Director - Tae-Yong Kim, Kyu-Dong Min

Writer -  Tae-Yong Kim, Kyu-Dong Min

Starring - Min-sun Kim, Yeh-jin Park, Young-jin Lee

Language – Korean

Runtime - 98 minutes approx.

Age Rating – 15

Genre - Drama, Romance, War

 

 

A FILM REVIEW BY ROSS MILLER

Memento Mori or “Remember the Dead” is a film I approached with a bit of caution. Having seen the little amount of Asian-horror that I have (and what I have seen being not all that wowed with) I was definitely sceptical about this one. But what apprehensions I at first had soon went away as I started to become almost completely immersed in this film.

The film takes place in an all girl’s high school in Korea, the film tackles not only the horror aspects of the genre of film but also issues such as love, friendship and suicide, and how the latter causes a stir within the group of the gossip- spreading high school students. After a some-what confusing opening and first 15 minutes which includes numerous seemingly unordered flashbacks and various overlapping voice-overs we get thrust into this story of psychological drama and the exploration of a forbidden love between two of the schoolgirls (through the medium of a diary found by one of the other girls).

The film primarily is a psychological drama rather than the horror film that Tartan Asia has deemed fit to call it. Its horror elements make much less of an appearance than promised. But what makes that a relief rather than a disappointment is what the film is about and does tackle is very interesting and unique in just about every way. Considering the film contains an almost all female cast, a school-girl age female cast this is obviously aimed at a younger audience. But in a way that may make the film all the more interesting for a potential older viewer. For a couple of reasons and those reasons being that it gives them a chance to view some of the things that inevitably happened to them when they were that age and the fact that the age rating that the film has been given and it’s content in general is of a more adult nature.

Like I said the film isn’t a full blown, ghost-story horror film as promised. But what it in fact is still a horror but a more subtle and more psychologically effective horror than a full-on ‘jumps and scares’ feature. The film takes the ‘back-road’ of horror if you will, playing more on your emotions and getting you involved with the characters on a personal level, even if they are just gossiping school-girls, which in turn makes you care about them if something were to happen. Not only does Memento Mori have a few jumpy moments, to satisfy any true horror fans who may have stumbled upon it, it showcases some of the personal and apparent horrors that everyone goes through at some time in their (school) lives; teasing, alienation and the feeling of being unwanted. This can be just as scary as any amount of ghosts and demons and Memento Mori does this in great and well-done measure.

At the time directors Tae-yong Kim and Kyu-Dong Min were newcomers both to directing and writing. And for their first attempt at a film, each giving each other a hand no doubt as they worked on the film together in all aspects, this is impressive stuff indeed. Strangely since Memento Mori’s release back in 1999 they have only did one film each (although not together this time). This is strange to me as like I said a great amount of talent is shown here and I think if they put their minds to do it they could come up with a potential masterpeice (which this sadly isn’t).

The film has a very strange and surreal sense of innocence and child-like elements even within very chaotic or adult scenes. This adds to the film’s creepiness and effectiveness very well and ultimately makes the film better. The whole film is more visually pleasing than it is narratively coherent. At times you will be lost as to what is going on and feel as though you are not having a good, worthwhile time with this film (and in a way this is where the film’s flaw is). But trust me, just ride it out until about half way through when things certainly start to become more clearer and you can begin to enjoy what you have taken time out to watch.

I recommend this film not on the basis that it will scare you but more on the basis that it will affect you. It leaves you with a queasy sense of enjoyment that I am sure you will want to feel again upon repeat viewings.