‘Nowhere to Hide’ a Stylish, Furious, Korean Film Noir

“Nowhere to Hide” reveals that in Lee Myung-Se Korea has a filmmaker with enough razzle-dazzle and visceral appeal to rival Hong Kong’s--and Hollywood’s--John Woo. Like Woo, Lee doesn’t resort to flashy technique merely to show off but instead to pull us into the heart of what his hero is feeling and experiencing. And what Inchon homicide detective Woo (Park Joong-Hoon) lives through is fast and furious, savage and dangerous.

A middle-aged drug boss emerges from an unmarked doorway in a nondescript building alongside the hilly port city’s landmark 40 Steps stairs--and is immediately stabbed to death by a ruthless rival, Chang Sungmin (Ahn Sung-Ki). Woo can break into a warm smile and a hearty manner for pals, but his boyish looks mask a zealot. Woo lives only for his job, and he’s a lot quicker to take the law into his own hands than even Dirty Harry.

“Detectives do whatever it takes to get the job done,” he remarks unapologetically, and the film shows him interrogating suspects with such brutality that we start feeling guilty at enjoying the breathless kinetic energy of Lee’s bravura style. (Lee employs two cameramen for this most visually expressive of films--his sixth.)

Fortunately, this proves to be part of Lee’s strategy: As Woo begins to close in on the elusive Chang, he is brought more and more in touch with the violent side of his nature. We learn that as a youngster Woo had his own scrapes with the law and that his father managed to steer his aggressive son into police work. Lee in no way condones Woo’s brutality but creates circumstances in which Woo can’t escape his true self.

Consequently, “Nowhere to Hide” gains in substance as it moves through richly atmospheric settings, shot mainly at night and in the rain, with Woo encountering a clutch of film noir types, including Chang’s bar hostess girlfriend (Choi Ji-Woo). Throughout, the manic Woo is counterpointed by his calm partner Kim (Jang Dong-Kun), a rational, balanced family man.

For all his mastery of his medium, Lee is no less effective in directing actors than in creating images. Ahn is Korea’s most distinguished veteran star, and he conveys Chang’s sinister strength through sheer presence, for in this film he is seen far more than he is heard.

“Nowhere to Hide” represents a new peak for Park Joong-Hoon, who among Korean movie actors comes closest to being an internationally renowned star. American audiences have had a chance to see him in the hugely popular and appealing “Two Cops” (1993), a classic policier, and the delightful romantic comedy “My Love, My Bride” (1991).

* Unrated. Times guidelines: strong violence, language, adult themes and situations.

‘Nowhere to Hide’

Park Joong-Hoon: Detective Woo

Ahn Sung-Ki: Chang Sungmin, the fugitive

Jang Dong-Kun: Detective Kim

Choi Ji-Woo: Juyon, the girlfriend

A Lions Gate Films release of a Taewon Entertainment production. Writer-director Lee Myung-Se. Producer Chung Tae-Won. Executive producer Kang Woo-Suk. Cinematographers Jeong Kwang-Seok and Song Haeng-Ki. Editor Go Im Pyo. Music Cho Sung-Woo. Production designer Lee Myung-Se. In Korean, with English subtitles. Running time: 1 hour, 40 minutes.

Exclusively at the Nuart through Thursday, 11272 Santa Monica Blvd., West Los Angeles, (310) 478-6379.