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 ntarctic
Journal" apparently took five years to
complete, a fact which suggests that debut Korean
writer-director Im Pil-sung possesses the same
dogged determination and endurance as his
characters. The film is difficult to categorise,
being equal parts supernatural mystery,
psychological tease and survival thriller. The
film's premise is certainly promising, insofar as
it represents a departure from the all too common
female ghost haunting movies. Unfortunately, the
film never quite lives up to its potential, mainly
due to the fact that it is simply far too long,
with a first half where very little happens.
Although ambiguity and restraint can be admirable
qualities in a film, when surrounded by little
else the result is a distinct lack of excitement.
The plot follows a six-man
Korean expedition to reach the 'Pole of
Inaccessibility' (referred to throughout as the
P.O.I.) in a remote region of the Antarctic, a
feat only matched by one other team. As well as
the elements, time is against the team, with just
60 days until the sun goes down for six months, a
fact which puts considerable pressure on their
already none too stable captain, Choi Do-hyeong
(Song Gang-ho, also in "Memories
of Murder").
Misfortune befalls the men in
a variety of forms, from bad weather and
communication difficulties to unexplained illness
(the script reminds us on multiple occasions that
no virus can reportedly survive in
Antarctica
). Part way into the trek, Kim Min-jae (Yu Ji-tae,
"Old
Boy") the youngest member of the team,
finds an old journal which apparently belonged to
a British expedition some 80 years ago, and which
seems to relate them having experienced the same
strange problems as the Korean team. From this
point, things only get worse, as the tension
between the men turns to paranoia and violence,
and with time running out, their chances of
surviving, let alone finishing their mission start
to look slim.
The main problem with
"Antarctic Journal" is that it moves too
slowly, with director Im relying far too much upon
an ominous atmosphere and minor enigmatic
accidents. The first hour or so consists mainly of
the men trudging across the unchanging scenery,
pausing to argue every once in a while, with hints
of unease coming through odd camera angles and
scenes of characters staring inexplicably at the
ground for long periods of time. Although things
certainly pick up in the second half, with snow
storms, mental breakdowns and some gruesome
amateur surgery, the damage has already been done,
and the film as a whole has an unavoidable feeling
of listlessness.
The pacing of "Antarctic Journal" resembles
the 2004 Korean horror "R-Point",
in that both films sink into a languorous murk.
Matters are not helped by the fact that none of
the characters are particularly well developed,
being burdened with mundane motivations, none of
which convincingly explain why they continue with
such an obviously doomed quest. Without anyone to
sympathise with, and with no central villain save
the snow, the viewer feels lost, and the film
fails to engage until the latter stages.
"Antarctic
Journal" is undeniably handsome, with
New Zealand
standing in perfectly for the bleak Antarctic
wastes, aided by the odd bit of computer
enhancement. Im directs with a steely gaze,
favouring long, static shots over fast editing,
and he gives the film a feeling of real isolation
reminiscent at times of early John Carpenter. This
does make for occasionally tense viewing, with the
landscape becoming a malevolent, threatening
character. There are a few good shocks in the
film, though mostly of the creeping dread variety,
rather than out and out horror.
More than anything,
"Antarctic Journal" is a disappointment,
as with tighter editing and more in depth
character development, it could have been an
effective story of bravery and dangerous
obsession. Whilst by no means a bad film, it is
one which is likely to try the viewer's patience,
taking a long time to get anywhere, and offering
only mild chills when it finally arrives. |
