A Land Unfit For the Living: R-Point

R-Point (2004) is a Korean thriller set during the Vietnam War. The movie begins with a static-filled cry for help over the radio. There's one major problem with this however- the group of soldiers calling for help over the radio were presumed dead before the radio transmissions. In fact, the one remaining survivor of this group claims he witnessed their deaths firsthand. In response, the South Korean army assembles a rag-tag group of soldiers. There mission is simple- travel to "R-Point" and find the missing soldiers. If they make it back, they are promised a ticket home. Unfortunately for them, nothing that goes into R-Point comes out intact.

R-Point is a hot spot for paranormal activity. It is a piece of land that, as one of the characters explains, is unfit for either the living or the dead. The ghost elements of the story are very well done. Things unfold slowly, and while this might be a turn-off to some viewers, I found it to be a very effective way of letting the atmosphere and tension crawl under your skin. R-Point is a (relatively) quiet film. It is best viewed when you have the time/inclination to sit down and think about it.

...Because you will need to spend some serious time thinking about it. If I had one major complaint with R-Point it would be that it is, at times, frustratingly confusing. But while this aspect makes the movie, at times, infuriating, it makes the storyline intriguing and mysterious. I tried to guess as to whether my confusion comes from being an American who doesn't know much about Korean myth, or if it was an intentional thing. We may never know. What I do know, from doing a bit of reading online, is that this confusion is pretty standard amongst American audiences.

Regardless of my, and some others, confusion, it's clear that there are some great ideas and concepts in R-Point. In particular there are some really striking visuals to be found; blood drips from an old radio that's covered in cobwebs, a soldier stands in what appears to be an empty field, only for a strike of lightning to illuminate the rows of graves next to him. The sounds of R-Point, from the static filled radio transmissions to the jingle of bells, also provide a percentage of the required creepiness.

I think that's about all I can say about R-Point without spoiling the strange, haunting journey it takes you on. Ghost movies don't always work for me. In particular, Asian ghost stories often inspire boredom in me more often than they do fear. That said, I enjoyed R-Point. Regardless of my confusion during parts of the film, I couldn't stop watching. I found the movie overall to be very haunting and atmospheric. I also found myself more emotionally connected with these characters than I do in many in other supernatural horror films. Often, I cared when a character died because I knew he was, flaws and all.

To those who have the patience, I recommend R-Point.