Contrary to some other reviewers, I thought this movie was a beautiful touch on the sensitive issue of Kwangju. This tragedy went unacknowledged far too long than it deserved, and this movie helps to show the injustice. Of course, the movie is romanticized in many ways, but it is still a very valuable movie. There are many sides to history, and this is just one portrayal. I admired how the movie was localized to just the citizens of Kwangju who deserve their stories to be told. The massacre was smoothed over by the politics of the time including the foreign powers who tried to justify their inaction.
The casting was really good. (Don't see it if you're just a fan of Lee Jun Ki (I mean, I am),but it's not a sole reason to.) Watch the movie because it shows a part of history that needs to be told. The soundtrack is beautiful. Although the characters are pretty typical, they are memorable. The movie's not up there with Taegukgi, but it definitely is up there. It has a different feel and is a wonderful movie.
Plot summary
Kang Min Woo leads a relatively peaceful life with his younger brother Kang Jin Woo. Min Woo has been captivated by Park Shin Ae, friend to Jin Woo and daughter to Park Heung Su. Min Woo, being shy, manipulates Shin Ae into going to the movies with him and his brother, Jin Woo, by telling her it's out of sympathy for his brother who studies too hard. The next day at the theaters, while Min Woo was in amusement from watching a film smoke began seeping in. An outburst came through the doors of a soldier beating a man to death and everyone inside ran out of the theatre in fear. That day soldiers went on a rampage against the citizens, assaulting everyone and anyone. Park Heung Su, father to Shin Ae, tried to find out what was happening by seeking out General Choi who was in-charge of this infiltration into his town. But nothing could stop the soldiers not even Heung Su who was once a general himself. The citizens form a militia were determined to protect their loved ones. Out of anger and loss of a friend Jin Woo decided to gather a group of students to retaliate against the soldiers but all goes wrong when the soldiers began firing their weapons killing citizens on sight. Min Woo who was entangled in his own little situation of being captured, escaped and ran back into town only to see his brother shot among the running crowd of citizens. Furious of his brothers death, Min Woo found himself caught in the middle of it all for he swore revenge even if it cost him his life.
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A beautiful depiction of a tragic moment in history
"Based on actual events" which are more interesting than the movie
Lovers of history and film are often disappointed when a movie is "based on actual events." Based on a 1980 democratization protest in Gwangju Korea, Hwaryeohan hyuga (May 18) fails to depict anything more than military abuse of power. Prior to seeing the film at the Hawaii International Film Festival, I was unaware of the massacre. I enjoy Korean television dramas and found this almost as entertaining, though in a movie-of-the-week fashion. Characters and actions depicted in the movie seem artificial and the filmmaker seemed afraid to depict any political view other than love for Korea and Gwangju. The many fans of Jun-gi Lee on hand for the screening were probably mollified by his presence. While I feel the film trivializes the sacrifices made by citizens to advance democracy in Korea, it motivated me to learn more about Gwangju.
Typical
In the 80's South Korean films as well as TV dramas were almost identically typical in their monotonous plots, stereotyped characters and lack of variety. True, those were the dark ages--ruled by army generals with not much freedom of speech or media, etc. However, interestingly enough, this movie, in the 21st century democracy, attempted to depict an unforgettable (and unforgivable) historical event of 1980 with the very 1980 methods: monotonous, stereotyped and boring... How typical! Unbelievable! It could have been (and indeed should've been) a lot greater movie if it had been for a better director, a better scriptwriter (whoever could've done a lot more research than those involved in this failure) because it--the Kwangju Massacre--was one of the most important civil uprisings in the country's modern history.
I was a kid when it happened (fortunately I was living abroad) and I remember watching the news coverage on TV. I watched this movie in a theater in Seoul, and I saw quite a few young students walking out within the first 40-50 minutes. The only reason I sat through the movie was I "knew" about this historical event. If I hadn't known at all, I wouldn't have even bothered to sit still for 30 minutes. I really wished I could either cry or laugh during the movie; I just couldn't sympathize with any part.
Many Korean filmmakers--unlike those who made "Tae Guk Gi" for example--are very capable of ruining great stories...the very true stories given to them on a silver platter so that they didn't have to agonize themselves over creating a great fiction in the first place.
I give this movie 5 stars only because it is based on a true story.