Film Screening
Who’s That Knocking At My Door?
Directed by Yang, Hae-hoon, 2007
23 July 2010
The Korean independent film scene continues to thrive
with Who's That Knocking At My Door? which marks the
debut of writer-director Yang Hae Hun, whose short My
Dear Rosetta was critically acclaimed at Cannes. Taking its
title from the debut effort of legendary American director
Martin Scorcese, the film appears to have been inspired
by his classic Taxi Driver in particular, dealing with themes
of loneliness, anger, and ultimately, revenge. Critically
acclaimed at the 2007 Pusan Film Festival, the film has
won Yang some impressive reviews, marking him out as
one of the most interesting and promising young directors
working in Korea today.
Loner Je Hwi, begins to open up after starting an
awkward romance with a girl whom he meets rather
serendipitously. There are more chance encounters to
come as he soon runs into former classmates Pyo and
Rom. Je Hwi holds a deep grudge against Pyo and Rom
who bullied him in high school. Feigning friendship, he
begins to plot his revenge with the help of a man whom he meets on the Internet. Events soon escalate violently
out of control.
Who's That Knocking At My Door? is a film which
is probably best described as the character study of a
damaged young man. It explores the angst and isolation
of young people in modern Korea and effectively portrays
a sense of frustration and disaffection. The tangential
narrative unfolds in a pleasingly offbeat manner with
Yang jumping between characters, hinting at, rather than
explicitly defining events, often forcing the viewers to fill in
the details themselves.
Yang directs with a naturalistic style, using no artificial
lighting or visual effects. Shot on digital video, the film shifts
between shaky handheld camera work and static scenes,
often at odd angles. Yang throws in a number of original
touches to give the film a unique textured feel.
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