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The City of ViolenceDirector: Ryu Seung-Wan Alright, listen up puss buckets. It’s a rainy Saturday and I’m in the mood for some good old fashioned, bare knuckled, use-whatever-weapon-you-can-find, anything's legal martial arts film.
This so-called "film" is a story about detective Tae-Su from Seoul who returns home for the funeral of a childhood friend, Wang-Jae. Tae-Su and Wang-Jae were part of a group of five buddies so, after the funeral the remaining four catch up on old times and Tae-Su finds out that Wang-Jae was murdered. Now if that wasn't grounds for a fist fight, then I don't know what is! But no … not even a raised voice from these nancy-boys. Tae-Su decides to stay to investigate the death, and begins to unravel the truth. One of the friends, Jang, is involved with organised crime, in particular, with a casino boss from Seoul who wants to build a casino/tourist precinct in a local residential area. With Jangs’ help they are forcing locals to sell their businesses for the re-development. You'd think that would bring on a punch, but nothing. In fact, it's 27 minutes into the film before we get some action! I was frothing at the mouth! Tae-Su finds the streets of his old city are run by gangs of kids with break dance style moves and fight in packs. In this scene they even use their BMX bikes a weapons. This fight scene is brief but ends with shattering street lights, exploding power lines and a shower of sparks. Alright. Finally. Tae-Su finds out that Jang tried to get Wang-Jae to sell his business to re-developers but after refusing, Jang murdered him. As Jang tries to tie up all his loose ends, he murders another childhood friend, leaving Tae-Su and the last of the buddies mourning and out for revenge. Now we're getting somewhere. Some African nations go to war for far less than this, so I was justifiably primed for a good old fashioned good verses evil, final showdown for revenge, for honour, for goddamn justice! By the time the action begins, I've endured 68 minutes of unnecessary back story, but our heroes finally get to work on the baddies and all without a single shot being fired. All bloody knives. Now don't get me wrongly confused with a long-haired hippie – the fight scenes are well executed and look very impressive, but is it too much to ask for at least one piece of heavy weaponry sprinkled into the mix? In the end Jang is killed but not before he manages to inflict a fatal stab wound on our hero leaving just one surviving member of the group of childhood buddies. Now don't got crying to your mammas that I ruined the movie for you. Deal with it you little sissy! Verbatim: In A Word: Gunless |
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Now, let me tell you ladies, The City of Violence promised so much, what with the cover adorned with statements like “a ballet of gymnastic violence from the Korean Tarantino.” Let this be a warning to you: ballet and violence should bot be used in the same sentence. Ever.
