South Korea has been an important part of the international film landscape not just since the success of “Parasite”. Park Chan-wook (“The Pickpocket”, “Stoker”) has long been one of the great directors of this country. The 59-year-old is known for his elegant, dark thrillers, which are often underlaid with subtle irony. This is also the case in his new film “The Woman in the Fog”, which won the director’s prize at the Cannes Film Festival in 2022.
The film tells the story of policeman Chang Hae-joon (Park Hae-il). He investigates an alleged accidental death and feels attracted to the victim’s widow, Tang Wei (Song Seo-rae). Chang Hae-joon gets more and more involved in the case. Tang Wei soon becomes the focus of the investigation – and the policeman finds it difficult to distinguish himself.
As he spends nights stalking around the suspect’s house, he neglects his private life. The suspect notices the police officer’s interest and responds, involving him in conversations, for example.
All this is captured in unusual cuts and perspectives. The scene transitions are artistic. The characters maintain eye contact throughout scenes. Or the drops from a teapot become the drops from an infusion tube quite unobtrusively.
“The Woman in the Mist” is an exciting film, but sometimes you don’t quite understand the attraction of the characters to each other. Above all, it is a visual masterpiece.
The Woman in the Mist, South Korea 2022, 138 minutes, R16+, by Park Chan-wook, starring Tang Wei, Park Hae-il
