SYNOPSICS
H (2002) is a Korean movie. Jong-Hyuk Lee has directed this movie. Jung-ah Yum,Jin-hee Ji,Ji-ru Sung,Cho Seung-woo are the starring of this movie. It was released in 2002. H (2002) is considered one of the best Drama,Mystery,Thriller movie in India and around the world.
A serial killer named Shin-Hyun gives himself up to police. He confesses to committing a series of particularly horrifying murders of exclusively female victims. He is imprisoned, awaiting the death sentence for his crimes. Yet the killings do not stop. They continue with all the same characteristics trademarks of the Shin-Hyun serial killings. The case is re-opened when two more bodies are discovered, both pregnant women. One is found in the city's landfill site, and the other is horrifically murdered on a public bus. Detective Mi Yun (played by Yum Jung-Ah), and her newly appointed partner, Detective Kang (played by Ji Jin-Hee), are assigned to the case. Mi Yun and Kang have difficulty working with each other, as their personalities and working methods are constantly in conflict. Detective Kang goes about his new job buoyantly and enthusiastically. He follows a new suspect, Huh, and eventually catches him in the act of brutally murdering a woman in a crowded techno bar. Huh is taken...
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H (2002) Reviews
A Short, but Positive Review
The brilliance of this film does not lie in its basic thriller plot nor its characters (The characters are not terribly interesting, but the film does not dwell long on their personal lives; The serial-killer plot, while over-used, is paced enough to keep interest.) Truly, the one reason to watch this film is for the fact that everything--- every action, every line spoken--- leads up to the conclusion. This movie is so perfectly woven that there is not a hair, so to speak, out of place! How few movies are like this one! Basically, if you want a good story, read a book. If you want a well done film, watch "H".
H is a psychological masterpiece from Asia.
H by Jong-hyuk Lee is an amazing thriller with a plot twist at the end that will make you cringe. The film is definitely riffing off the American psychological cop drama, namely Seven and the Silence of the Lambs. That's what makes this film great. It takes those films, and takes it a step further. First, the film is shot beautifully. Second, the story follows three detectives who are tracking the crimes of a murderer who kills pregnant women and slashes their stomachs. Some of the murder scenes are totally gory. The three detectives are rather atypical personalities but it works well for the story . The woman is short haired and is quiet, calm, and always smoking cigarettes. She's tough like Clarice Starling in Silence of the Lambs. She is the one who counters the main character who is more like Brad Pitt in Seven. He's the fast talking guy, he's often late to the crime scenes because he's just not on top of things. And the third guy is the fat klutz who always trips over things and he's the comic relief. As the film progresses, we discover that the murders of the pregnant women are done in the exact same way as murders done years ago by a murderer who was put in jail by these same detectives six months ago. The fast talking cop becomes the Clarice Starling as he goes to interview this Hannibal Lechter type character. Through these interviews, he tries to track down the new killer who is copying the murderer's past deeds. Ultimately the twist ending is really intense, and you probably wont guess what it is .it's a lot cooler than putting the cop's wife's head in a box like in Seven. This movie is really creepy and the performances are great. It's definitely worth watching.
I wanted to like it.
H I am a huge fan of the Korean serial killer drama Tell me something. So when the review on the box of this movie said `tell me something esque' I thought I would give it a shot. My history with Korean films are hit or miss. This is a miss. I will say this the plot twist is something you would never see in American film. Of course you would also never see it in reality either. The film is paced so boring. Maybe the moody feeling just doesn't translate but I think the film was going for the SEVEN moody feeling. The camera work was somewhat interesting. The gore was there. The acting was so so. In the end I kinda had to force myself to finish it. I would say if you have a choice get `tell me something' instead.
One of the most awesome WTF endings ever
This South Korean film is a fairly involving variation on The Silence of the Lambs, right up until it destroys itself with an ending that American cinema outgrew 50 years ago. Detectives Kim and Kang (Jung-ah Yum and Jin-hee Ji) are called in to investigate a series of brutal murders. The vicious slayings of women appear to recreate the crimes of a serial killer name Shin Hyun (Seun-woo Cho) that was apprehended less than a year ago. Kim and Kang suspect that Shin has something to do with these new murders, but as the bodies pile up, the mystery becomes less how is Shin causing these deaths and more why. Complicating matters are the growing frustration of the emotional Kang and the fact that Kim's fiancée and fellow detective killed himself when he failed to stop Shin Hyun's original death spree. They eventually find their answers, though not through any brilliant investigative work, and then we get the really bad ending that more an act of self-immolation than resolution. The most interesting thing about H is that the plot is very much like an American crime drama in most respects, but the emotional resonance and cultural touchstones of the story are completely different. There are a lot of moments in this film where I can tell that the story is trying to say something but I just don't get it. I don't have the Korean common knowledge or insight to appreciate exactly what's supposed to be meaningful in a certain scene or action or line of dialog. But instead of being a problem, that gives a very conventional story an alien and exotic feel. The mystery about Shin Hyun isn't that intriguing, but there's a mystery about the mystery which draws you into the film. Unfortunately, it all leads up to an ending that will likely leave your mouth agape in amazement. Not the good kind, though, where you're left thinking "Wow! I never saw that coming!" This would be the bad kind of amazement, where you're left staring at the screen thinking "You have got to be bleeping kidding me!" I don't want to give it away because maybe other people would have a different reaction to it. However, it is not an exaggeration to say that any serious American film of the last half-century that tried to use this ending would have been laughed out of the theater. This movie also deals with an issue that's the subject of quite a lot of political argument and moral controversy in America. But it leaves you unclear on how Korean culture views the issue. I n some aspects of the story it addresses the subject in a very non-judgmental way, but in others it seems to accept a very moralistic view of the issue. Again, I don't want to give it away, but you have strongly held views of this matter you'll probably have a strong reaction to the way H utilizes it in its story. There's a lot to appreciate about this movie and I enjoyed it, but then there's that sublimely terrible ending. If I knew that you'd like the ending for some inexplicable reason, I'd absolutely recommend you watch H. But if you don't like the ending, as most intelligent people would not, you would likely view watching H as a waste of your time. So, if you see this movie on the shelf of your video store flip a coin. Maybe you'll get lucky.
A rich film describing a core male dilemma
The frame is a thriller with victims and chasers. Yet, the content is richer. The description of females vs. males is especially intriguing. The main female characters Detective Kim Mi Yun and Dr. Chu Kyung-sook are both more intelligent than their male counterparts and they both stay cool while the males are either easily aroused or do not understand. It is true that all the victims are females. Yet, the killings are connected with the reproductive capacity of the females that the males do not possess and can not control. A main motive is the pregnant women's ability to kill their (male) foetuses. The most influential male character, Shin Hyun, murderer now in a prison, has a non sexual foetus like aura. The killings are carried out as revenge on the women for this ability, obviously and totally in vain. Thus, the film describes a core dilemma true for all males. However, I am not aware of a comparable open description in European literature of film. Yet, I have seen it in Japanese films (e.g. Shindo's Onibaba). A most interesting film.