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A WEEKLY FILM NEWSLETTER PROMOTING ARTHOUSE, REPERTORY, ART, SHORT FORM AND EXPERIMENTAL CINEMA SCREENING IN THE CITY OF MELBOURNE


The Devil’s Deal

Lee Won-tae, 2021

DCP Courtesy: Plus M

Rating: M

Screening Friday 8 September 6pm @ ACMI


Words by Digby Houghton




We are living in a society where corruption is inextricably connected to politics and our press is becoming ever more monopolised by figures like Rupert Murdoch with the stranglehold of his NewsCorp. In a time where the internet can liberate us from this monoculture there is nothing more to do than to feel like a pawn in a wider game of chess. Won-tae Lee, the director of the 2019 film The Gangster, the Cop, the Devil returns with his latest noir-infused, brooding and violent soaked film The Devil’s Deal (released in 2021 and now playing as part of the Korean Film Festival). If the demise of integrity and voter confidence in politics were plummeting, The Devil’s Deal merely emphasises this sentiment; the title itself refers to the nature of selling one’s soul in order to become a politician.

 

The opening shots catapult the audience across the oceans to the feet of the hills of Busan in South Korea, before we are ejected out of an old television set which establishes, via the news, that a double election will be held that year for the President and the National Assembly. Set in 1992, the redevelopment of Busan is of critical concern for a few corrupt gang leaders. Aspirational Democratic Party candidate Jeon Hae-woong (Cho Jin-woong) is running a campaign which promises to end corruption and restore the faith of the people in politics; claiming he is a “champion of democracy” in a puff piece written by a fresh-looking journalist.  Jeon’s campaign rests entirely upon the support of local heavyweight businessman Kwon Soon-tae (Lee Sung-min) – a brooding man of few words. Once Kwon removes his support for Jeon, in favour of a more docile and easily manipulated candidate, who can redevelop Busan more appropriately, Jeon decides to run as an independent. This melee is further exacerbated by the severe debts which Jeon owes to loan sharks and gangsters which he hoped to pay off after his election victory.



Jeon panics and seizes documents with the help of a government official connected with the redevelopment of Busan in order to promise gang leaders property should he win the election as an independent. The Devil’s Deal is a high-octane genre film which demands patience for its plot-heavy screenplay and double-crossing deals. It would be amiss to suggest in this review that Jeon losing the election is a spoiler because part of the fun of the film is watching the desperation and lengths to which he goes to protect himself and his family after his loss.

 

Won-tae Lee’s regular cinematographer Park Se-seung shoots a dense and rich noir-inflected landscape which is highly adaptable to the desolate beaches and gaudy rain-heavy construction sites of Busan. A frequently repeated shot, now synonymous with contemporary films (like 2022’s Decision to Leave), is of the audience feeling trapped from within the action of the film. A telling example occurs later in the film when a tortured victim is enveloped inside a barrel and the camera is placed inside leaving us looking outside. This claustrophobic effect further heightens the tension created by the characters being trapped within their amoral demise.

 

Another Oldboy­-esque scene occurs when a gang laden with baseball bats bash a rival group seen in a single-shot down a hallway; although missing the original trip hop of Park Chan-wook’s film, it instead features a gentle nod to A Clockwork Orange’s deranged, synthesised orchestral sounds courtesy of composer Cho Young-wuk.

 

The position of The Devil’s Deal within the canon of film noir is further bolstered by parallels which it draws between its neo-noir forebear Chinatown, which focused on both incest and rape and the continued corruption of the land. The Devil’s Deal manipulates this trope by revealing the corruption of government officials and journalists who are lacking editorial integrity because of their bosses’ vested interests. The exposition of clandestine activity such as hijacking votes and gang warfare isn’t portrayed as shocking, which suggests that politicians are simply distrustful and suspicious. In a time where democracy is threatened across the globe, The Devil’s Deal is a stark reminder that there’s nothing glorious about being a politician.  

 


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WEEKLY FILM LISTINGS

September 8 - September 14


ACMI


Korean Film Festival in Australia - program here


The Devil’s Deal

Lee Won-tae, 2021

Screening Friday 8 September 6:30pm

Confession
Yoon Jong-seok, 2022
Friday 8 September 8:35pm


6/45
Park Gyu Tae
Saturday 9 September 10am

Nothing Serious
Jeong Ga Young, 2022
Saturday 9 September 12:40pm

Remember
Lee Il-hyung, 2022
Saturday 9 September 3pm

Gentleman
Kim Kyoung-won, 2022
Saturday 9 September 6pm

Next Sohee
Jung July, 2022
Sunday 10 September 1:30pm


Little Richard: I am Everything
Lisa Cortes, 2023
Screening Friday, Saturday and Sunday

GODDESS SUNDAY


Orlando
Sally Potter, 1992
Sunday 10 September 2pm


ARTIST FILM WORKSHOP



No screening this week


ASTOR CINEMA


BBBC CINEMA (GALLERYGALLERY BRUNSWICK)



Closed until summer



THE CAPITOL


SOCIAL SCIENCES AFTER DARK:

M3gan
Gerard Johnston, 2022
+
Videodrome
David Cronenberg, 1983

Screening Thursday 7 September 6:30pm


CHINATOWN CINEMA


The First Slam Dunk
Takehiko Inoue, 2022
Screening Daily

No More Bets
Ao Shen, 2023
Screening Daily

One and Only
Dong Chengpeng, 2023
Screening Daily



CINÉ-CLUB (Carlton)



Closed for winter



CINEMANIACS (ACMI)



No screening this week



CINEMA NOVA

Preview Screenings

Scrapper
Charlotte Regan, 2023
Screening Thursday 7 September 6:45pm


New Release


Theater Camp
Molly Gordon & Nick Lieberman, 2023
Screening Daily


Charcoal
Carolina Markowicz, 2022
Screening Daily

Biosphere
Mel Eslyn, 2022
Screening Daily

Shin Ultraman

Shinji Higuchi, 2023

Screening Daily


-

Asteroid City
Wes Anderson, 2023
Screening Daily


Chevalier
Stephen Williams, 2022
Screening Daily

Alcarràs
Carla Simón, 2023
Screening Daily

Sisu
Jalmari Helander, 2022
Screening Daily

Talk To Me
Danny and Michael Philippou, 2023
Screening Daily


Barbie
Greta Gerwig, 2023
Screening Daily

Oppenheimer
Christopher Nolan, 2023
Screening Daily


Carmen
Benjamin Millepied, 2022
Screening Daily


Dalíland
Mary Harron, 2022
Screening Daily



DOGMILK DEGUSTATIONS: @ Miscellenia



Stay tuned for details on Season 3.

FRENCH FILM CLUB



Les Yeux Sans Visages (Eyes Without A Face)
Georges Franju 1960, 1955

Thursday 7 September 6:30pm
Unimelb’s Arts West Interactive Cinema Space (room 353) with an introduction from Campbell Walker


GAY24



No screening this week



HITLIST (9 Gertrude St, Fitzroy)


No screening this week



LIDO / CLASSIC / CAMEO

Theater Camp
Molly Gordon & Nick Lieberman, 2023
Screening Daily

Biosphere
Mel Eslyn, 2022
Screening Daily


Ego: The Michael Gudinski Story
Paul Goldman, 2023
Screening Daily

Jawan
Atlee Kumar, 2023
Screening Thursday, Saturday and Monday

Past Lives
Celine Song, 2023
Screening Daily

Blackberry
Matthew Johnson, 2023
Screening Daily


Rose Gold

Matthew Adekponya, 2023

Screening Daily


Asteroid City
Wes Anderson, 2023
Screening Daily

The Miracle Club
Thaddeus O'Sullivan, 2023
Screening Daily

Talk To Me
Danny and Michael Philippou, 2023
Screening Daily


Barbie
Greta Gerwig, 2023
Screening Daily

Oppenheimer
Christopher Nolan, 2023
Screening Daily


RETROSPECTIVES

The Land Is Inhospitable And So Are We (Mitski)
+
Days of Heaven
Terrence Malick, 1978
Screening Thursday 7 September 6:30pm




THE MELBOURNE CINÉMATHÈQUE (ACMI)


Rififi
Jules Dassin, 1955
+

Panique

Julien Duvivier, 1946

Wednesday 13 September 7pm



MELBOURNE HORROR FILM SOCIETY



No Screenings this week


MELBOURNE UNIVERSITY: SCREENING IDEAS


No screening this week


PALACE BALWYN / BRIGHTON /COMO / KINO / PENTRIDGE / WESTGARTH

Theater Camp
Molly Gordon & Nick Lieberman, 2023
Screening Daily

Biosphere
Mel Eslyn, 2022
Screening Daily


About My Father
Laura Terruso, 2023
Screening Daily


Asteroid City
Wes Anderson, 2023
Screening Daily


BlackBerry

Matt Johnson, 2023

Screening Daily


Barbie

Greta Gerwig, 2023

Screening Daily


Biosphere

Mel Elsyn, 2023

Screening Daily


Ego: The Michael Gudinski Story

Paul Goldman, 2023

Screening Daily


Godland

Hlynur Palmason, 2023

Screening Daily


The Miracle Club
Thaddeus O'Sullivan, 2023
Screening Daily

Chevalier
Stephen Williams, 2022
Screening Daily

Alcarràs
Carla Simón, 2023
Screening Daily

Talk To Me
Danny and Michael Philippou, 2023
Screening Daily


Barbie
Greta Gerwig, 2023
Screening Daily

Oppenheimer
Christopher Nolan, 2023
Screening Daily


Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny

James Mangold, 2023

Screening Daily


Driving Madeleine

Christian Carion, 2022

Screening Daily



SUN CINEMAS YARRAVILLE


Theater Camp
Molly Gordon & Nick Lieberman, 2023
Screening Daily

Biosphere
Mel Eslyn, 2022
Screening Daily

The Nun II
Michael Chaves, 2023
Screening Daily


Ego: The Michael Gundinski Story

Paul Goldman, 2023

Screening Daily


Past Lives

Celine Song, 2023

Screening Daily


Asteroid City
Wes Anderson, 2023
Screening Daily


BlackBerry

Matt Johnson, 2023

Screening Daily


About My Father
Laura Terruso, 2023
Screening Daily


The Miracle Club
Thaddeus O'Sullivan, 2023
Screening Daily

Talk To Me
Danny and Michael Philippou, 2023
Screening Daily

Barbie
Greta Gerwig, 2023
Screening Daily

Oppenheimer (In 70mm!!)
Christopher Nolan, 2023
Screening Daily


Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny

James Mangold, 2023

Screening Daily



HOYTS (Melbourne Central, Northland, Highpoint)


Jawan
Atlee Kumar, 2023
Screening Daily

No More Bets
Ao Shen, 2023
Screening Daily

The Nun II
Michael Chaves, 2023
Screening Daily


Ego: The Michael Gudinski Story

Paul Goldman, 2023

Screening Daily


Past Lives

Celine Song, 2023

Screening Daily


Rose Gold

Matthew Adekponya, 2023

Screening Daily


Asteroid City

Wes Anderson, 2023

Screening Daily


Talk To Me
Danny and Michael Philippou, 2023
Screening Daily


THORNBURY PICTURE HOUSE


Past Lives

Celine Song, 2023

Screening Daily


Ego: The Michael Gudinski Story

Paul Goldman, 2023

Screening Daily


Asteroid City
Wes Anderson, 2023
Screening Monday 11 September, 6:10pm


Barbie
Greta Gerwig, 2023
Screening Wednesday 6 September, 1:15pm

Talk To Me
Danny and Michael Philippou, 2023
Screening Wednesday 13 September, 3:30pm


UNKNOWN PLEASURES (BILL MOUSOULIS + CHRIS LUSCRI)

No screening this week







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