Protagonist: Song Kang-Ho, Park Jeong-Su, Krystal Jung, Oh Jung-Se
How would you define a spider web? Silky, intricate but deadly. It may be small, but it could become huge at most. It attracts other insects and gets caught in the net.
“Spiderweb” is a comedy film about cinema. Self-deprecating, alluding to the egos within the powers that be. The top brass expect perfection, but Murphy’s Law always works wonders. In the film, director Kim (Song Kang-Ho) desperately tries to finish his supposed “masterpiece” despite “trouble” brewing within the cast and crew, impending censorship by some government bureaucrats, and the distrust of their own producers. We see how chaotic some film productions can be. Everyone is alone. Nobody can trust anybody.
I find comedy in the comment about how name stars could be like babies. They could give alibis like being allergic to fake blood on set. They can often feel invincible and irreplaceable. Are they? In this movie, anyone is replaceable, even the director could be an actor. The frenetic energy of the scenes within a scene was fun and wacky. Especially when director Kim dabbled in acting for a super dramatic scene. He couldn’t stop laughing. Highlighted by the Hyper Black and White scenes with the over-the-top horror acting. He was in comedy heaven.
The movie can sometimes seem complicated. So many details, so little time. But that was the idea of the story. In the film, director Kim and the crew were trying to weave a web of scenes in 2 days of shooting. With all the underlying drama, it was a miracle that they were able to finish the movie. It was the fire scene that made me realize that all of a director’s decisions, especially an auteur’s, can end up being a life or death situation.
Director Kim was in way over his head, he didn’t care about the people, he only cared about his movie. Actor Song Kang-Ho was a sight to behold. His expressive eyes and his chaotic controlled personality in this film made his comedic take on the role of Director Kim entertaining. He is confident but vulnerable. He had a strong but weak will. He tried to hide the insecurities he had at the end of the movie. He wanted to do it, he barely did it, but he did it. Congratulations to actor Song Kang-Ho. This is another performance worthy of an award nomination.
Many film students would learn from this movie. I learned a lot too. As an actor/filmmaker I learned that being a filmmaker doesn’t just mean having raw talent. You need strong leadership, listening skills, and grit. The movie world could eat you alive. The movie industry is like a spider, it can bite you and trap you in its web. You have to build a winning team. Your cast and crew must be the best of the best, or else Murphy’s Law will knock on the door of your film set.
Director Jee-Woon Kim seems to have fun creating a movie commentary. He showed us how making movies can be exciting, enticing, and rewarding. This film was another requested entry at the Cannes Film Festival. The 10 minute standing ovation proved the audience enjoyed it! The South Korean film industry is at the top of its game. “Spiderweb”is another evidence of the “Asian wave is on” all over the world. This is a must see! I recommend you see this movie.
