Amateur Recommendation Hour: The Man From Nowhere

Today’s recommendation might be one of the best pure action thriller films I’ve yet seen. A simple story told effectively as much through its cinematography, visual flair, and cohesive vision. To refer to any art as “simplistic” is remarkably reductive at first glance. However the beautiful simplicity of moving works of art are often the most impressive, to use comparatively little to such great effect is as impressive as using a large scope of focus to the same degree. The emotion it conveys through little spoken word and attention to detail in the little things is impressive on a scale I’ve yet seen in pure action cinema. And from Korean cinema, in such a well documented and saturated space as the revenge thriller film genre is, its place in it is among the very top of its high regarded class.

The Man From Nowhere, directed by Lee Jeong-beom, The atmosphere is palpably thick as to sift through it’s smoky edges. Not exactly the friendliest neighborhood in town, leaning into its noir influences. Cha Tae-sik is a visual storytelling marker of distance and pain. His unkempt hair, scruffy appearance and private demeanor indicates the hell he has experienced without saying a word. Contrasted against the childlike innocence of the young girl, So-mi, who brings out the tiniest pieces of humanity left in his flickering soul and also provides a space of respite for her as her mother, Hyo-jeong, is an opioid addict and go-go dancer. It is clear from the start that these two might realistically be all they have in their lives. As you would expect, the contacts that come with living the life that Hyo-jeong don’t exactly have her best interests at heart. Taking So-mi hostage after torturing her mother, in front of So-mi no less, Tae-sik springs into action, using his acquired skills to save the only thing he has left. And his desperation is reflected in that action that comes to life as the story begins to unfold.

It is remarkably well paced, never lingering or dragging, while not being too fast to keep up with itself. Unlike most thrillers it doesn’t rely on its pace too heavily which is a credit to its plot-focused writing. Mostly keeping away from the fluff and pointless filler seen in other revenge tales. Smart use of cold color combinations and dreary overcast enhance the immersion factor as is paramount in a neo-noir film such as this. This is a gloomy trek through the unforgivable crimes against humanity, the dirtiest and filthiest desires come to life in the form of monetary gain at the cost of the morality we have worked so hard to maintain as a species. It’s smartly shot and boldly utilized action scenes are dynamic and palpitating. Sparse enough that the audience will never get desensitized to the action, as each jolt of action has weight, consequence and the proper amount of impact in relation to its respective story beats and place within its broader narrative. It’s a testament to the focus on display and its ability to engage without the symphony of explosions and elaborative dance routine of kicks and punches. As Hong Kong action cinema legend John Woo has stated, he views the cinematography of action scenes as “almost like a musical” taking into account rhythm and timing as much as anything else.

While characterization is not as important in a narrative focused thriller, that's not to say being able to create people we can believe to be walking among us, beyond simple fictional archetypes is important, even in the most subtle and minor of details, it can go a long way. In that regard The Man From Nowhere only partially succeeds. Fortunately its main character does just enough in terms of his characterization in small and understated moments. His motivations feel very real, I never got the impression that he was "going out of his way" on his violent rampage through the Korean criminal underworld. It sounds strange to say in a revenge film but there is a fair amount of heart warming moments that never feel overtly inconsistent with the overall tone using very smart motifs to show the connection between the young girl and our protagonist. It’s a humble relationship of the purest and innocent love between unlikely companions. No ulterior motives, just unfiltered and gentle emotion against the backdrop of a heartless and grotesque underbelly, children, adults, no one anywhere should ever have to experience. A special mention must go out to the convincing performances made by Won Bin, who plays the main character Tae-sik, and the child actor Kim Sae-ron who do an exceptional job in bringing their roles to life with remarkably complex scenes and balancing that out with the emotionally sensitive sides of the film.

My personal interpretations of this work are the importance of finding reasons to live, living for something, someone, finding as much purpose in a single moment as you can. Those who are able to find these reasons and hold onto them have infinitely more rewarding lives than those who live for the next day, the next paycheck, and are reducing themselves to nothing more than unquantifiable futures. It is those with purpose that end up being targets to those without. No matter what we have been through, how arduous the journey, or how miserable the outlook, it is holding onto the lingering humanity we have resolved to keep that sets us apart from the nihilistic decisions those who have given into the base of the human psyche have ultimately sacrificed their very soul for. We all have that one something, someone, somewhere in our lives that we hold onto tightly without knowing. It’s when we are conscious of how firmly we have held on to those saviors that we need to remember their impact the most.

While it may not be the most original of revenge fiction, to be extremely original in the 21st century is an extremely tall task, everything will have it's influences of milestones and classics of yesteryear. At the end of the day I believe that it's not the cards you're dealt, it's how you play them. By my metrics The Man From Nowhere plays them pretty darn well. Small scale and effective writing, direction on par with any of the best action cinema, believable characterization, and knife-edge tension. Its deceptive intelligence has stayed with me longer than any action film I can remember. 

Substance is paramount in the best of all artistic creation, regardless of the medium through which it is being created. And how one comes about that substance is variable and flexible. To arrive at such a tangible conclusive endpoint is not a roadmap. In that way it is difficult to create good art, no matter the scale through which one finds themselves creating. As much as I love the cerebral, philosophical and complexity of auteurism found in works such as Neon Genesis Evangelion, Ghost In The Shell, Metal Gear Solid, and the like, there is a place for ALL art across the interwoven spectrum of our modern era. The Man From Nowhere finds itself in a unique niche that has endlessly impressed me in its execution and value to its admittedly cluttered space and genre within that space. Staying true to itself and what it tries to be from beginning to end.