It’s rare that I can recommend a Park Chan-Wook film, but Decision to Leave is a masterful exercise in suspense devoid of the director’s characteristic graphicness. As a detective story, Park’s latest film is a tribute to Vertigo, which inspired him to become a filmmaker. The same obsession and suspense that permeate Hitchcock’s masterpiece are at the center of Decision to Leave, along with a similar cautionary element about the dangers of becoming obsessed with one’s job or another person.
The detective here is played by Park Hae-il, and the object of his latest case is Seo-Rae (Tang Wei). As the murder mystery unfolds, we watch a tragedy of perfectionism and devotion. Devotion may seem like an odd element to be the center of a tragedy, but the film invites us to think about who and more importantly what is the center of that devotion. As the devotion manifests itself as misplaced zeal and affection, combined with obsessive perfectionism, it turns into a dangerous combination that threatens lives, marriages, and justice. The film’s greatest tragedy is how doggedly pursuing those worthwhile goals without moderation is what drives them further away. — Evan Cogswell
Arts & Faith Lists:
2022 Arts & Faith Ecumenical Jury — #7