Flawed ‘Carnival’ Still Worth Price of Admission
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By Joon Soh
Contributing Writer
Despite the flood of gangster films that have graced local screens over the years, the genre remains quite popular with South Korean filmmakers. But for every new movie that comes out, it becomes increasingly challenging for directors to avoid having their stylishly noir filming feel like a rehash of old tricks.
Director Yoo Ha's "A Dirty Carnival" is the latest to delve into the world of the South Korean mafias. Expectations are high for the film as it follows Yoo's widely acclaimed "Once Upon A Time In Highschool", a provocative look at high school violence and one of the top-grossing films of 2004.
In many ways, "A Dirty Carnival" feels like a logical progression from "Once Upon A Time In Highschool", as it expands on the idea of violence as a social phenomenon. The arena has changed from high school to criminal underworld, but the underlying concept of power remains the same.
The gangsters of "Dirty Carnival" live with a strict adherence to hierarchy and loyalty; they expect absolute compliance from their subordinates, the same obedience that they then purport to show to their superiors. The main protagonist, Pyong-du, played by Zo In-sung, sits in the middle of this hierarchy, as captain of his own team but also answering to his bosses.
But while these gangsters have their codes, Yoo also shows how the boundary between their world and ours is not all that clear cut, especially when it comes to money. The gangsters treat their work as a job, and worry over such things as the direction of their careers. They dream of a "spon", slang for a sponsor, or a patron who will financially back their illegal projects.
Indeed, their actions are akin to those of a venture capitalist looking for investors, and a bloody fight between rival gangs feels like a hostile takeover in the most frightening sense of the term. Within this scheme, Pyong-du is a middle manager, but with aspirations of moving up the ladder by any means necessary.
This combination of violence and commerce gives "A Dirty Carnival" a disturbing sense of realism as it depicts a world where rules of mercantilism have run amok. This mixture may be somewhat familiar to fans of "The Sopranos", the American television show about a mafia clan in New Jersey, but within the context of Korea and its demanding social hierarchy, it resonates more deeply and strongly.
Because Yoo's approach to the Korean gangster theme seems so fresh, it makes it that much more puzzling and disappointing when he decides to also include some predictable elements of the genre. In an attempt to "humanize" Pyong-du, for example, Yoo introduces a kindhearted girlfriend (Lee Bo-young) whose purity shakes Pyong-du's faith in his work. Unfortunately, these melodramatic elements have the opposite effect of their intention.
A more successful subplot revolves around Min-ho (Namkoong Min), Pyong-du's elementary school friend and an aspiring filmmaker looking to make a hit gangster film. The story could probably have been better integrated into the rest of the plot, but the character's cynicism and desperation makes for an interesting and sometimes humorous complement to the harsh reality of the gangster's life. It also gives director Yoo plenty of opportunities to satirize himself, which he does with glee.
Contributing Writer
Despite the flood of gangster films that have graced local screens over the years, the genre remains quite popular with South Korean filmmakers. But for every new movie that comes out, it becomes increasingly challenging for directors to avoid having their stylishly noir filming feel like a rehash of old tricks.
Director Yoo Ha's "A Dirty Carnival" is the latest to delve into the world of the South Korean mafias. Expectations are high for the film as it follows Yoo's widely acclaimed "Once Upon A Time In Highschool", a provocative look at high school violence and one of the top-grossing films of 2004.
In many ways, "A Dirty Carnival" feels like a logical progression from "Once Upon A Time In Highschool", as it expands on the idea of violence as a social phenomenon. The arena has changed from high school to criminal underworld, but the underlying concept of power remains the same.
The gangsters of "Dirty Carnival" live with a strict adherence to hierarchy and loyalty; they expect absolute compliance from their subordinates, the same obedience that they then purport to show to their superiors. The main protagonist, Pyong-du, played by Zo In-sung, sits in the middle of this hierarchy, as captain of his own team but also answering to his bosses.
But while these gangsters have their codes, Yoo also shows how the boundary between their world and ours is not all that clear cut, especially when it comes to money. The gangsters treat their work as a job, and worry over such things as the direction of their careers. They dream of a "spon", slang for a sponsor, or a patron who will financially back their illegal projects.
Indeed, their actions are akin to those of a venture capitalist looking for investors, and a bloody fight between rival gangs feels like a hostile takeover in the most frightening sense of the term. Within this scheme, Pyong-du is a middle manager, but with aspirations of moving up the ladder by any means necessary.
This combination of violence and commerce gives "A Dirty Carnival" a disturbing sense of realism as it depicts a world where rules of mercantilism have run amok. This mixture may be somewhat familiar to fans of "The Sopranos", the American television show about a mafia clan in New Jersey, but within the context of Korea and its demanding social hierarchy, it resonates more deeply and strongly.
Because Yoo's approach to the Korean gangster theme seems so fresh, it makes it that much more puzzling and disappointing when he decides to also include some predictable elements of the genre. In an attempt to "humanize" Pyong-du, for example, Yoo introduces a kindhearted girlfriend (Lee Bo-young) whose purity shakes Pyong-du's faith in his work. Unfortunately, these melodramatic elements have the opposite effect of their intention.
A more successful subplot revolves around Min-ho (Namkoong Min), Pyong-du's elementary school friend and an aspiring filmmaker looking to make a hit gangster film. The story could probably have been better integrated into the rest of the plot, but the character's cynicism and desperation makes for an interesting and sometimes humorous complement to the harsh reality of the gangster's life. It also gives director Yoo plenty of opportunities to satirize himself, which he does with glee.
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