The Tiger: An Old Hunter's Tale (2015) (DVD) (Taiwan Version) DVD Region 3

The film is set in 1925, Korea having been under Japanese rule for more than twenty years, with the invaders continuing a process of trying to break down the morale of the locals to make them easier to rule. As part of this, Japanese government official Maejono (Osugi Ren, Godzilla Resurgence) sets in motion a plan to kill all the country’s tigers, seen as symbols of the national spirit, hiring hunters to slaughter as many as they can. Eventually only one is left, the Mountain Lord of Jirisan, a mighty beast who kills everyone who comes after him before disappearing back into the forests, seemingly impossible to track. Also living on the mountain with his son Seok (Sung Yu-bin, Memories of the Sword) is Chun Man-deok (Choi Min-sik), a retired hunter who happens to have a connection to the tiger after tragic encounters in the past. Although he initially refuses to aid the hunt led by former colleague Gu-kyung (Jung Man-sik, Inside Men), wishing to leave the tiger in peace, when Seok sneaks off to join the dangerous mission, Man-deok is forced to pick up his hunting rifle and head off in pursuit.

Like The Admiral: Roaring Currents, Choi Min-sik's last historical outing, The Tiger: An Old Hunter's Tale is a big, bold and ambitious piece of blockbuster cinema, epic-myth making from start to finish. At once vast and intimate, it's a film which takes a simple premise and weaves it into something poetic, Park Hoon-jung finding meaning as well as spectacle in Man-deok's hunt for and layered relationship with his quarry. Where the film surprises is in its lack of the kind of nationalistic fervour which marked Roaring Currents and other recent big-budget Korean productions, and despite the presence of a caricatured evil Japanese enemy and the obvious symbolism of the tiger, there's little of the sabre-rattling that might have been expected, and a pleasing absence of speeches about country and duty. Instead, Park focuses very much on a search for peace and dignity, giving the film a melancholy and almost spiritual air despite its moments of bombast – a brave and very effective choice, though perhaps one which led to the film’s under-performing at the domestic box office.

Kim similarly takes an interesting approach to his characters and their various connections, Man-deok not necessarily being the kind of hunter that the film's title might suggest, never being keen to bring down the tiger despite early revelations about the nature of their connection. Without overplaying its hand, the film portrays him as a quiet man attempting to find balance and reconciliation in the later stages of his life, which makes his return to the fray all the more impactful. Choi Min-sik is on great form in the lead role, dominating the film with a gritty and unshowy performance that allows him to be both gruff and vulnerable, making for a believable and sympathetic protagonist. As the film goes on, the tiger takes an increasingly lead role itself, complete with flashbacks and explanations for its actions, somewhat of a risky move which does require the viewer to believe in what might come across as some decidedly human motivations, behaviour and intelligence. Largely due to the skilful mirroring of Man-deok and the tiger, and the film's theme of the connection between man and nature, Kim manages to pull this off in often moving fashion, and it builds successfully towards a satisfyingly elegiac conclusion.

All this aside, The Tiger also works very well on a more basic level, featuring some truly amazing visuals, Kim making fantastic use of the at once brutal and beautiful mountain landscapes. Having in places the feel of a traditional ink painting, the film is at the same time grounded and appropriately rough, with convincing historical sets and ragged hunter costumes. The special effects are of a very high standard, the tiger and other animals being brought to life via some top-notch CGI work that impresses throughout, and the many scenes of bloodshed and carnage being gruesomely lifelike. While there are numerous tiger attacks, most of which end very badly indeed for the hunters, the film has a slow, deliberate pace, Kim preferring to build tension patiently, spending most of the time focusing on his characters and their choices rather than throwing in gratuitous action or shocks. This works well, and serves to underline the film's thoughtful and considered take on what in hands other than Kim’s could have been a very different and more typical popcorn flick.

The Tiger: An Old Hunter's Tale is easily one of the best Korean films of the last year, and a winning marriage of the breathtakingly grand and the quietly philosophical. Anchored by another fine performance from Choi Min-sik and Park Hoon-jung's accomplished direction, it’s hopefully a film whose audience and reputation will grow.

by James Mudge - EasternKicks.com