Tell Me Something (1999)

Chang Yun-Hyun

Korea

116 min, color, Korean (English subtitles)

In what is one of the most gruesome openings, the camera slowly follows the meticuluous dismemberment of a young man, still alive, by an unseen methodical killer with apparent surgical skills. Two murders, and only different body parts found, some not matching the body they are discovered with. With some twisted penchant for the sensational, the killer stuffs trash bags with parts and plasma, and leaves them in public areas for others to find. The Seoul's police is helpless even though they form a special investigative unit headed by Detective Cho (Han Seok-kyu) to follow the trail (pun intended). The only link between the victims is the innocent, scared, and somewhat disturbed Chae Suyeon (Shim Eun-ha) who has been involved with each of them at one time or another.

What follows is a manhunt of Se7en proportions, only less attention is paid to imaginative splatter and more to psychological characterization. As the story develops, and surprises with several faux climaxes, Tell Me Something begins to gnaw at the audience. There's something terribly wrong here but it is not possible to pinpoint what it is. Undulating between suspicion and relief, the film seems to better many of the thrillers it rips, relying ever so seldom on physical scare but pressing with questions that are difficult to phrase. Is it the deed of a jealous lover, or maybe of an abusive father, or an elusive Peeping Tom? The film cleverly builds a case for different possible scenarios and then discards them in a flash of terror.

Reprising their winning pairing from the drama Christmas in August, Han and Shim have undeniable chemistry that transcends genre. They are a pleasure to watch, even when Han does his own stunts or Shim wakes up with a start at night, frightened by some unknown nightmare. Another huge plus for the film is the music, which is very sensual, almost suggesting that the answer is not in the "who" but in the "why." Boasting some elaborate scenes, like the car pile-up when a truck splits open another gory trash bag on the highway, the thriller delivers, even to viewers somewhat spoiled by the heightened expectations from Hollywood special effects. There are inevitable comparisons but to evaluate the film in terms of its Hollywood predecessors would be to underestimate it grossly. Just as inventive as The Silence of the Lambs and as suspenseful as Se7en, this Korean film outdoes them both in that it opts for the understated motif, which glares at us amidst the carnage subtly. Not to be missed.

The Spectrum Korean DVD is superb. It boasts a widescreen anamorphic transfer of very high quality. Because of wrong mastering, the film may start slightly stretched horizontally. Adjusting the setting to 16:9 (for a normal TV) fixes it. The subtitles are bright and readable, the translation is excellent. (What a relief from my deciphering efforts with HK discs.) The soundtrack is also well done, with good Dolby surround and crisp audible dialogue. There are some extras, of which the cast bios are in Korean, but which include a theatrical trailer, some outtakes, and an English music video. A well-rounded release that is worth every penny of its $20.

September 25, 2001.