It's no secret that South Korea's declining birth rate could leave the country without a population in a short time. The country that produces K-pop groups as if it were delivering milk bottles door-to-door every morning has recently been looking outward, even when it comes to its most popular musical genre, and one might wonder why this shift in such a self-sufficient culture. Well, because they're not having children. This worrying situation has led the country and its older generation to desperately seek a solution; the best one? The media, of course. And that's where films like The Great Flood come in.
At first glance, The Great Flood is an apocalyptic science fiction film where we are so shocked and overwhelmed by the magnitude of the flood that we realize too late that it's actually a film about a mother and her son. Korea has always been fantastic at this kind of emotionally charged commentary in apocalyptic films, the greatest example being Train to Busan, where an unwavering father will do anything to reunite with his daughter and keep her alive.
Director: Byung-woo Kim
Writer: Byung-woo Kim
Stars: Kim Da-mi, Park Hae-soo, Kim Kyu-na
The film is visually stunning, and many of the scenes are truly terrifying, giving the feeling that the water is coming out of the screen like a massive tsunami. It would be a wonderful cinematic experience. Furthermore, despite being set only in the hallways of a building and in the same apartments, it doesn't get boring, and the tense atmosphere helps keep your attention on the screen, which, let's be honest, is almost impossible in this world of constant scrolling.
There's also a lot to enjoy in the background, and although much of what happens doesn't seem to make sense (like phones working when there's water up to the third floor or a massive wave attack not killing anyone), it's still very entertaining, in the style of classic science fiction. The special effects are very convincing, and the water looks quite real on my small Netflix screen. It definitely gives the feeling that you could find yourself floating in it at any moment, and that's the sign of good special effects. That being said, while Kim Da-Mi delivers a compelling performance as An-Na, the film's overall result is quite disappointing compared to the magnitude of the rest.
The first 40 minutes are undoubtedly the most entertaining of the entire film, and as we approach what is supposed to be the big reveal, everything starts to fall apart. There's an interesting time loop situation, but it's not utilized enough. Not even Da-Mi can keep the film afloat, much like her desperate character, An-Na, trying to keep Ja-In above water. However, the best thing about the film is undoubtedly Kwon Eun-Song, who plays little Ja-In. Honestly, if he were my co-star, I wouldn't be able to concentrate because I'd be dying from how adorable he is.
He definitely steals the show, even in moments where you only see the back of his head. The child actor has always been excellent, but he's especially good at being both adorable and incredibly annoying, because that's precisely the point of his character. The chemistry between Da-Mi and Eun-Song is also fantastic, because I would never have imagined her playing a mother, and halfway through the film I understood why they cast her in the role. That said, I think she would do wonderfully if she had to do it again.
There are some pretty interesting little details, and I recommend paying attention to the t-shirts. The film is well-paced and feels classic in its typical sci-fi premise. It starts smoothly and then surprises you with some interesting revelations, but ultimately, I found it quite disappointing. Especially the direction the story takes in the second half of the film. This isn't to say that The Great Flood lacked technical quality, because that would be far from the truth, but it simply didn't have that "X factor" to be memorable at a time when a new sci-fi film is released every other day. I'm not saying it was a bad film, but I'm not saying it was excellent either.
Ultimately, this isn't a film that aims for much realism from a technical standpoint. I don't think it's trying to be like Interstellar, although many might compare them (the father-son situation, plus the water planet, right?). Despite the outlandish plot, the film tries to maintain a fairly simple premise, which is fine, but it also makes it less exciting. However, ultimately, I still think it's propaganda disguised as an exciting sci-fi film that aims to awaken the maternal instinct in the viewer, although I'm not sure it works that way.
I've said it countless times, but South Korean films have a beautiful way of reminding us of their cultural background through small, sentimental gestures, sequences that remind us that, even in a world dominated by artificial intelligence, emotions are what we truly need. However, although this is the film's main theme, I feel it starts off promisingly but ultimately fades into the background without leaving a significant impact. I'm giving The Great Flood 3 out of 5 stars because I think it's a good step in the right direction, and with a few adjustments, it could have been an excellent film. That being said, it would be interesting to see more stories set in the same universe (even though I generally dislike this kind of thing), simply because there's so much more to explore.
Comments
Post a Comment