The so-called “Bourne-style” of action editing was much ado with the buzz over some Korean actioners roughly a decade and some change ago. Won Shin-yeon’s The Suspect eventually became part of the conversation with the state of Korean action films and finding its footing in wider markets.
I’ll admit, this kind of static editing might have – and still may – work for some who aren’t heavily cerebral about cinema and just wanna relax and kickback to some good fun. Otherwise, appealing to audiences fond of Paul Greengrass’s approach to CQC screenfighting had its calling at the time, specifically to the credit of The Suspect.
What matters, however, is what Im Sang-yoon’s script and the story it proffers to audiences. Films like this and Commitment come to mind when considering the politics of the North at the time, particularly with the death of Kim Jong-il and the ascension of his son as supreme leader a year later, thusly, setting the backdrop for a tale set against a palatable backdrop of political upheaval and uncertainty.
This aspect extends nonetheless to Ji Dong-chul (Gong Yoo), a former special forces agent abandoned by his government, now works as a cab driver in the South. When his boss is assassinated in the dark of night, Ji is subsequently framed for his murder and forced on the run, but not before being handed a pair of glasses that contain proof of something that would gravely shift things in favor of the North if in the wrong hands.
To add, Ji is already on a mission of his own: Hunting down the man responsible for the murder of his wife and child who were initially sold as slaves to China. With the aid of a tenacious journalist named Choi Kyung-hee (Yoo Da-in), Ji sets out to avenge his family and solve the mystery of the glasses, all while outrunning (and if possible, outgunning) NIS agents who will stop at nothing to bring him down, including the agency’s corrupt director, and an ensnared Colonel with an axe to grind.
The Suspect is a big-scale, suspenseful thrillride for much of the way, and well over two hours at that. Won and his team deliver a fervent spy/revenge flick that keeps you on your all-tens with breakneck intensity and pacing, and interesting characters who bring depth and fortitude.
Park Hee-soon plays one of the film’s more interesting roles as Min, the colonel plucked by the corrupt NIS director Kim Suk-ho (Jo Sung-ha). Min is an admirable no-nonsense character from the start. He wants to nab Ji probably more than anyone, although as unyielding as he is in the chase, it’s only a matter of time before he’ll have to reconcile with the facts of the case which are increasingly in Ji’s favor.
It also helps that the film is not merely contained in a revenge plot either. Smart, layered writing pave the way for an epsionage epic with plenty of scope and character development, and a handful of supporting roles to help bring levity to the intensity, namely co-stars Jo Jae-yun as Captain Jo who quarterbacks in, and Kim Min-jae who recurs in several scenes for Kyung-hee.
Oh Se-young coordinated the action for The Suspect, making Yoo look as fitting as possible for his action star performance. Ultimately, the aforementioned style, as implied, is an acquired taste for folks. In my view, I’ve seen worse, and at least here, there’s a tighter assembly of the fight beats between the cinematography and the choreography. Yoo reportedly trained for months in Systema to prepare for his role, and suffice it to say, it hasn’t gone to waste here. To add, fans of the genre will be keen to spot Kim Won-jin (Operation Scorpio, China Strike Force) as one of the formidable baddies hunting Ji down.
Jo Sung-ha is a total menace in the role of the NIS director. There’s a scene by the end during the explosive climax where snipers shoot the window where he’s presumed to be a hostage. The scene speaks to the prevalent search for justice that ultimately finds its way at the top of the hierarchy, resulting in a finish that I think anyone watching might agree with.
I think it’s great that the NYAFF recirculated this film for this year’s festivities. It only just dawned on me how much I enjoy Korean films that humanize protagonists whose roots are just above the DMZ, while also managing to find some semblance of growth and inducement with their neighbors in the South.
It’s an eye-opening and almost unifying experience here with The Suspect that validates the wish for that same unity to exist in real life, as distant as that unity is, sadly. It further contributes to the appreciation and space for potential for action films like these which might have gone under the radar for some folks.
The Suspect is readily available in North America from Well Go USA so anyone willing can definitely check it out.
The Suspect enjoyed its Special Screening at the 24th edition of the New York Asian Film Festival.