Guta-yubalja-deul

A Bloody Aria is a disturbing look into the ongoing cycle of violence and bullying in Korea. It has no hero or even anti-hero, only protagonists and victims often one in the same. The story begins with a professor driving with a former student taking her to a remote destination with malintentions. A chain of events come into play bringing forth several other "country folk" characters that will lead to a tension filled explosion of violence linked to bullying and institutions such as the military.

The film is primarily a bleak revenge flick with offbeat characters and dark humor. The director conveys his views on violence in Korea through bullying and the circle that evolves from it. Filmed primarily in one location the story is still engaging for the simple fact you have no idea how these characters are going to react next. However, the film seems to think it's a little more clever than it is involving the twists that come into fruition. I figured one major twist out within the first 15 minutes of the film and the other large twist was hard to believe or at least hard to believably comprehend the character's actions and emotions. Some of the subplots such as the rat poison and introduction of a gun fall flat. I enjoyed the film despite its flaws and look forward to what this director brings next.

A greatly fun movie with twists and turns. Had a good sense of when to turn serious and when to be funny. Not a dull moment within it.

This may sound like a predictable scenario, but this plot nudges the viewer in the wrong direction at every turn. Director Won Shin-young takes the well-known basic elements of the horror genre and twists them even further, setting us up for something great. The key is the disorienting sense of humor that accompanies even the most violent moments. Just as Bong-young teases his hapless victims, Won Shin-young plays with the audience, alternating moments of tension with humorous releases, making us feel both pleasantly and uncomfortably inappropriate, and making us feel uncomfortable. I'm playing cat and mouse with him. Because in the end, it comes down to who can be the most proud. The film's defining pastoral and animal images (a soaring bird of prey in the opening shot, or a later scene in which an insensitive thug slaughters another bird of prey with a baseball bat) hint at an important truth: is showing. Obey no one else as a brutal natural law. Most disturbingly, the final scene suggests that the characters who should best represent order and civilization may also be the most barbaric.

Well I enjoyed the first ten minutes, and that's the only positive I can take away from this film. It's Korean Vengeance cinema fused with Hollywood style Hillbilly fare, with the usual unoriginal plot that can be summed up in one sentence. A music professor and his female student on their way to Seoul get lost and stranded in the countryside; enter four crazy country bumpkins and yeah you pretty much know the rest.

On the plus side, the photography's excellent, and the performances are convincing. If you're into films like Hostel and Cabin Fever then you may like this. But if your new to Korean cinema, don't start here visit Old Boy.

I try not to give synopsis's because that can be easily read when you first read the IMDb page. I just like to share my experience and thoughts on the film.

This film had some interesting layers you really don't see coming. You feel something Is connecting everything but it's concealed so well and yet so blatantly by the direction and writing that when it comes together it's rather satisfying.

Main theme that is prevalent is the assertion of dominance; i.e. bullying. While this film avoids overly graphic scenes; there is still some cringeworthy moments. The violence portrayed in this movie while at moments would be deemed unnecessary it is only moments and is not persistent. It's a sad story and an interesting one.

The viewer won't find out what really is going on in this movie until the very end which definitely keeps you engrossed because the film quality was poor and can lead to distraction. I feel like this may be a nice little cult film from South Korea that should be viewed just a little bit more because the content of the story was very moving. Give this one a shot.