Directed By Park Chan-wook

Starring – Tang Wei, Park Hae-il, Go Kyung-Pyo

The Plot – From a mountain peak in South Korea, a man plummets to his death. Did he jump, or was he pushed? When detective Hae-joon (Hae-il) arrives on the scene, he begins to suspect the dead man’s wife Seo-rae (Wei). But as he digs deeper into the investigation, he finds himself trapped in a web of deception and desire.

Rated R for adult language, scenes of violence involving momentary gore, and scenes depicting peril

Decision to Leave (Heojil Kyolshim) new trailer official from Cannes Film Festival 2022 – YouTube

POSITIVES

“Decision to Leave” might not be my favorite of prestigious director Park Chan-wook’s already impressive career, but it’s more of the same from one of cinema’s most transcendent filmmakers, in that it subverts the expectations of its genre classification in ways that remove the tropes or familiarities of the genre that make many of its films interchangeable. Because of such, the film is marketed as a murder mystery, progressed as a romantic thriller, then concluded as a police procedural, with the kind of pathos for its characters and vast world-building that solidifies with it a profound meaning of reflection that only intensifies the longer the film has concluded. All of these aspects resonate seamlessly as a result of the believable on-screen love and complex dynamic between Seo-rae and Hae-jun, which permeates effortlessly with it the kind of naturalistic dialogue that transcribes a unique meaning to connection serving as another barrier between their blossoming romance. Because Seo-rae speaks Chinese and Hae-jun Korean, it requires a translator between them, and with the benefit of technology conveying their many evolving thoughts, we get on-screen visual cues between their text messages that keep us invested to the growth of their bond, all the while enhancing the idea that even the advancements of technology are a poor translator for emotional dexterity. The performances of these two are brilliant from both Wei and Hae-il, but particularly the latter, who supplants an air of longing and obsession towards the traits of Hae-joon that further add to the complexities and moral plausibility’s of his often-conflicted character. It’s clear that he’s a detective who wears the burden of his cases continuously on his shoulders, and because of such feels all the more compelling when he’s faced with the dilemma of embracing his urges, leading to a burdened protagonist who is anything but ideal, but none the less compelling because of his imperfections. However, the biggest commanding presence stems from Park himself, who not only conjures one of the most thought-provoking and unapologetically fearless depictions of love, but also a technical siesta that any element of which could easily be considered for academy consideration during next year’s Oscars. The atmospheric channeling of the cinematography, the psychological introspection of the many alluring editing techniques, and of course the underlining abstractions from longtime Park collaborator, Yeong-wook Jo, in the studio to churn out versatility in the musical score that coincides with the integrity of the scenes they adorn without downright intruding on them. All of these elements stir scintillatingly in the devastating dish that visually and continuously knocks us off our feet, but it’s his work with the pen that is most intoxicating, dissecting timeless themes of romance and infidelity with an aforementioned contemporary connection between its protagonists that grows all the more pivotal the longer the film and narrative persist. It’s very much in the depths of its investigation, but for once in an erotic thriller, it’s secondary to the blossoming connection between its leads that we can wholeheartedly feel and interpret without ever needing a single dose of sexuality to spawn its sentiments. It’s certainly the most reserved that Park has been with regards to his storytelling and ensuing taboos, but the film’s entertaining qualities never suffer because of it, instead maintaining emphasis on the complexities of the relationship and the many people held in tow besides Seo-rae and Hae-joon who are affected because of the unavoidable radiance of the generational love between them that they continuously risk everything for.

NEGATIVES

While the problems are few and far between in my double dose of watching this film, I can say that the run time of 138 minutes does feel a bit unnecessary and problematic once you step back and realize the complete picture at the end of the film. It isn’t something that I’m necessarily condemning with regards to its pacing, as there was never a single moment in this film when I was bored or even remotely tested with the connection of my investment, but rather the redundancies that the story took in the third act that could’ve easily been condensed to a single solitary section. The last twenty minutes of the film in particular do definitely pack a punch with one of the more heartfelt climaxes to a film in quite some time, but I feel like this moment and those of the ones that surrounded it could’ve been part of a scene towards the beginning of the third act, if even just for the unaddressed aspects of a couple of subplots in tow that don’t quite receive the kind of time allowance and resolution as that of the primary romance at the forefront of the narrative.

OVERALL
After six years away from the game, Park Chan-wook stakes his claim among the top filmmakers in the world, without any of the gore or ruthlessness that made him a force to be reckoned with in “The Handmaiden” or “Oldboy”. As such, “Decision to Leave” isn’t the boldest of his prestigious career, but it is a spine-tingling dreamlike dissection on the risks of longing, and like most dreams, the ending is most memorable.

My Grade: 9/10 or A-