This article contains minor spoilers forDecision to Leave
Korean media is having a moment. Between the global domination of K-pop,Squid Game’s absurd success, and Bong Joon-ho finally getting the country its first Oscar wins withParasite, the United States is finally beginning to embrace the notion that quality entertainment can be produced outside its borders. There have been similar periods before, such as the J-Horror boom of the late nineties and early aughts, but the wide variety of Korean music, television, and movies that are being consumed might be unparalleled. However, this is not the first time that Korean cinema has entered the American mainstream thanks to the films ofPark Chan-wook.
Park, according to a 2017 article fromThe New York Times Style Magazine, was, at the time, “South Korea’s most famous film director, known nationally and internationally for his 2002-05 Vengeance trilogy —Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance,OldboyandLady Vengeance— films that helped bring Korean cinema to the world stage.” While Bong might be more well-known today, it is hard to overstate how for many years, Park’s work, and in particular the breakout hitOldboy, was the only exposure many audiences had to Korean films.
It’s been eight years since Park Chan-wook directed his last feature,The Handmaiden, but he has finally made his return to the big screen with a new piece,Decision to Leave. The movie has received almost universal acclaim from critics and netted Park the Best Director award at Cannes earlier this year. Many of these positive reviews of the film have pointed out the many similarities this romantic neo-noir has to the works of two legendary filmmakers, Wong Kar-wai and Alfred Hitchcock.
To celebrate Park’s reemergence to this new media landscape he helped pioneer, let’s take a look at how he synthesizes these two influences into something entirely new.
Alfred Hitchcock’s Influence on Decision to Leave
In an interview with theAV Club, Park Chan-wook denies specifically pulling from the work of Alfred Hitchcock forDecision to Leave, saying:
“I never thought aboutVertigoor Hitchcock when I was making the film. Not just for this film, but generally in my creative process, I don’t do that. I’m never thinking about a particular film or filmmaker.”
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However, that doesn’t mean Hitchcock didn’t impact the movie, as the director says that Hitchcock’s “influence definitely does exist…[r]eading the articles by Western critics mentioning [Hitchcock’sVertigo] I did understand where they came from.”
All of this is to say that whileDecision to Leaveisn’t a direct homage to Hitchcock; his fingerprints are all over large swathes of the movie. The film’s two leads, Park Hae-il as Jang Hae-joon and Tang Wei as Song Seo-rae, fit into the classic anti-hero detective and femme fatale archetypes, respectively. However, both characters are updated to match the twenty-first-century Korean setting. The plot is also classic Hitchcock, full of murder, suspense, and plot twists.
Beyond the story, the film is a visual treat, often employing Hitchcockian POV shots and closeups of eyes. Whether intentionally or not, it’s impossible to make a noir or thriller without at least referencing the master who established so many of those genres' conventions.
Wong Kar-wai’s Influence on Decision to Leave
While Alfred Hitchcock’s largest impact onDecision to Leavecan be observed in its story and style,Wong Kar-wai’s touchis felt most intensely in the tone and pacing. The renowned Hong Kong-based director is known for his slow-burn romances, built from sly glances and missed connections. Wong’s most well-known film,In The Mood for Love, has been a common reference point forDecision to Leave,especially how it creates romance not out of overt displays of affection but rather through implication and omission.
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The reunion of Jang Hae-joon and Song Seo-rae at a market in the second half ofDecision to Leaveis a great example of this, using camera framing and sound mixing to create intimacy and distance at the same time.
Decision to Leaveis a slow film, a far cry from the near-constant intensity of something likeOldboy. It goes by at a gradual pace, allowing the central romance to build up and eventually break down. Despite only making the slightest physical contact, the romantic tension between the two leads is palpable; both hold back by their respective pasts and societal roles. Neither of these people can escape the crimes that have already been committed, and their romance is doomed before it can even begin.
While these two directors profoundly impactedDecision to Leave, it is important to be clear that Park Chan-wook is not overly derivative. He is not only unique for combining the work of Alfred Hitchcock and Wong Kar-wai either, asPark’s signature styleand themes are evident throughout the film. Additionally, Hitchcock was no stranger to including romance in his movies, and crime is featured in some of Wong’s films, likeChungking ExpressandFallen Angels.
Discussing influence is compelling because it can be the clearest indicator of what is innovative about a new film likeDecision to Leave. One of the best methods to truly appreciate modern works is to understand what has come before.
