|
 agman"
was the debut feature by Korean director Lee Myung
Se, best known for "Nowhere
to Hide" and "Duelist",
now finally released on DVD. Lee's works have a
tendency to divide critics, as many are arguably
exercises of style over substance, being more
concerned with the cinematic form than a coherent
narrative. In this respect "Gagman" is
likely to have the same effect, being relentlessly
referential and quite consciously and indeed
obsessively wrapped in the language of cinema.
The plot follows Lee Song Jae
(Ahn Sung Ki, who went on to work with the
director on several of his later films, as well as
starring in the likes of "Silmido"),
a low level stand up comedian who harbours dreams
of becoming a famous film director. After
repeatedly failing to get anyone to notice his
script, he enlists the help of Mun Do Sok (Bae
Chang Ho, himself a real life director), his
barber and fellow film freak, as an actor and
collaborator, along with an out of work actress
called Oh Son Yong (Hwang Shin Hyae, also in the
cannibal drama "301,
302"). Together, the trio hit upon the
idea of holding up banks to fund their
masterpiece, with wacky, though ultimately tragic
results.
It is obvious from the start
that "Gagman" is a film which revolves
around cinema, beginning as it does with a bizarre
conversation about Kirk Douglas' style of eating
chicken in "The Vikings". Indeed, the
film is peppered with such conversations
throughout and almost every frame contains either
old film posters or stills. The plot and
characters are equal parts old
Hollywood
screwball farce and French new wave, and as such
the film as a whole acts as a nostalgic love
letter to a supposedly more romantic era of
cinema.
However, whilst all of this
is cleverly done, and as such is likely to catch
the imagination of cineastes and film historians,
it does come across as rather self-conscious, and
at times feels as though the director is simply
listing off references rather than attempting to
weave them into the script. The film features a
good few monologues, with characters frequently
repeating their lines in later conversations, a
fact which does become rather tiresome. Although
the plot is frequently unpredictable, there is a
definite sense that much of it was added as an
afterthought to what amounts to a series of
cinematic anecdotes and autobiographical
experiences.
Although advertised as a
comedy, "Gagman" is not particularly
funny, with director Lee seemingly aiming for
playfulness rather than out and out laughs. If
anything, it most resembles Scorsese's dark satire
"The King of Comedy", mainly due to its
obsessed and slightly creepy main character,
albeit in a less biting manner and with more in
the way of physical comedy and light hearted
slapstick. Most of the laughs do come from, or
rather at the expense of desperately unfunny
comedian Lee, who comes complete with a Charlie
Chaplin moustache, of which he is fiercely proud,
refusing to shave it off even in the face of
police recognition. And although the film never
depicts Lee in a mean light, it does make him
rather difficult to like or sympathise with as a
protagonist.
The main problem with the
film is its length, which at just over two hours
is far too long. With a meandering plot and little
in the way of actual character development or
motivation, "Gagman" lacks a solid core,
emotional or narrative. This result in a strong
air of self indulgence about the proceedings, with
the director showing little desire to inject any
heart into what amounts to an admittedly inventive
and challenging, though ultimately empty cinematic
puzzle. Although clearly from the director's
heart, "Gagman" is thus a film only
likely to appeal to those who share his, and the
main character's obsession with older forms of
cinema. For everyone else, despite being charming
and even admirable in places, it makes for only
sporadically interesting viewing.
|
