Court room dramas are not exactly common in Korean cinema, but the genre does have a legacy, with films like “Unbowed” and “The Attorney”. “Juror 8” comes to continue in those footsteps, although in a completely different style, since the script is based on the first jury trial in Korea, thus focusing on them and not a lawyer or an accused, while the approach is more entertainment-oriented. Lastly, it is also worth noting that the protagonist, Park Hyung-sik, who is also a member of the boy group ZE:A, won a number of newcomer awards for his performance.
“Juror 8” is screening at the Florence Korea Film Fest
As the first Citizen Participation Trial is about to commence is South Korea, all the media's attention is on the case, along with the jurors, the presiding judge Kim Joon-gyeom, and the accused, a man who is obviously of limited mental ability and is on the stand for matricide. Nam-woo, a “loser” who has been trying to patent a device against assaulters that does not seem to work, ends up being on the group of jurors, most of which seem to have already decided of the defendant's guilt. Expectedly, he is not so sure and his bothersome ways eventually force the rest of them to take a closer look at the case, while the pressure for Kim to close the case becomes more intent as time passes. Eventually, the jurors start asking questions neither the police nor the court seem to have asked.
The biggest problem in the film is its beginning, particularly after the appearance of Nam-woo, since before that, the introduction to the politics surrounding the case are quite interesting. His flimsical ways, which continue from the interview to the first days at court, including a number of shenanigans, detract from the seriousness of the base story, in a way that occasionally borders on the preposterous. Thankfully, and particularly after the shocking scene with the throwing of the hammer in the court, the narrative takes a turn for the more serious, which unfolds in two axes. The first one revolves around a closer inspection of the accused, both of his harsh physical and mental situation, but also regarding his relationship with his mother, and the way the crime supposedly went down. Seo Hyun-woo in the role gives a rather convincing performance, with his violent fits throughout the movie being among the most memorable moments.
The second axis focuses on the jurors, and particularly the opposing dynamics among them, which become more intense as time passes. Their deliberations, which soon turn into fights, highlight how the personality of each one of them affects the way they see the accused, the crime, and in conjunction, their vote. This aspect also makes a comment about the concept of justice and particularly the question of if people who have no knowledge of the law should be responsible for making decisions that could seal the fates of the accused. The way the film unfolds gives a definite answer to the second question at least, while glorifying, to a point, the role of the presiding judge. Moon So-ri in the part is excellent, with her constant seriousness and her “against-all-odds” attitude being one of the best parts of the movie.
At the same time, the film lasts a bit too long at almost 2 hours, although Kim Chang-joo's editing has induced it with a rather fast pace and the fact that the movie also takes place outside the convening room, mitigate this sense.
Park Hyung-sik's acting is quite entertaining, highlighting his evident charisma, both in the humorous and the dramatic scenes, with the crowd-pleasing premises of the narrative finding their apogee in his performance, in a role that was obviously designed to promote him. Evidently, though, he has done a good job in portraying the “underdog” quite convincingly.
“Juror 8” aimed at entertainment for the most part, and in that regard, it succeeded to the fullest, particularly after a point.
