DECISION TO LEAVE (2022)
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| Critic No. 309 |
Director: Park Chan-wook
Written by: Park Chan-wook, Jeong Seo-kyeong
Produced by: Moho Films
Casts: Wei Tang, Park Hae-il, Lee Jung-hyun, Go Kyung-Pyo
Music: Jo Yeong-wook
Language: Korean
Genre: Crime, Drama, Mystery
SYNOPSIS:
From a mountain peak in South Korea, a man plummets to his death. Did he jump, or was he pushed? When detective Hae-joon (Park Hai-il) arrives on the scene, he begins to suspect the dead man's wife Seo-rae (Wei Tang). But as he digs deeper into the investigation, he finds himself trapped in a web of deception and desire.
REVIEW:
From a director who is known for his shocking ideas and challenging ideas, Park has evolved into more of an artist who has a passionate eye over exploring the undercurrent of desire and the questionable actions of flawed human beings. In ‘Decision to Leave’ Park reinvents those Hitchcokian tropes of neo-noir into something more delicate and lyrical.
Though some might find it burning a little slow, I found the pace quite intense and Park doesn’t linger much to open his inciting incident between the sharp romantic tension between the detective and his suspect. As the investigation moves forward, Park doesn’t stick to just voyeurism and obsession like the fog-choked thriller, Vertigo but translates Seo-rae from just a passive object of desire to a master manipulator constantly stroking fire between herself and Hae-Joon and also the audience who in deep dilemma to whether race towards the dark mystery lingering around or the forbidden love. Both Wei Tang and Park Hae-il are prefect choices who play their roles to the finest.
Kim Ji-Yong’s killer compositions ensure that each frame is like a meditative love song. Be it the character defining close-ups or wide vistas of the city and countryside, the shots are captivating but never distracting. Jo Yeong-wook’s surreal score is haunting and highlights the psychological anxieties and curiosity of the characters.
While we, the audience, are put in a dilemma on who to really empathize for as the narrative dwells between the flawed, scandalous love and the layers of mystery, I was astonished by how Park has reinvented a popular genre to a character study. ‘Decision to Leave’ might not be as revolutionary as his other films, but by the time it hits the final frame, it definitely grabs our hearts and keeps it lingering with the sounds of crashing waves.
VERDICT:
Meticulously directed and breathtakingly shot, ‘Decision to Leave’ is Park’s elegant intense study of romantic obsession, passion and regret in between an insomniac detective and seductive Chinese immigrant trapped in an unfortunate mystery.
CELLULOID METER- 4/5:
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