There's a lot that's undisclosed in Lee Man-hui's thriller Starting Point. What's in those papers that our most moral mobster (Shin Sung-il) is trying to steal from the office safe? Do they merit killing the security guard? What instructions are passed on to the prostitute (Mun Hie) before she joins him on a mock honeymoon? And why must these two pose as newyweds at a campsite where people dance around a campfire to rock 'n roll? Lee — and his screenwriter Kim Ji-hyeon — have no intention on filling in the gaps. Which makes this 1960s noir a puzzler, that perhaps only repeat viewings can solve.
After a single screening courtesy of the Korean Film Archive's YouTube channel, the movie remained a conundrum. For while the hooker may have be the bait of her mock groom, she's also the one person on his side once trouble escalates. Their faux fieldtrip to Mount Seorak is fraught with peril once the hoods come out to hunt down them down. So will either survive? And would either of them want to, should the other die? Would a stack of money help? You see, they've fallen in love. And how do you repay someone for breaking your heart? I promise you, it's even harder in the snow. And tougher on a staircase!
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