Entertainment
Forget ‘Parasite,’ This 128-Minute Crime Thriller Is Officially Taking Over YouTube
Parasite (2019), written and directed by Korean filmmaker Bong Joon Ho, took the world by storm upon its release, captivating audiences and critics alike with its gripping story, social commentary, and eye-catching cinematography. It cemented its status as one of the most significant films of the 2010s when it became the first non-English language film, as well as the first South Korean film, to win Best Picture at the 2020 Academy Awards. While Parasite may be his most recognizable and accoladed film, Joon Ho has actually delved into the mystery, thriller, and crime genres before.
Released in 2009 and now available to stream free on YouTube, Mother was Bong Joon Ho’s fourth feature film as a director and seventh as a writer. It follows an unnamed widow, the titular “Mother” (Kim Hye-ja) and her son Do-joon (Won Bin), who has an intellectual disability. When Do-joon is accused of murdering a local girl, Mother conducts her own investigation to find the real killer in order to clear her son’s name, but the situation soon spirals out of control and concludes in a shocking twist. With a tight script and great performances, it’s a film that deserves just as much recognition as any American thriller or Joon Ho’s more famous work.
‘Mother’ is a Masterclass in Screenwriting
Just like Parasite, one of the most impressive aspects of Mother is Joon Ho’s writing. Mother’s search for the killer unfolds like a detective serial, but much like the best Hitchcock films, the audience also learns just as much about the main character as they do about the case, After Do-joon is arrested and charged with the murder of local girl Moon Ah-jung, Mother breaks into the house of Do-joon’s friend, Jin-tae (Jin Goo), as she believes that he committed the crime and framed her son. However, Jin-tae has a strong alibi, so Mother teams up with him to question people in town about Ah-jung, leading to Mother recovering the girl’s cell phone. Every beat in the investigation is evenly paced, makes logical sense, and shows (rather than tells) how dedicated Mother is to her son, raising the stakes and human interest of the story.
Warning: spoilers ahead.As Mother’s investigation progresses, her aforementioned dedication is tested, and the story’s overarching themes come into focus. One of the photos on the phone matches the description of a local junk collector whom Do-joon saw on the night Ah-jung was killed. Mother goes to speak with the junk collector, and he tells her that he remembers seeing Do-joon accidentally kill Ah-jung after throwing a rock at her during an argument. To prevent him from going to the authorities, Mother kills the junk collector by beating him with a wrench and setting his house on fire. Some time later, the police inform Mother that Do-joon is being released because they have caught the “real killer,” another local boy. Rather than turn on her son, Mother says nothing to the authorities. The local boy is sent to jail for a crime he didn’t commit, and Mother uses her acupuncture kit to make herself forget about the crimes that she and her son have committed.
While she may have started her investigation with pure intentions, Mother’s behavior over the course of the story escalates to the point where she ends up committing more crimes than her son to protect him, even though he is actually responsible for the death of an innocent girl. When the credits roll, the viewer is left to decide for themselves if Mother was justified in her actions, if there are limitations to the bond between parent and child, if they themselves would—or should—do the same to protect their own family. These questions don’t have easy answers, and ensure that Mother lingers in the back of your mind long after you’ve seen it.
A Powerful Lead Performance Makes ‘Mother’ a Must-See
The script for Mother may be expertly crafted, but it wouldn’t be as gripping as it is without an incredible performance of the titular character by Korean actress Kim Hye-ja. Famous in her home country for her decades-long television career, she had a longtime fan in Bong Joon Ho, and he actually met with her several times while drafting Mother. With no one else in the running for the role, Hye-ja got a personalized opportunity to showcase the breadth of her talent, and she delivered on every count. Whether her character is setting a house on fire or having dinner with her son, Hye-ja authentically portrays the role of a mother devoted to the point of no return. Joon Ho has expressed several times that without Hye-ja, Mother wouldn’t exist, and it’s clear to see why upon viewing.
The most interesting element of Mother‘s lead performance is Hye-ja’s ability to convey her character’s state of mind with her facial expressions. In the final scene, when Mother realizes that Do-joon knows what she did to the junk collector, she walks away from him through a crowded bus station. In a continuous thirty-second shot, Mother’s facial expression changes countless times, somehow simultaneously showing anger, sadness, confusion, and relief. Her eyes seemingly alternate between tear-filled and dry; she looks as if she’s about to cry, then about to smile, then cry again. Mother’s internal emotional turmoil is made external, explicitly and elegantly so, because of the choices that Hye-ja makes as a performer. The emotional climax of the entire movie hinges on Hye-ja’s acting to convey what’s happening to the audience, and the fact she is able to do so without uttering a single word is a testament to her talent. It’s a performance that rightfully earned Hye-ja multiple awards and nominations and undoubtedly should earn a viewer’s time to sit down and see for themselves.
- Release Date
-
May 28, 2009
- Director
-
Bong Joon Ho
- Writers
-
Bong Joon Ho, Eun-kyo Park
You must be logged in to post a comment Login