THE GOOD, THE BAD, THE WEIRD (2008)

Mere months before the beginning of World War II, a frantic chase for a map is taking place in Manchuria. The Japanese military is willing to kill whoever is in possession of this piece of paper, which is said to lead to a bounty of wondrous riches. However, unfortunately for this colonial regime, this particular treasure map is also at the centre of a conflict between three determined individuals: one good, one bad, and one weird.

Utter chaos ensues. In Kim Jee-woon’s comedy adventure film from the late 2000s, Hong Kong wuxia and South Korean action meet Sergio Leone’s Spaghetti Western, creating a film with a rather unique appeal. With an epic scale, which was somehow achieved on a budget of only $10M, the film operates in equal parts fun and silliness. With strong performances from lead actors Song Kang-ho and Jung Woo-sung that help to anchor the story as it gradually meanders, The Good, the Bad, the Weird / 좋은 놈, 나쁜 놈, 이상한 놈 remains an entertaining romp. Even if the film is too long for the very thin story, Arrow Video’s recent restoration at least ensures it’s always a delight for the eyes and ears.

Written by director Kim Jee-woon with Kim Min-suk, the gravity of our inciting incident is presented in no uncertain terms: if this map were to fall into the wrong hands, it could alter the course of history. The wealth to be gained is that substantial. It can shape the political context of an entire continent, the stability of an empire, or the outcome of a war. What exactly could be worth so much?

Yoon Tae-goo (Song Kang-ho), our eponymous, weird hero, believes it to be the unfathomable riches that were buried by the Qing dynasty of ancient China. Gold beyond his wildest dreams exists on this isolated spot in the middle of the desert. Of course, Park Do-won (Jung Woo-sung), the phlegmatic good guy, stoically pursues him across vast expanses, meaning that Tae-goo may not be able to enjoy such massive wealth at all: Do-won intends on turning him in, to collect an ever-growing bounty on his head. However, Park Chang-yi (Lee Byung-hun), the very obvious bad guy to fill out our trifecta desires to kill them both—the treasure becomes of secondary importance.

So while the opening may lean a little heavily on exposition, the situation remains tense. We’re made plainly aware of the stakes, and the MacGuffin is simple. Much like Robert Louis Stevenson’s Treasure Island, the dynamics are transparent (yet occasionally shift), motivations are basic (but not ineffective), and the reliance on rudimentary plot mechanisms allow plenty of room for thrilling sequences and, in the case of Jee-woon’s action-adventure-comedy-Western, riotous shenanigans.

Whether you think these hijinks and chases go on for too long will depend on your mood. I, for one, found that they bordered on excessive at times, and the runtime feels far longer than it actually is as a result. However, it’s undeniable that this film is amusing, and the film’s humour is mostly contained within the differences of character types and how they frequently find themselves at odds with each other. Tae-goos is pure chaotic neutral, a jester archetype who only cares about filling his pocket. He has no allegiances, and can’t even bring himself to bear a grudge against the man who’s so intent on killing him.

Unfortunately, the chaotic evil that dominates the narrative comes in the form of Park Chang-yi, who’s rather unconvincing as a principal villain. A pretty-boy-bad-guy, whose personality mostly revolves around his ridiculous haircut that one can’t help but think is unsuited to the time period, is the film’s most boring character. He feels more like a K-Pop poster-boy, not a ruthless killer. The production’s preoccupation with keeping Byung-hun looking stylish undermines the immersion; you’ll question, at least once, how the man’s coat could remain so spotless and his hair so perfectly styled, when surrounded by so much mud, dust, and wind.

Fortunately, the triangle is lent a surprising degree of gravitas from Jung Woo-sung’s performance as lawful good. His showing as a pessimistic yet conscientious bounty hunter provides the film with solemnity in moments that you wouldn’t expect. Stood opposite Kang-ho’s animated expressions and Byung-hun’s exaggerated reactions, Woo-sung’s portrayal of a man in self-imposed exile (Japan colonised Korea from 1910-1945) gives the story its beating heart.

It also helps that this uproarious tale is very imaginatively directed. Jee-woon injects an excess of melodrama into his film, particularly in the climactic Mexican stand-off, which is certainly far more theatrical than the one he’s imitating from Sergio Leone’s The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly (1966). And while this slice of action cinema doesn’t fall into the wuxia genre per se, it incorporates the same ridiculous physics and unlikely stunts as King Hu might have done when he was moulding the genre.

And with so much chasing, the film can feel a tad repetitive at times. Still, even if it feels far longer than its 125 minutes, it’s ultimately amusing, and I’d be lying if I said I didn’t enjoy myself watching it. It may be that there are few films I can think of that fall into such an odd niche. Jee-woon appears to have taken inspiration from Lawrence of Arabia (1962), Blazing Saddles (1974), Mad Max (1979), and Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989). Such an eclectic and far-ranging taste has resulted in a rather singular piece of cinema, even if it never strays too far from its roots as a comedy adventure.

And while the screenplay features a frustrating amount of monologuing, there are also a number of poignant moments to be found in certain dialogues. This includes Tae-goo expressing how much he’d like to stop living the life of a criminal, to take his fortune and buy land back home in Korea. But as he expresses the outlaw’s typical dream for retirement and return to civilised life, à la The Wild Bunch (1969), Do-won posits the question: “Why buy land in a stolen country?” This frames the whole notion of theft and criminality in a different light—it suddenly feels very difficult to judge any of our main characters when we consider they have all suffered profound loss.

This undercurrent of socio-political commentary can be found most memorably in the clever ending. As our heroes have crippled themselves (and each other) to obtain their goal, they stand over a goldmine, their bodies now riddled with bullets, which suddenly bursts open from underneath them. In a changing landscape, wealth has changed, too. Treasure in the modern world isn’t solid gold, but liquid black. And so, Jee-woon and Min-suk’s script manages to capture a shift in history. Wind blows over the three men, ripping the treasure map from their hands. As it floats away into the desert, it reflects the futility of their (and our) chase to obtain wealth over stability, closing our narrative with a surprisingly poetic grace.

SOUTH KOREA | 2008 | 139 MINUTES | 2.35:1 | COLOUR | KOREAN • JAPANESE • MANDARIN

Limited Edition Blu-ray Special Features:

In a film featuring so much CGI, Arrow Video’s new Blu-ray version of Jee-woon’s film is a visual pleasure. (It’s also available on 4K Ultra HD.) In only the opening sequence, an eagle, which has been rendered digitally, looks exquisitely done, and as this bird of prey only just avoids being hit by a train, the gloriously vivid picture becomes exceptionally engrossing. An action-adventure film as ambitious as this one truly does benefit from improved visuals: the sheen on a character’s hair, or a train stopping suddenly and hurling all its passengers (and the camera) forward violently— it all feels exceptionally well done.

That’s because in these visual-effects-heavy chase sequences, the immersion has been heightened through the technical improvements within this particular disc. As cinematographer Lee Mo-gae makes creative use of camera angles—imaginative tracking shots, fast camerawork, swooping dolly shots—poor-quality VFX never becomes a distraction. The film remains wonderfully stylish, and the lush colour is a sight to behold.

Of course, the sound quality has also been amplified in Arrow’s new disc, with train whistles, gun battles, and even a character scrubbing his teeth with his fingers reverberating in your ear drums. Additionally, Dalparan and Jang Young-gyu’s stellar music comes through wonderfully. I was a particular fan of the inclusion of “Don’t Let Me Be Misunderstood” by Santa Esmeralda during a chase sequence, which made the whole scene electrifying.

• Brand new 4K master, approved by director Kim Jee-woon. 
• DTS-HD MA 7.1 on both cuts of the film.
• Optional English subtitles.
• Limited edition packaging featuring newly commissioned artwork by Nathanael Marsh.
• 40-page perfect bound collector’s book featuring new writing by Darcy Paquet, Kyu Hyun Kim, Cho Jae-whee, and Ariel Schudson.
• Double-sided fold-out poster featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Nathanael Marsh.
• Three postcard-sized artcards.
• Reversible sleeve featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Nathanael Marsh.

Disc 1: Feature Presentations

• Includes both the International and Korean versions of the film presented via seamless branching.
• Brand new audio commentary by film critic James Marsh and film critic and producer Pierce Conran.
• Archival audio commentary by director Kim Jee-woon and actors Song Kang-ho, Lee Byung-hun, and Jung Woo-sung (International version).
• Archival audio commentary by director Kim Jee-woon, cinematographer Lee Mo-gae, lighting director Oh Seung-chul, and art director Cho Hwa-sung (Korean Version).
• A new introduction to the film by Kim Jee-woon.

Disc 2: Bonus Features (Blu-ray)

• Corralling chaos in the desert, a new interview with director Kim Jee-woon 
• Dusty dust-ups and sweaty saddles, a new interview with martial arts coordinator Jung Doo-hong.
• Archival making of films and featurettes. 
• Trailer gallery.
• Image gallery.

Cast & Crew

director: Kim Jee-woon.
writers: Kim Jee-woon & Kim Min-suk.
starring: Song Kang-ho, Lee Byung-hun, Jung Woo-sung, Yoon Je-moon, Ryu Seung-soo, Song Yeong-chang, Ma Dong-seok, Son Byong-ho & Oh Dal-su.