Before I began my binge on the finest foreign film fare, I watched my share of Hollywood films from a variety of genre. Among other film types, I enjoy a good action film, provided that the action is there to support some genuine human drama or interesting characterizations rather than being all the film has to offer. I've had a weak spot for the James Bond series ever since Goldfinger was released and have watched all the films in that group repeatedly. The ones that I like the best are the ones that feature Bond emotionally invested in some way in his relationships with the "Bond girl" and/or the villain. Several of the most recent Bond films have gotten carried away with the special effects to the exclusion of any significant human element. I apply the same standard to foreign action films. I offered a positive appraisal of La Femme Nikita, for example, but gave John Woo's Killer a very low rating, feeling that the relationship dynamics were bogus. Action films are a bit more formulaic, in my opinion, than most other film genre. There's usually a clear differentiation between good guys and bad guys and outcomes are too often predictable. Plots elements and stunts often get repeated from one film to another. There is potential for originality, however, mainly in the particulars of the plots and action sequences and in the interpersonal dynamics.

Shiri (1999) (also known as Swiri) is a Korean action film that came to America with the pedigree of commercial success. It was the highest grossing film ever in Korea itself. Although the film borrows heavily from its brethren of the action genre (both from America and Hong Kong), it offers originality in several respects. There's a distinctly Korean spin in the political background behind this spy vs. spy film, there's enough dramatic interest in the relationships to extend the film beyond mere action for action's sake, and there's some originality in the action sequences. Shiri may not be the equal of the best action films ever made in Hollywood, but it's better than some of the above-average ones.

Historical Background: The cinematic market in Korea has been dominated by American films for several decades. That's beginning to change. The Korean film industry is beginning to assert itself. Films like Chunhyang (2000) showcase traditional Korean culture and filmmaking, while some other recent films, such as Shiri (pronounced "Shee Rhee") and Nowhere to Hide, reveal a heavy influence from Hong Kong and America. Kang Je-Gyu, born December 23rd, 1962, struggled for many years as a filmmaker before hitting the big-time with Shiri. Despite its lofty box-office success in its native county, Shiri had to wait four years before being released in America by the Samuel Goldwyn Company.

The Story: The film opens in the manner of the James Bond movies with a strong action scene that is a stage-setter for the main plot. In a training camp for the North Korean Special Forces, trainees hone their combat skills on human prisoners, killing one after another by such conclusive tactics as breaking necks, smashing heads, and severing windpipes. One soldier, Hee, stands out above the others in murderous efficiency. In a final demonstration of cool lethality, Hee shoots a couple dozen beer bottles with one gun in each hand. Then, walking through two rows of dummies alternating with fellow soliders, Hee shoots all of the dummies without so much as breaking stride. Hee, however, is no tough dude! Instead, she is a one tough and deadly woman!

Hee's commander, Park (Choi Min-Ski), is duly impressed. He is a fanatic, dedicated to reunification of North and South Korea, and adamantly opposed to reconciliation (i.e., acceptance of the status quo). Hee is sent to live in Seoul, where she foments tension between the two Koreas by periodically assassinating South Korean political leaders, military commanders, and scientists with her patented combination of sniper shots, one in the neck and another in the head. Pitted against Hee are two of South Korean's top agents, JongWonYu (Han Suk-Kyu) and Jang-gil Lee (Song Kang-Ho). These long-time partners know each other's tactics inside and out, making them all the more effective as a team. Still, they've had no success tracking down Hee.

Yu is involved romantically with Myung-hyun Lee (Song Kang-Ho), the owner of an exotic fish shop, a sweet, gentle spirit. The relationship is getting serious and Ryu has neglected to tell Myung-hyun what he really does for a living. He fears that she will want nothing to do with him if she learns he's a secret agent.

Meanwhile, Yu and his partner Lee are trying desperately to get a lead on Hee while also trying to foil Park's latest plot, which is an effort to steal a top-secret liquid super-explosive, called CTX, recently developed by the South Koreans. CTX looks just like water, making it especially easy to hide almost anywhere. Park intends to use the explosive to ratchet up tensions between the two Koreas so that the efforts at rapprochement by the political leaders of the two countries will fail. There are a variety of twists and plenty of action as this spy vs. spy contest and its romantic subplot plays out in unexpected ways.

Themes: The main theme of this film is the political rift that continues to exist between the two Koreas and the capacity of extremist elements to disrupt any gains made by more progressive elements at peaceful coexistence. In many of the world's most intransigent conflicts (e.g., the Israeli/Palestinian conflict, the Catholic/Protestant divide in Ireland), the most radical elements on each side of a conflict are able to ensure that the conflict remains heated and compromises sunk before they have any chance of working. The hit-woman Hee provides the symbolic representation of an unbridgeable divide. She cannot reconcile her devotion to her cause with her personal life, just as the two Koreas cannot reconcile a communist approach with a capitalist one. Kang Je-Gyu further strengthens the theme of irreconcilable differences by giving us a villain in Park who expresses his devotion to his cause cogently. Whether one agrees or not with his viewpoint, one has to admit that he seems to truly believe in the justice of his cause.

Production Values: The notion of a beautiful but lethal woman is not original with Shiri, certainly, having been developed previously in Luc Besson's La Femme Nikita and in such films from Hong Kong as Angel on Fire and Naked Killer. All of these films give an alternative meaning of femme fatale. Kang gives us a pretty good rendition of the notion, however, by investing his characters with credible motivations and purpose, rather than giving us merely heroic good guys and psychopathic bad guys and gals.

The action sequences are as fast-paced and believable as those found in any of the Hollywood or Hong Kong films of this genre. The opening segment is about as violent and gory as anything you will have seen on film. The action is set, for the most part, amid brightly colored shops and restaurants, tourist attractions, athletic complexes, or seedy old neighborhoods of Seoul, giving it a genuine Korean ambiance. One shootout begins in a cultural center and ends up in the kitchen of a restaurant, for example. One weakness of the film is too much dependence on handheld cameras for action scenes, giving some scenes excessive visual instability.

Suk-kyu Han provides a very nice performance as the male lead, Yu. He has since appeared in The Double Agent (2003) and The Scarlet Letter (2004). Yoon-jin Kim was suitably lovely and effective in the role of Myung-hyun Lee. Min-sik Choi gave a virtuoso performance as the top villain, Park.

Bottom-Line: The Columbia Tristar DVD is the best source for this film in America. It comes with English subtitles or dubbing, although the latter is a miserable choice. There is a featurette on the making of the film as well as a music video. I highly recommend this film for anyone into the action genre looking for a little change of pace.


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You might want to check out these other excellent films from Korea:

Chunhyang
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter . . . and Spring

Recommended:
Yes

Video Occasion: Fit for Friday Evening
Suitability For Children: Not suitable for Children of any age