모크샤

The existential question in the title comes into sharp focus in the very first shot: an unkempt guy finds himself chained to the ground in a park—and has no idea how he got there or even who he is. There’s a forest of high-rise apartments in sight, but no-one answers his calls for help. Ravenously hungry, cold and tired, he needs answers. But the people who eventually happen along mostly have questions or demands of their own. One young woman slaps him repeatedly and apologizes. A bride-to-be invites him to her wedding. A Buddhist monk gives him chewing gum and entertains him with a dance. It’s only when a noodle delivery arrives that the man begins to remember—and then to understand… 　　Koo Sungzoo’s philosophical puzzle may be less sardonic than it first appears. It’s heroically acted by Jang Hyeokjin, who’s on-screen throughout, and maintains a high level of beauty and sadness. There are echoes of Buñuel (Simon of the Desert), of Poe (William Wilson) and even of Vincenzo Natali (Cube), but this is really one of a kind. 　　— Tony Rayns