film you can experience a whole range of feelings and moods by watching drama, comedy and action at the same time. The most striking and famous example of such a combination is the same "Parasite".
Regarding specifically "Deliver us from evil", then this is, first of all, a crime action and drama. But even here there was a place for humor, due to the introduction into the plot of a very unusual assistant to the main character in the person of... Okay, no spoilers. You never know who hasn't watched it yet. This is a good example of how the authors do not try to make the viewer laugh, but this happens by itself due to the elaboration of the character and his contrast with the main character, with whom he has nothing in common. As a result, normal human relationships are built between the characters.
This film is the second directorial work Hong Won-chan (the first was "Office" 2015, nominated for the Camera d'Or - an award for directorial debut), and his 6th work as a screenwriter ("The Pursuer", "The Yellow Sea", "I Am a Killer", etc.).
So, what else is good about "Deliver us from evil"? The main role is played by a veteran of Korean cinema. Hwang Jong-min (“New World”, “Bitterness and Sweetness”, “Shiri”, “Howl”), and the role of the yakuza brother, no less famous Lee Jong-jae (“New World”, “Murder”, “Reader of Faces”). Having such actors in a film is already half the success. The film also contains their interesting confrontation - two professionals in their field, and Lee Jong-jae can be called one of the most memorable villains in Korean cinema. You can't look for such a brutal and reckless character. The characters attract attention, they are interesting to watch, and the main character, as expected in a good movie, undergoes a deep internal transformation and chooses the right path, deciding to lend a helping hand to his ex-fiancée, whose little daughter was kidnapped. A desperate desire to atone for his past sins transforms him literally before his eyes, turning an insensitive killing machine into a living person with his own weaknesses and fears. It is worth noting the excellent performance of each character. So, whoever misses a good game - come here! Korean actors are always interesting to watch. Koreans don't act, they live their roles! And this is a very big difference.
The film's narrative style is moderate and atmospheric. I never felt a sense of melancholy because there are no unnecessary scenes. Each aspect of the film complements each other well, resulting in a cohesive film.
Well, what about without action?
The action here is quite varied, thoughtful and tough - it's a real ballet. There is not much of it here, but not a little. There is just the right amount of it, and this is the case when we can say that the action is just a pleasant bonus, and not the main advantage of the entire film, as in "Night is coming for us" or "Tyler Rake: Rescue Operation". The action style is most reminiscent of "John Wick". There are one-on-one fights, one against the crowd, a kind of “gan-kata,” mass shootouts with chases and explosions. A little bit of everything, which, in general, pleases the eye.
К "Deliver us from evil" I don’t want to find fault, and even against the backdrop of catastrophically disastrous "Vanguard" и "Hostage" can be called an undeniable masterpiece, one of the best Asian action films of the year. And even the best. After all, a “good action film” is not only good action. It is a combination of all the main aspects. Such as: plot, dialogues, action, cinematography and editing, acting. And this film has it all.
But a small warning - you shouldn’t be fooled by the delights of the review author. I recommend not expecting anything from the film, otherwise there is a chance of being disappointed, since you won’t see much that is fundamentally new or supernatural here. If you like films like "The Man from Nowhere" и "The Man Who Cried" the same director, it's worth watching "Deliver us from evil".
Yuri Dudin
Especially for Fight-Films.info
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Tags: Deliver Us from Evil, Lee Jong-jae, Hwang Jong-min, Hong Won-cheon
Tags: Deliver Us from Evil, Lee Jong-jae, Hwang Jong-min, Hong Won-cheon
For me, this is more of a crime thriller with action elements than a full-fledged action film.
VKontakteUser34,
The author did not call it a full-fledged action movie. This is a crime thriller with an element of life humor.
What's a thriller here? Narrative tension?