[HanCinema's Film Review] "Black Hair" + Full Movie

Probably the most noir entry in Lee Man-hee-I's filmography, "Black Hair" could be perceived as his archetypical title, as most of his cinematic traits are to be found here, particularly the episodic structure, the characters who live in the borders of society and the genre mash-up.

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Starting with a violent foreword that introduces one of the protagonists, mob boss Dong-il, the movie then changes style completely, moving to a scene where his wife, Yeon-sil, is meeting Man-ho in a hotel room. It is soon revealed that the man had raped her before, and now is blackmailing her, due to the fate she will have if her husband finds out about her deed, according to the strict, unwritten rules of the night himself has come up with. Unfortunately for her, a member of the gang is witnessing the whole scene, and soon lets Dong-il and his subordinates know, which results in a man who has lost his eye due to breaking the rules, knifing the face of Yeon-sil a bit later.

Dong-il is shattered but cannot go against his own rules, while the girl eventually becomes a prostitute, continuing to be attached to the only man willing to deal with her, Man-ho, who strips her though, from all her money, to spend it on drugs and booze. On a night when a client becomes violent with her, the girl is saved by a taxi driver, who soon becomes a more significant benefactor. Meanwhile, the broken Dong-il is gradually losing the faith of his men. Lastly, in yet another arc, the driver's little sister has become a hostess, bringing her own set of problems on both herself and her brother.

The mash-up here comes in the regular style of Lee Man-hee-I, since a crime noir is soon turned into a melodrama, which manages, though, to make a series of comments regarding the then Korean society through the misfits that are his protagonists. The "rules of the night" offer one of the most central here, with both Dong-il and Yeon-sil suffering intensively, in a remark that highlights how both are slaves to them. At the same time though, while the former faces an existential, psychological crisis, that the latter is forced to turn into a prostitute and face ridicule due to her appearance and the exploitation of Man-ho, eloquently states how more difficult life was for women than men. Add to that the fact that Yeon-sil was raped but still ended up blackmailed, and you have a truly damned hero.

That the only solace in her life comes by chance, in the face of a taxi driver, works quite well in avoiding making the whole movie a Greek tragedy, but that this is not an optimistic one becomes evident soon enough, even if his help eventually ends up having substantial results. Through his sister's arc, his own set of problems are also revealed, while this arc offers another remark, of the differences between the women of the previous and the current generation, which are significant, but not exactly life-changing. On the other hand, maybe also with the exception of the night clubs that show how much American culture had penetrated Korean society, this arc is largely disconnected from the main narrative, and essentially unnecessary, at least as a whole.

As the story progresses, Dong-il emerges as an equally tragic figure as his wife, with his downward spiral due to the implementation of his own rules being one of the best traits of the movie, also due to the excellent acting of Jang Dong-hui, who presents his demise in the most artful fashion. Of equal quality is the acting of Moon Jung-suk as Yeon-sil, with her presenting the disillusionment of her place in the world, as much as the lack of self-confidence, excellently. In general, the whole cast does a great job, in another trait of the movie.

The same applies to the work done in the protagonist's values, with Seo Jeong-min's cinematography creating a truly hellish setting in noir fashion, where the night and the shadows that dominate mirror the fate of the protagonists. Kim Chang-sun's editing induced the movie with a very fitting, relatively fast pace, that suits both the drama and the action in the best fashion.

Despite some minor faults here and there, "Black Hair" is an excellent noir that combines the crime film and the melodrama in the most entertaining fashion, while the somewhat optimistic finale provides a much needed relief that also works for its benefit. Definitely one of Lee's best works.

Review by Panos Kotzathanasis

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"Black Hair" is directed by Lee Man-hee-I, and features Moon Jung-suk, Jang Dong-hwi, Lee Dae-yub, Kim Wun-ha, Chae Rang, Jeong Ae-ran. Release date in Korea: 1964/07/31.