Today’s job hunting market is incredibly saturated, and with new industries consistently fluctuating due to improvements in technology, the future is more uncertain than ever for talents looking for their place in the corporate world. With survival of the fittest being the prevalent mode among employers and applicants, Park Chan-wook’s No Other Choice takes a look at what that means through a satirical lens that takes things to the extreme conclusion.
No Other Choice is an adaptation of Donald E. Westlake’s 1997 novel The Ax, exploring themes of desperation and the toxic cycle of corporate hiring. In the three decades since its initial publication, the story rings even more true today. In Chan-wook’s adaptation, the protagonist, Burke, is reimagined as Man-su (Lee Byung-hun), a veteran paper company manager laid off during an American buyout. The film follows Man-su as he resorts to questionable measures to ensure he gets hired for his desired job.
Join us as we dissect the High Five reasons to watch No Other Choice. You know the drill, spoilers ahead.
Timely Satire
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In this day and age where new technology is taking over certain industries, the job market is saturated with job hunters looking for opportunities in shrinking industries. No Other Choice explores that to the extremes with Man-su actually committing crimes while trying to get the job he wants back. The film presents it in a comically absurd manner, but Man-su is a satirical reflection of how the corporate world drives people to a corner and forces them to commit drastic measures. When you have no other choice, what else is there to do?
A Star-Studded Cast
Photo from Venice Film Festival
The film is stacked with Korean stars, so if you’ve at least watched a piece of popular Korean media in the last 10 years, chances are you’ve heard of some of the cast. Lee Byun-hun is well known for playing the villain in popular media like KPop Demon Hunters and Squid Game, but seeing him as a bumbling man attempting murder is a refreshing change. Soo Ye-Jin, who plays Man-su’s wife, is known for her romance roles in Crash Landing on You and The Classic. In this film, we see her undying support for her husband through thick and thin, even if it costs her her conscience.
Other A-listers joining them are Lee Sung-min (Golden Time, The Spy Gone North), Yeom Hye-ran (When the Camellia Blooms, The Glory), Yoo Yeon-seok (Mr. Sunshine, Hospital Playlist), Park Hee-soon (Seven Days, A Barefoot Dream), and Kim Hae-sook (Start-Up, The Handmaiden). Despite having minimal roles, they made sure to have a lasting impression on the viewers with their nuanced acting portraying the societal pressures that tie them down.
Blink And You Miss the Symbolism
Man-su trying to ease his toothache | Still from NEON
From the gestures of each actor right down to the lighting and camera angles, the film took time to lay down the groundwork for a slow descent into desperation. It was not just Man-su trying his best to keep his family afloat, but a chain reaction of adults dealing with the outcomes of the unforeseen layoff. Subtle actions by Man-su dealing with his decaying tooth plays all throughout the film until it culminates in one brutal scene. We’re not going to spoil which part of the film shows this, just know that it feels liberating for the viewer when he finally gets the decaying tooth out.
Aside from the literal decay of Man-su’s physical and mental state, a factor that played to the symbolism is the stark contrast and lighting throughout the film. The first half uses bright lights and vibrant colors while the second color is more muted and dark, showing Man-su’s fall from grace and highlighting the contrast of tones between the first and second half of the film.
A Whimsical Atmosphere
Whimsy is the word to describe the soundtrack for the film. Man-su’s daughter is a musical protege with special needs and she often plays Vivaldi’s Cello Sonata No. 3 in A minor. Aside from this, Cho Yong Pil’s “Red Dragonfly” and Jo Seung-gu’s “A Heart With a Hole (구멍난 가슴)” are part of the soundtrack, adding a modern touch to the storytelling, while also strengthening the absurd situations that the characters find themselves in. By the end of the film and the song “Pices De Viole” by Marin Marais plays and you’re stuck with the feeling of unease, eventual doom, and serenity that the worst is done… or is it?
The Cost of Fulfillment
At the end of the day, the film paints a picture of an unfeeling and uncaring corporate world, while the people who prostrate themselves for a career lose much of their humanity. Just like Man-su who did everything he could to ensure the survival of his family, everyone else is complicit in the absurd rat race that we are all a part of. It’s up to you as the viewer to determine if the ending is hopeful or bleak, and at what cost did all his actions take to get what he wants.
All in all, the film was a fun watch that highlights the two sides of humanity and desperation that is present within everyone. Despite being a clear satire, it cuts to the heart of the conflict, all the while depicting an entertaining yet thought-provoking story. SEA Wave gives No Other Choice 4 out of 5 waves.