Memories of Murder (Criterion Collection) [Blu-ray]

Description

In his breakthrough second feature, Bong Joon Ho explodes the conventions of the policier with thrillingly subversive, genre-defying results. Based on the true story of a string of serial killings that rocked a rural community in the 1980s, Memories of Murder stars New Korean Cinema icon Song Kang Ho as the local officer who reluctantly joins forces with a seasoned Seoul detective (Kim Sang Kyung) to investigate the crimes—leading each man on a wrenching, yearslong odyssey of failure and frustration that will drive him to the existential edge. Combining a gripping procedural with a vivid social portrait of the everyday absurdity of life under military rule, Bong fashions a haunting journey into ever-deepening darkness that begins as a black-comic satire and ends as a soul-shattering encounter with the abyss. Director-Approved Two-Blu-ray Special Edition Features • New 4K digital restoration, supervised by cinematographer Kim Hyung Ku and approved by director Bong Joon Ho, with 5.1 surround DTS-HD Master Audio soundtrack • Two 2009 commentaries featuring Bong and members of the cast and crew, plus a new commentary featuring critic Tony Rayns • New program featuring filmmaker Guillermo del Toro • New interview with Bong about the real-life serial killer who inspired the film • Documentary from 2004 on the making of the film • Deleted scenes, with optional audio commentary by Bong • New program about the use of sound in Bong’s work, featuring film scholar Jeff Smith • Incoherence, a 1994 student film by Bong, with a new introduction by the director • Teaser, trailer, and TV spot • Plus: An essay by critic and novelist Ed Park.