The New Film Isn't Likely to Be Stranger Than the Science Fiction Psychodrama It's Based On
Greek surrealist director Yorgos Lanthimos specializes in distinctly odd movies. The narratives he creates defy convention, such as The Lobster, in which singletons are compelled to form relationships or risk changed into beasts. In adapting someone else’s work, he frequently picks basis material that’s quite peculiar too — odder, possibly, than his cinematic take. This proved true for last year's Poor Things, a film version of Alasdair Gray’s delightfully aberrant novel, an empowering, liberated take on Frankenstein. The director's adaptation is good, but to some extent, his unique brand of oddity and Gray’s cancel each other out.
The Director's Latest Choice
His following selection to bring to screen also came from unexpected territory. The original work for Bugonia, his newest project alongside acclaimed performer Emma Stone, was 2004’s Save the Green Planet!, a perplexing Korean fusion of sci-fi, dark humor, terror, satire, dark psychodrama, and police procedural. It’s a strange film not so much for what it’s about — although that's far from normal — but due to the chaotic extremity of its mood and storytelling style. It's an insane journey.
The Burst of Korean Film
It seems there was something in the air within the country in the early 2000s. Save the Green Planet!, helmed by Jang Joon-hwan, belonged to an explosion of audacious in style, groundbreaking movies from fresh voices of filmmakers like Bong Joon Ho and Park Chan-wook. It was released concurrently with Bong’s Memories of Murder and Park’s Oldboy. Save the Green Planet! isn't as acclaimed as those celebrated works, but there are similarities with them: graphic brutality, dark comedy, bitter social commentary, and defying expectations.
The Plot Unfolds
Save the Green Planet! focuses on an unhinged individual who kidnaps a corporate CEO, convinced he is a being from the planet Andromeda, with plans to invade Earth. Early on, that idea unfolds as broad comedy, and the lead, Lee Byeong-gu (the performer from Park’s Joint Security Area and Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance), comes across as a charmingly misguided figure. Together with his childlike entertainer girlfriend Su-ni (the star) don black PVC ponchos and ridiculous headgear adorned with mental shields, and use balm for defense. But they do succeed in abducting inebriated businessman Kang Man-shik (the performer) and taking him to a secluded location, a dilapidated building constructed in a former excavation amid the hills, home to his apiary.
Shifting Tones
Moving forward, the film veers quickly into ever more unsettling. The protagonist ties Kang onto a crude contraption and physically abuses him while spouting bizarre plots, finally pushing the gentle Su-ni away. Yet the captive is resilient; fueled entirely by the belief of his own superiority, he is prepared and capable to subject himself horrifying ordeals in hopes of breaking free and dominate the clearly unwell kidnapper. Meanwhile, a deeply unimpressive investigation to find the criminal gets underway. The cops’ witlessness and incompetence recalls Memories of Murder, although it’s not so clearly intentional in a movie with plotting that appears haphazard and unrehearsed.
Constant Shifts
Save the Green Planet! plunges forward relentlessly, driven by its own crazed energy, trampling genre norms along the way, even when it seems likely it to either settle down or run out of steam. At moments it appears like a serious story regarding psychological issues and overmedication; at other times it becomes a fantasy allegory on the cruelty of the economic system; alternately it serves as a dirty, tense scare-fest or an incompetent police story. Jang Joon-hwan applies equal measure of feverish dedication to every bit, and Shin Ha-kyun delivers a standout performance, although the character of Byeong-gu keeps morphing from savant prophet, endearing eccentric, and terrifying psycho in response to the movie’s constant shifts in mood, viewpoint, and story. One could argue this is intentional, not a bug, but it can be rather bewildering.
Intentional Disorientation
The director likely meant to confuse viewers, indeed. Like so many Korean films during that period, Save the Green Planet! draws energy from an exuberant rejection for artistic rules in one aspect, and a genuine outrage about man’s inhumanity to man additionally. The film is a vibrant manifestation of a society establishing its international presence alongside fresh commercial and artistic liberties. It promises to be intriguing to see how Lanthimos views the same story from contemporary America — possibly, a contrasting viewpoint.
Save the Green Planet! is available to stream for free.
