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Review

Storming the scene with the same invigorating impact that attended Hong Kong’s Infernal Affairs in 2002 and its Americanized remake, The Departed in 2006, A Dirty Carnival once again redefines and refines the crime-film genre with spectacular set pieces (including a chaotic rumble with baseball bats, staged in mud, no less) and a narrative elegance that sustains a generous, 141-minute running time. The deceits and betrayals that have always been the hallmark of gangster flicks are also examined here, but this film’s twists and elusive relationships are much more convoluted and complex. Byeong-du is something of a second lieutenant in a Korean crime triad, a laconic, ultimately tragic figure caught between higher-ups and upstarts, both equally disreputable. His place in this gangster empire is sealed when he murders a public prosecutor for the top boss, or so he thinks. In this universe, no one is safe or secure. Brilliantly juxtaposing Eastern societal ills with a healthy dose of Western outlaw amorality, A Dirty Carnival is a quintessentially Asian gangster film that easily earns its place in the genre’s canon. Incidentally, its original Korean title loosely translates as “Mean Streets.” Small world, right? (Korean with English subtitles)

 -- Joe Baltake