I'm a cyborg but that's okay

This is a South Korean film about a girl who believes she is a cyborg. Instantly it is impossible for this to be an ordinary film, but still it surprised me at how odd it was. The first scene features three points in time, a breaking of the fourth wall, the main character's mother explaining that her brothers and sisters are all mice, and what could best be described as a somewhat graphic suicide attempt. Although it's not intended as a suicide attempt; the main character slits her wrist in order to insert her charging cable, and plugs herself into the mains. All the while, light happy music not unlike Danny Elfman's scores is playing, and everything is shot in bright colours, creating a childish gleeful appearance. This opening scene makes it perfectly clear that at the very least this film is going to be a unique experience.

The visual style of this movie is unusual in the way that everything looks like a photograph; attention has been paid to colours used in every scene, and there are certain shots where the exposure has been adjusted in such a way that only main focal points are visible. Many times unconventional shots are used, such as odd angles, sweeping shots in mundane scenes, and one scene particularly stands out; without giving plot points away, it features a lot of people being shot. It is filmed from far away, looking down as one continuous take. The people involved are hardly visible, you just hear shots and see soil being thrown up.

The tone of the film is where it has made itself very unusual however. Many scenes in the mental hospital are comedic, with very strange, comical things happening either to main characters or in the background. This means that at face value the film is a comedy, with flourishes of violence similar to a Quentin Tarantino movie. However, if viewed as a comedy, the film lacks any warmth or character; it is more of a freak show that you will probably feel awkward for finding funny. You must look deeper into the film to find the true meaning. The director, Park Chan-Wook, has very cleverly managed to use an almost slapstick comedy to subtly explore the dark topic of mental illness, and concealed a touching insight as to how people can overcome them in their own ways. It is something that many films attempt; take a dark subject and explore it via comedy, and have a touching end result; but this movie does it on a far deeper level, with Chan-Wook drawing on his background in philosophy. It manages to refrain from coming across as too depressing or sickly; everything is moderated, maintaining the delicacy that makes the film so successful.

Unfortunately, for the more casual viewer who understandably expects a film to be taken at face value, it will come across as an over-the-top, almost childish comedy with a very confusing and jarring ending. Even of those who can enjoy movies where a deeper meaning is meant to be found, the bizzare imagery of dream sequences and the general outlandishness of the plot may be too much, and it could come across as over-ambitious. One problem many people seem to have is the ending; if you enjoy the movie but are confused as to the point of the ending, it may be worth re-watching the final 20 minutes or so, and paying close attention to every shot and line. It does take some piecing together to reach the intended conclusion, but once you reach it, or go to the imdb forums to be told, it is a very well-handled, subtle ending to the movie.

It is here that it is solely personal opinion. I enjoyed the face value comedy side of the film, and was taken in by the deeper undertones of the plot. I did take some time to fully comprehend the ending, but eventually I found it a heartwarming if very odd movie. I can understand why some people would give this a very low rating, but I give it 9/10.