Not a native English speaker, please forgive me some errors in English.
I was a 5th grade living in Cheonju, Korea which is north about 50 miles from Gwangju when the massacre took place in May 1980. I still remember that full loaded paratroopers holding an M-16 rifle dispatched every corner of the streets in my home city, guarding during the period of the Gwangju outbreak, because Choneju was the major big city right next to Gwangju. They looked physically tired and gruesomely cold to the eyes of a 5th grade kid. My mother asked me and my younger brother not to go out of the house. My uncle who had business trip to a local office in Gwangju came by us briefly and went back to Seoul. He was so frightened telling us to prepare for some food and necessities for possible war situation. As a person who used to live in Cheola province in 1980, I can hardly see the photos of 80's in Gwangju without coming to tears. My review of the movie may be biased in some extent.
Not long before Gwangju's uprising, president Park Chung-hee was assassinated at the dinner table by one of his close cabinet staffs, the head of the Korea central Intelligent agency. In this political turmoil a military general, Chun, Doo-hwan led a cop d' Etat to seize the political power and imposed martial law throughout Korea to prevent from the democratic movements. People especially college students protested against Chun, Doo-hwan asking democracy for Korea. Gwangju was one the cities where the student's demonstrations took places in May 1980.
This movie does not really go into the details of the civilian killings and the whole facts of the atrocities done by the military troops which have been known later. Some people criticized that the lack of the realities and facts is the limit of this movie, which is the same limit that has been shown from other Korean films on Gwangju democratizing movement. However, I think that it was director's (Jang Hun) intention to show that way. Since the phone and all the communication methods were all disconnected, even people living in Gwangju who was so isolated may not have had full view of what I was happening. It must have been so confusing and disturbing to believe that broad ranges of the ordinary people living in Gwangju were brutally abused and became the targets to be killed by highly trained the military troops whose job is actually to protect its very own people. Wishfully magic and miracles should have taken places for the sake of the people in Gwangju. However, it is always too painful to acknowledge the fact that the bullets left the lethal rifles exactly follow the physics penetrating thin late spring clothes they wore and tearing the flesh and bones.
The movie shows that the paratroopers in the front line firing the bullets in the kneeling posture. Many witnesses for Gwangju say the same thing that paratroopers aimed the civilians on the streets and shot at them. It is so outrageous and disgusting to hear the statements of Chun, Doo-hwan that he was not responsible for ordering to fire and simply denied it, even he said that he is a victim of Gwangju as well. Who would have ordered it then?
The movie successfully shows that even politically indifferent Man-seob is voluntarily involved in coming back to the chaos because it is not a matter of the political viewpoints anymore, but it is matter of following his conscience or not. It may be his way to response to the sacrifice of the college kid, You J-Y. After the commotion in Gwanju, Man-seob was finally set to be free leaving Gwangju with helps from other local taxi drivers. As soon as arrived in Suncheon which is 32 mile from Gwangju, Man-seob orders a noodle while his car is being fixed. He overhears from people saying about what is going on in Gwangju and realizes how they are deceived by media completely controlled by the government. Furthermore he is given a Ju-muk-bob for free which tastes the same of it that tossed to him by a woman on the streets in Gwangju. Driving back to Seoul alone, he is singing a song and at same time slowly sheds tears. He decides to follow his conscience to go back Gwangju however it could cost of his life. His only family member, his daughter would become an orphan by his choice. This movie with Song Kang-ho's excellent acting makes it perfect to feel his agony and hesitations as an ordinary might have in his shoes.
This move was made in the period of Park's administration. Artists, actors, writers, performers etc. who lobbed a wrong way against the government were secretively chosen to be listed so called the black lists. In spite of the atmosphere, the movie was made by brave people that I really appreciate those Korean actors, director, staffs and those who participated in the movies, as well as the role of German reporter, Thomas Kretschmann.
I was a 5th grade living in Cheonju, Korea which is north about 50 miles from Gwangju when the massacre took place in May 1980. I still remember that full loaded paratroopers holding an M-16 rifle dispatched every corner of the streets in my home city, guarding during the period of the Gwangju outbreak, because Choneju was the major big city right next to Gwangju. They looked physically tired and gruesomely cold to the eyes of a 5th grade kid. My mother asked me and my younger brother not to go out of the house. My uncle who had business trip to a local office in Gwangju came by us briefly and went back to Seoul. He was so frightened telling us to prepare for some food and necessities for possible war situation. As a person who used to live in Cheola province in 1980, I can hardly see the photos of 80's in Gwangju without coming to tears. My review of the movie may be biased in some extent.
Not long before Gwangju's uprising, president Park Chung-hee was assassinated at the dinner table by one of his close cabinet staffs, the head of the Korea central Intelligent agency. In this political turmoil a military general, Chun, Doo-hwan led a cop d' Etat to seize the political power and imposed martial law throughout Korea to prevent from the democratic movements. People especially college students protested against Chun, Doo-hwan asking democracy for Korea. Gwangju was one the cities where the student's demonstrations took places in May 1980.
This movie does not really go into the details of the civilian killings and the whole facts of the atrocities done by the military troops which have been known later. Some people criticized that the lack of the realities and facts is the limit of this movie, which is the same limit that has been shown from other Korean films on Gwangju democratizing movement. However, I think that it was director's (Jang Hun) intention to show that way. Since the phone and all the communication methods were all disconnected, even people living in Gwangju who was so isolated may not have had full view of what I was happening. It must have been so confusing and disturbing to believe that broad ranges of the ordinary people living in Gwangju were brutally abused and became the targets to be killed by highly trained the military troops whose job is actually to protect its very own people. Wishfully magic and miracles should have taken places for the sake of the people in Gwangju. However, it is always too painful to acknowledge the fact that the bullets left the lethal rifles exactly follow the physics penetrating thin late spring clothes they wore and tearing the flesh and bones.
The movie shows that the paratroopers in the front line firing the bullets in the kneeling posture. Many witnesses for Gwangju say the same thing that paratroopers aimed the civilians on the streets and shot at them. It is so outrageous and disgusting to hear the statements of Chun, Doo-hwan that he was not responsible for ordering to fire and simply denied it, even he said that he is a victim of Gwangju as well. Who would have ordered it then?
The movie successfully shows that even politically indifferent Man-seob is voluntarily involved in coming back to the chaos because it is not a matter of the political viewpoints anymore, but it is matter of following his conscience or not. It may be his way to response to the sacrifice of the college kid, You J-Y. After the commotion in Gwanju, Man-seob was finally set to be free leaving Gwangju with helps from other local taxi drivers. As soon as arrived in Suncheon which is 32 mile from Gwangju, Man-seob orders a noodle while his car is being fixed. He overhears from people saying about what is going on in Gwangju and realizes how they are deceived by media completely controlled by the government. Furthermore he is given a Ju-muk-bob for free which tastes the same of it that tossed to him by a woman on the streets in Gwangju. Driving back to Seoul alone, he is singing a song and at same time slowly sheds tears. He decides to follow his conscience to go back Gwangju however it could cost of his life. His only family member, his daughter would become an orphan by his choice. This movie with Song Kang-ho's excellent acting makes it perfect to feel his agony and hesitations as an ordinary might have in his shoes.
This move was made in the period of Park's administration. Artists, actors, writers, performers etc. who lobbed a wrong way against the government were secretively chosen to be listed so called the black lists. In spite of the atmosphere, the movie was made by brave people that I really appreciate those Korean actors, director, staffs and those who participated in the movies, as well as the role of German reporter, Thomas Kretschmann.