My Review - Ressurection of Little Match Girl
Last year, I posted a thread about this Korean film. It generated a quite of few responses, and some of the people here were interested in learning more of the film.
The dvd was originally stated to come out in early December, but as it often happens with Korean dvd releases, it been pushed back from its original release date few times. Finally, the day of Dec 27 came, but even more sinister news surfaced, the dvd that was anticipated by many, had no Enlish subtitles. Now, that was a major letdown. Since about 95% of dvd release in Korea do have English subtitles, this made it not a wise decision on the part of the publisher.
Still, some brave sould, me among them, decided to give the film a try, no matter the language barrier. Since it was supposed to be very visual film, and I did had some info on the story and characters involved, I odered dvd, and patiently awaited its arrival. Finally, it arrived this Monday, and so without further ado, let me share my thoughts about it.
First the story(some info is taken from KFC Cineme Message Board):
To Chinese restaurant delivery boy 'Ju', the only joy in life is spending time at the electronic game room. One day, 'Ju' who was engrossed in an electronic game as usual, is advised to log-on to a game called RESURRECTION OF THE LITTLE MATCH GIRL. The match selling girl of Andersen's fairytale is revived through the game, and 'Ju' is drawn into the little girl's virtual reality.
As reality and cyberspace interchange, 'Ju', like in the famous fairytale, is given the mission to save the little girl from danger and lead her to a peaceful death. However, the two are not only confronted by a gigantic force called the System, that attempts to stop them, but other obstacles that place their lives in danger...
Through the duration of the film, you will follow the hero through the virtual Game World, that is not the different from the real life one, experience all the dangers it had in stock for the players, and see if the hero is good enough to win this one, the most important game of his life.
Resurrection is one of the most expensive Korean films ever, and that shows. Very high production values, very cool visual fx, lots and lots of action and explosions, cool music.
It directed with lots of style, and actors seem to do a good job, even though I cant really comment on that since I had just a slight understanding of the plot and dialog. But in action scenes they all performed pretty well.
HK Stunt team was hired to create, choreograph and perform various action and fight sequences for this film. And what was done here, is very fun to watch. Wire work, enhanced with wild cgi fx, violent and bloody gunplay scenes, Matrix like bullet tracing and slo-mo sequences, while not very original, still exciting to watch.
Here is info on the characters, and some more story line musings:
"RESURRECTION OF THE LITTLE MATCH GIRL approaches the world through a combination of technology and Taoism; the great master of Taoism, China's Chuangtzu's teachings virtual reality. What we may call Technotaoism.. In the film, the cyber/game world will not be distinguished from the real world. Whether it is virtual reality or reality, both could be reality or a non-reality/pseudo-reality/virtual reality which in the film will be represented by a yellow butterfly quoted from Chuangtzu's famous literature.
Characters
The Little Match Girl/Hee-mee
They are the same person yet could be of different personalities...Hee-mee is the cashier who exchanges coins or cards at the Game Room. She does menial work, cleaning ashtrays and other things as well...
Ju
He is among the many teenagers who hang out in the Game Room because they don't have nothing important to do. However it is true that he is a first rate game player, perhaps not as good as his friend, Yi. In fact quite a few levels below. He has a crush on Hee-mee of the Game Room. It may be more correct to say that he is always at the Game Room because of her. For Ju it is better than being depressed all the time at home. Everything, his physical, mental....and especially financial level is almost hitting bottom, but he hang in there because of his passion and affection for the Little Match Girl. Futhermore, he also finds good samaritans on the way...
Yi
He is a close friend of Ju's but is hired by the System after winning a game tournament. He becomes a henchman of the System and shoots Ju and kidnaps the Little Match Girl. In the end he is terminated for being unable to ignore his friend, Ju.
The System
It cannot be seen. It just sends out its orders through mobile phones or monitors.... It could be disclosed in the end...but because it(?) is connected to the System...it doesn't die...as its death means the destruction of the System...
Bangjang
The master who developed the System. He is betrayed by the System and is in hiding now, fishing...waiting for his day to come, to recover the System. However, by helping the Little Match Girl escape, he eventually contributes to the System's destruction...
GA Juno
The cyber musician of the cyber cafe. He is a just a ghostly entity now, the ex-lover of the Little Match Girl, perhaps her first love. He is murdered by OH Bee-ryun which is why he has turned cyber now as a wandering spirit. From time to time he becomes the messenger of Bangjang. Meanwhile, the Little Match Girl cannot erase him from her memory. That is why she roams the streets. It is he who appears to the Little Match Girl as the ecstatic image she sees before freezing to death. This is why it is so difficult for the game players to win her love. Almost impossible. But sometimes things can happen ... like true love...
Lala
Think of Angelina Jolie, the warrior woman of Tomb Raider. But in this scenario she is a lesbian, sometimes competing and other times cooperating with Ju...over the Little Match Girl. At first, she despises Ju...like a real lesbian, she opposes to his every move, yet in time she begins to relate to him. Her mobility and agility level is excellent, yet she is easily distracted...her her striking power is inefficient...when she gains momentum, she is great...but when she lags, she is hopeless.
The Gang of Five
Under the banner of constructing the greatest form of organized crime, five muscles have come together as a team, one problem though is that none of them are that intelligent...They kidnap the Little Match Girl...and decide to gang rape her...until their boss appears out of nowhere and saves her, but this only the beginning of a series of failures. They waste most of their time at the fish cake shop. As game players, they are a disgrace...
The Fish Cake Man
He is the owner of the Fish Cake shop, he sells fish cakes and pig intestine sausages. But he also blackmarkets in firearms. A man of true abilities, there are rumors that he was under apprenticeship of Bangjang. At first, he is at the mercy of the gang of five...until he proves he is way above them...
OH Bee-ryun
The boss of the Bee-ryun Gang. His love for the little match girl drives him to murder GA Juno. He is despised by the little match girl, but continuously desires for her by kidnapping and imprisoning her, thinking this is his way of protecting her. He is the henchman of the System. He is protected by the System, and he provides loyal service in return. He tries to blame the System for GA Juno's death and this eventually brings about his death by the System Guards. He transmits a dangerous song.
The Rehab Center Men
They manage the 'House of Angels'...They are another group protected by the System...the range of their powers are actually quite enormous...wearing their uniforms, they kidnap the little match girl and imprisons her.
The System Guards
They are the private guards of the System...The vanguards...made up of the best men...a team for special missions, masters of martial arts, ace snipers etc. they are a group of terrorists with incredible powers. Yi is the middleman who is ordered to assassinate Ju. The leader, Scarface who resembles the Nazi leader , Goebbels. All street inspections and body searches are conducted by this group. Yi is shot to death by them.
If one were to present a story of a system and the conspiracies, various forms of oppression, conformity, violence and domination by the system and the attempts to challenge, attack, destroy and transgress it, RESURRECTION OF THE LITTLE MATCH SELLER as a type of conceptual mythology, a product of [social] conventions, is a challenge to escape from the ties that bind it and gain happiness in the end.
Assuming that the system is a type of matrix, too difficult to find a way out, RESURRECTION OF THE LITTLE MATCH SELLER is an attempt to observe how the system is presented, how it is developed and maintained, and generate profit for the privileged. It is also an examination of status quo whereby a system which used to be controlled by institutions, power and ideology now created it own mythologies of Technology, a world where technology and finance rules and people have not choice but to accept it and denounce it at the same time.
The film will maintain a simple storyline: the Little Match Girl who freezes to death in the Andersen's fairy tale is revived in an electronic game. She does not freeze to death, and eventually escapes the system that originally controls her fate, to a happy ending along with a good-for-nothing Ju who spends most of his time at the game room.
Although the film aspires to be an experience of sheer entertainment, RESURRECTION OF THE LITTLE MATCH GIRL will probably refrain from the conventions continuously reproduced in Hollywood and Hong Kong cinema.
In a word - Good!
Not as confusing as your led to believe the film is very much a linear film until the end where it goes a little 2001.
However it maybe a linear film but its completely unconventional as it changes from scene to scene without explaination (or maybe because it doesn't have subs ).
The first 20 minutes sets up the main characters and for the following 20 mins another 10 characters from the "game" are introduce.
The characters are all 2-dimensional but its irrelevant as they all add colour and spice to a film that is never boring and visually stunning.
The film is described as Cyber Fusion Action and you get exactly that ... bringing in a HK team to design a multitude of wire-fu enhanced action is a big plus because if there is any proof that HK action cheorographers do action scenes (particularly with guns and fists) the best then its all in here.
The DVD by the way is excellent sound and picturewise. Contains a very good 15 min documentary on the making of the film that lets you jump into extended making of scenes ala follow the white rabbit ..."
Since this movie take place during one big game, filmakers incorporated various game related references into it. Hero gets his level upgrade, after defeating few enemies, his action stats go up, when he aquires new weapons, the movie story itself presented in level like structure, complete with level mission description, objectives, tips and enemy sinopsys. Later in the film, you even get to experience a shooting sequnce done in true FPS style complete with visible gun, crosshair and first person veiw. Stylish :)
Even though it lacks subtitles, I found this movie very entertaining. Many of it action scenes, constant pace and overload of visual fx, will keep you from getting bored.
Here is the link to the page with trailers and pics from this film:
http://www.asiandb.com/browse/movie_...342&mode=stuff
