Bedevilled

One of the great, and oft repeated, lines from a film, in this case Jerry Maguire, is "You had me at 'Hello'" and, in the case of Bedevilled (Kim-bok-nam Sal-in-sa-eui Jeon-mal, 2010), the press release had me at ' excruciating suspense leading to a gore leaden [sic] whirlwind of violence' and I don't think I read much more after that before requesting a check disc for review.

This Korean film begins in Seoul where an attractive woman in her 30s is in a police station, being asked to pick someone out of a line-up. It isn't made clear exactly what crime has been committed, but it is clearly a violent one involving gang violence and perhaps a murder. The woman, Hae-won, is accosted in the car park by a couple of the gang members and returns, quite shaken, to work. She takes out her pent-up anger and frustration on an elderly customer who wants an extension on a loan, shouting at her before abruptly closing her desk and then slapping a colleague.

Told to go on vacation by her boss, Hae-won decides to return to the small island of Moo-do where she grew up and spent a happy childhood with her friend, Bok-nam. Arriving at the remote location, it seems as if the idyllic location is exactly she remembered it is, as time progresses, Hae-won realises that Bok-nam is mistreated by virtually everyone, from her husband to the other women.

Her husband, Man-jong, openly sees a prostitute from Seoul and the other women on the island do their best to keep his daughter, Yeon-hee, in the dark. Despite this, she has a rather twisted view of womanhood, saying that she wants big breasts so that 'men will like her', applies make-up and doesn't mind when Man-jong gives her a hug, inappropriately touching her on the backside. Hae-won gets the impression that Man-jong is sexually abusing his daughter, suspicions that aren't denied by Bok-nam.

Due to the daily abuse she suffers and the increasing sexualisation of her daughter, Bok-nam decides, once again, to flee the island and take the 'bus' to the mainland. However, her attempt to leave Moo-do is once again thwarted because the boat captain is on friendly terms with her husband. Lashing out at Man-jong, Bok-nam finds herself on the wrong end of a beating when Yeon-hee intervenes only to be thrown out the way which causes her to bash her head on a rock and die.


When a policeman from Seoul visits, Bok-nam is unable to tell the true story because she is contradicted at every turn by Man-jong and the other women on the island. Seemingly intimidated by this wall of silence, Hae-won refuses to testify against him and Bok-nam is, once again, isolated within the community. When the time comes to harvest the potatoes, the barbed comments in her direction prove to be the straw that broke the camel's back and, picking up a sickle, Bok-nam takes revenge on her tormentors.

Bedevilled is a film that thrives on alienation, with Hae-won alone in Seoul where she doesn't answer her mail, isn't willing to help police with their enquiries and seemingly find it hard to interact with other people when she's stressed. Thinking that a change of scenery may help her to unwind, connect with her past and return to Seoul as a 'new woman', she again finds herself on the periphery of society, completely unable to understand the society in which he was raised - a place where people turn a blind eye to wife beating, adultery and even incest. It doesn't take long before you know that Hae-won will indeed return home as a new woman, but not in the way that she expected.


About 80 minutes of this film is a slow burning drama with serious tensions below the surface and it would have been extremely interesting if it had continued in this vein. However, at about the 80 minute point, it is as if a switch has been flipped and this smouldering drama becomes an outright horror film when Bok-nam takes a sickle and goes on a killing spree with more blood and extreme violence than in your average horror film. After all the bloodshed, there is a telling moment between the two childhood friends and then an almost heartbreaking finale as Hae-won discovers the extent of Bok-nam's friendship and desire to contact her.

Bedevilled is an extraordinarily well made film; superbly written, directed and acted and some of it is naturalistic to the extent that it almost has a documentary feel. It is a rich and rewarding film that I watched twice in as many days, gaining more from the second viewing than the first.


The Disc

Extra Features
There aren't many supplementary features on the disc, unsurprisingly no commentary from the writer or director but it would have been extremely interesting to hear from an expert on Asian cinema, such as Tony Rayns.

Behind the Scenes (12:50, SD) consists of rehearsal footage, some B-roll material, outtakes and is basically a lot of footage of the goings-on before the camera rolls in earnest and a look at the actors doing with the same thing repeatedly in order to get it right.

Aside from that, all the disc offers is a trailer and a TV spot.


The Picture
The MPEG 4 AVC 1080p picture, presented in anamorphic 2.35:1, is extremely clear and sharp with extremely strong and vivid colours, showing the island as a beautiful paradise on which something extraordinary is happening. There are a few instances where the contrast levels aren't quite as deep as you would expect from a modern film on Blu-ray as some darker scenes are more grey than inky black, but at least the grey is very dark.

I'm not sure exactly where this was filmed but there are some beautiful locations with lush vegetation, steep cliffs and bright blue sea around the island. These are used to great effect by the director and cinematographer. When it comes to the gore effects in the final act, these are utterly convincing and there are several moments that will have viewers wincing whilst they are secretly willing Bok-nam on in her revenge spree. The one that got me both times was when she took a sledgehammer and hit a man square in the groin with it and I would defy any man to watch that part without feeling something!


The Sound
You have the option of LPCM 2.0 stereo or DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1, both in Korean with English subtitles. I watched the film right through with the 5.1 soundtrack and then with the stereo option and couldn't really tell a great deal of difference between them. This isn't a film with numerous scenes in which the rear surrounds and subwoofer are employed but the surround speakers do come into play for the subtle atmospherics such as the wind blowing, leaves rustling and people talking.

The score suits the film extremely well and emphasises Bok-nam's plight and the general sense of unease and underlying tension within the community.

The burnt in English subtitles are clear, well-written and free from typographical or grammatical errors. I'm not sure how accurately they have been translated from the Korean, but it is odd to see people talking in slang saying things like 'don't ya', 'wanna' and 'gonna'.


Final Thoughts
Bedevilled is a fine film that draws you into the drama before the true horror of a woman scorned is unleashed on the unsuspecting island community. There will easily be enough here to satisfy horror fans who like substance and plenty of subtext but, as the violence is contextualised, those who like dramas that doesn't hold back in their portrayal of the more violent aspects of life will also find a great deal to enjoy here.

Although the special features section is perhaps found a little wanting, the AV quality is very good without ever being reference quality but it is a disc that is well worth your time, attention and money although it may be a case of 'rent before you buy'.