[HanCinema's Film Review] "The Devil's Stairway" + Full Movie

Lee Man-hee-I was one of the most prolific and most intriguing filmmakers of the 60s and 70s, with its legacy continuing for many decades after his untimely death at just 45. His approach, which frequently included genre aesthetics that were filled with sociopolitical context, finds one of its apogees in "The Devil's Stairway", a horror thriller that comments on the strain the pressure for social and financial success places on people.

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Dr. Hyeon is the chief surgeon of a private clinic, whose owner, Oh Sang-gil, has a particular sympathy for. He is not the only one, however, since his daughter, Jeong-ja, also likes the young, handsome doctor, with her occasionally excessive flirting being a source of intense gossip among the nurses of the establishment. Thus, Oh also has big plans for him, grooming him for both his daughter and the role of the director of the clinic. Hyeon, however, also retains a secret relationship with a nurse, Nam Ji-sook, who finds herself particularly disgruntled with the ways her lover's relationship with Jeong-ja is proceeding. Although he also has feelings for her, the prospects offered by marrying the owner's daughter are far more appealing, and eventually make the decision more beneficial for him. When Ji-sook lets him know that she is pregnant, the doctor finds himself under intense pressure, which results in a fight in the stairs of the clinic, which ends up with the nurse falling over. As time passes, the only solution remaining in his mind involves crime, but that is when his true problems arise.

One of the most interesting aspects of the movie is actually the titular one, with the way Lee Man-hee-I is using the two sets in the clinic, one in the interior and a back one that leads to a nearby pond being particularly significant, both in terms of story and as a metaphor regarding the "paths" towards success or disaster the protagonists take. The way the whether each character is ascending or descending is also rather intelligently implemented in the narrative, with Lee highlighting that the stairs, just like life, can either lead to the top or to the bottom according to the choice each individual makes. The fact that the ladder is already defective when the story begins, can also be perceived as a metaphor regarding the "path to financial and social success" the country was experiencing during the 60s, with the same applying to the overall path Dr. Hyeon's life takes, when he picks money over love. The way Seo Jeong-nim portrays the two, along with Lee Man-hee-I's composition are excellent here, in the most impressive, visually at least, element of the film.

The film begins as a kind of social/romantic melodrama, but after the first accident in the ladder, the horror/thriller elements take over, with the protagonist's actions and the subsequent downward spiral he starts experiencing being the main mediums of this aspect. Of note here is the fact that the angst and strain Dr. Hyeon feels, are mostly due to his guilt and inner turmoil rather than an external factor (police investigations for example), with his declining mentality being one of the most impressive aspects of the movie. This trait benefits the most from Kim Jin-kyu's sublime performance, who portrays his transformation to a total wreck in the most impressive fashion.

Furthermore, and in an approach that intensifies the atmosphere of pressure and disorientation Lee Man-hee-I implements, small details here and there, such as the look of a nurse, some gossip that are barely heard etc, highlight the fact that something could actually be wrong, thus creating a very appealing question of if the doctor is actually crazy or someone is playing with his mind. Kim Hee-su's editing, with the sudden changes of perspectives and settings, along with Han Sang-ki's music add even more to these elements, with the movie truly thriving on its atmosphere.

Lastly, Moon Jung-suk as Jin-sook is also great, as the perpetual victim who desperately tries to keep fighting a battle already lost, in the most melodramatic role of the story.

"The Devil's Stairway" is an excellent movie, whose multi-levelled approach works quite well even today, with the restoration by the Korean Film Archive highlighting its overall artfulness in the best fashion.

Review by Panos Kotzathanasis

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"The Devil's Stairway" is directed by Lee Man-hee-I, and features Kim Jin-kyu, Moon Jung-suk, Bang Seong-ja, Choi Nam-hyun, Jeong Ae-ran, Yu Gye-seon. Release date in Korea: 1964/07/10.