Off Road (DVD) (Korea Version) DVD Region 3

The film wastes little time in getting to the action, beginning as Seoul taxi driver Sang Hoon (Jo Han Cheol, also in Lee Chang Dong's superb Peppermint Candy) receives an unwanted passenger in the form of wounded bank robber Cheol Gu (Baek Soo Jang, recently in See You After School) who slumps into the back of his car clutching a bag of money. As they head into the countryside, the two men find that they have similar problems in life, and after struggling with each other for a while, they check into a motel to treat Cheol Gu's injuries. There they meet prostitute Ji Soo (Sun Woo Sun, My Scary Girl), who is naturally curious about the blood soaked men, and more specifically about the bag they are carrying.

As might be expected from the title, Off Road is basically an on the road film, with the quiet Korean countryside providing a gorgeous backdrop to the characters' own personal journeys. Han takes a bold, confident approach to the drama, throwing the viewer pretty much right in at the deep end without any clear indications regarding Sang Hoon or Cheol Gu other than the fact that they are both obviously desperate men. As such, he immediately strikes up a certain tension, and although the characters are gradually fleshed out through conversations and flashbacks, the film remains taut and has an impression of wariness throughout. Basically working with a two character drama for more than half of its admirably short running time, he manages to keep things interesting thanks to some expert pacing and judiciously inserted bursts of surprising violence and shock revelations. Thankfully, the introduction of Ji Soo only serves to make things even more suspenseful, as it is clear from the onset that she is an equally troubled soul who is only likely to add more complications to the scenario. Han keeps the viewer engaged and guessing right through to the twist ending, and though this does feel a little artificial and at odds with the more genuine human drama of the rest of the film, it works well enough as a method of bringing things to a close.

Thematically and in terms of mood, the film is a pretty grim affair, with the three main characters having been marginalised by society and pushed to desperation by financial woes. Needless to say, all three have sob stories, and as a result the film does have a vague air of tragedy, or perhaps more accurately, of inevitability. However, despite the ominous atmosphere and constant hints of impending doom, Han does manage to find a few coffin smiles along the way and mercifully never allows things to wallow in depression or to slide into melodrama. Through showing this kind of restraint, and by keeping the characters' emotions understated, the film is actually far more moving and affecting than most other more overtly sentimental efforts, and is certainly far more genuine.

Han's direction is fittingly naturalistic, with plenty of shaky camera work and although the film was obviously made on a low budget he makes good use of his resources. Visually it is quite accomplished, and as might be expected from an experienced editor, he shows a great use of camera angles, working in lots of tight close ups during the car scenes to give a feeling of intimacy and claustrophobia, and wide shots when outside to accentuate the characters' isolation and loneliness. Free from flashy editing or needless stylistic touches, the film is raw and believable, and clocking in at just one hour and twenty minutes, it comes across as being pleasingly economical and to the point.

Arguably far more exciting and effective than the vast majority of glossier and bigger budgeted recent Korean thrillers, Off Road successfully manages to combine character drama and suspense. Han proves himself a talented director, and one who knows not only how to tighten the screws on the audience, but also how to tell a painfully human story.

by James Mudge - BeyondHollywood.com