Your opinion on modern Korean cinema

[Darkshader]

I know that A Taxi Driver is political drama, but there is something missing or need to be improve. Most of the story scene i already know or predicted what is going to happen next ... so no suprise and thrill for me, got me bored. I already know that guy is going to die, or that person will get beaten, or get shot. I'm not even impress on the american reporter acting. The only saving grace was when one the activist student died, very touching ... but i already knew that his gonna die eventually. Even the taxi chase was meh ... not really exciting, its like driving slow that they made the film run faster to look like a chase lol. If the director added some real footage between the protester and military or pictures, then maybe it can add some suspense and realistic scene.

I cannot wait to watch 1987: When the Day Comes in bluray. Hopefully it is better than A Taxi Driver.

These are the korean political/drama/war that i've watched.

Shiri
Joint Security Area
Silmido
Taegukgi: The Brotherhood of War
71: Into the Fire
The Berlin File
The Attorney
The Front Line
Operation Chromite
Steel Rain

[darkness2918]

I think I like Korean movies about the same as I did before. There were some that I heard a lot of good things about that I didn't enjoy (Thirst) & there were others that I heard almost nothing about that I ended up liking (No Tears for the Dead). Im a little behind on watching Korean movies at the moment though, for example I only a few months back watched The Chaser & liked it.

[Grethiwha]

Originally Posted by Darkshader

I cannot wait to watch 1987: When the Day Comes in bluray. Hopefully it is better than A Taxi Driver.

1987 is excellent IMO for many of the same reasons as A Taxi Driver and The Attorney, though I'd give those films the edge over 1987 because of the emotional core and heart Kang-ho Song brings to them with his performance. I don't think A Taxi Driver is a flawless film, but I don't agree with any of the flaws you've identified. So whether you'll like 1987 more I have no idea.

[Simon_LDT]

A Taxi Driver is one of the very best Korean films I've seen, it had me gripped from the start.

[PGW]

Ditto.

[Last Lizard]

I didn't care much for A Taxi Driver either honestly.. despite their best intentions Song Kang-ho can't be expected to shoulder the entire weight of the Gwangju Uprising alone and I feel like this is kinda what they expected him to do.. left him out there largely on his own to be be stupefied and shaken out of his apathetic working pleb shell in a rather clumsy and heavy-handed fashion. Why do people care?! Why do people do this?! Why are people being killed?! Oh okay now I understand why, thanks for the guided tour!

The relationship with Kretschmann's journalist "Peter" and his character in general went wholly underdeveloped for the full stretch when it should have been one of the core strengths of the film considering the historical significance of his real life contribution. It's also a simple and effective way to key in the international audience "outsider" who perhaps doesn't know much about the real life events in the first place.

And while it's always a balancing act when it comes to presenting true stories I feel like the director wasn't far away from using flashing "cry now!' inserts on the audience.. which might be especially atuned to Korean tastes (a large chunk of certain movie/drama branches anyway) but I'm not giving up my tears for free you gotta earn them just like every other good filmmaker. And he is a pretty good filmmaker: I'm a big fan of Rough Cut and Secret Reunion.. maybe he just felt he had to bow to the pressure and amp up on a high volume of damp cheeks.

Generally I just felt bad for Song Kang-ho being left hung out to dry again after Blue Salt (it was a while ago I know lol) and The Attorney didn't really resonate a whole lot with me either so I'm worried about this apparent trend of using him to add some gravitas to a leading role and little else. Plenty will disagree with me I'm sure but he's been in far more capable hands and when he is he's still the best they've got.

[PGW]

Yep. Disagree. The taxi driver in the film wasn't supposed to have much of an idea what was going on, so we got to learn along with him. Best way to show it, IMHO.

And it would have been hard to develop the relationship between the taxi driver and journalist more, considering they were only together for a day and could barely communicate. I thought the taxi driver's decision to go back for him said it all, basically - he was a decent guy who did the only moral thing he felt he could do.

[sonny gaunt]

I think most is hit or miss to one's own tastes. I enjoyed Train to Busan, Wailing, Along with the Gods(both), and Believer.
Wailing and Train are exceptional horror films. Along with the Gods are creative afterlife films. Believer is an entertaining remake(although it was created to be intentionally apparent what was transpiring).

[darry]

Was the journalist American? Thought he was German.

[Grethiwha]

Originally Posted by darry

Was the journalist American? Thought he was German.

German. Gwangju wasn't really reported on in the US media. Certainly, I don't think any of Hinzpeter's footage saw the light of day in the US media. As a Western viewer, the "Why didn't I know about this?" effect of the movie was a big part of what made the film so powerful. (And, there are answers to that question...)

[Last Lizard]

Originally Posted by PGW

Yep. Disagree. The taxi driver in the film wasn't supposed to have much of an idea what was going on, so we got to learn along with him. Best way to show it, IMHO.

And it would have been hard to develop the relationship between the taxi driver and journalist more, considering they were only together for a day and could barely communicate. I thought the taxi driver's decision to go back for him said it all, basically - he was a decent guy who did the only moral thing he felt he could do.

The choice to use one of the country's best and most bankable actors as an audience surrogate obviously makes sense (despite kind of insinuating the audience are a bunch of ignorant potato heads anyway lol).. but they gave him 30 mins of backstory when he's a fictional approximation of a guy they couldn't ever find again far as I'm aware. All I'm saying is they could have afforded some of that time to give you a little more personality etc of the real journalist who actually appears in the film and whose perspective they were clearly inspired by.. it's a common issue with plenty of international roles in Korean films anyway. Bong Joon-ho is one of the few who seems to be able to wrangle more interest and better performances out of his non-Korean actors.

I didn't hate the film either by the way I don't mean to give that impression.. just had a bit of buzz (which I rarely ever listen to but.. as the whole thread suggests I'm starved and always hoping for more from today's Korean movies) about how impactful it was and it mostly didn't work its magic on me. It's a perfectly decent film to me but not much else.

[GRD43L]

Originally Posted by Grethiwha

I don't think any of Hinzpeter's footage saw the light of day in the US media. As a Western viewer, the "Why didn't I know about this?" effect of the movie was a big part of what made the film so powerful. (And, there are answers to that question...)

The military dictator in power at the time was 'backed' by US. It would not look good on US to have this news out.

The dictator, now living as a citizen, still claims innocence regarding suppression of uprising and the order to shoot protesters despite overwhelming evidence against him, including intelligence reports from US military base in Korea to Washington.

It was not a great movie, IMO, but the topic touched a very sad and painful period in Korean history for many Koreans.

It is Korea's 911 (to put in perspective), except the perpetrator is still alive and not yet in jail.

[PGW]

Originally Posted by Last Lizard

... but they gave him 30 mins of backstory when he's a fictional approximation of a guy they couldn't ever find again far as I'm aware. All I'm saying is they could have afforded some of that time to give you a little more personality etc of the real journalist who actually appears in the film and whose perspective they were clearly inspired by..

Completely disagree. We, as audience members, need to like and relate to the Korean taxi driver because the movie is about HIM, not the German reporter (it's called "A Taxi Driver" and not "A German Reporter" for a reason, after all). I thought we knew all we needed to know about the reporter, and they gave us just the right amount of back-story for the taxi driver.

[Ray O. Blu]

Man, I love Blue Salt (Hindsight) with Song Kang-ho.
Absolutely fell in love with Shin Se-Kyung’s character and her bad-ass attitude riding the motorcycle.
I guess I’m a sucker for everything that Song Kang-ho is in, except for Antarctic Journal!

[darry]

Originally Posted by GRD43L

The military dictator in power at the time was 'backed' by US. It would not look good on US to have this news out.

The dictator, now living as a citizen, still claims innocence regarding suppression of uprising and the order to shoot protesters despite overwhelming evidence against him, including intelligence reports from US military base in Korea to Washington.

It was not a great movie, IMO, but the topic touched a very sad and painful period in Korean history for many Koreans.

It is Korea's 911 (to put in perspective), except the perpetrator is still alive and not yet in jail.

I don't think I would compare it to 9/11 to be honest. The Paris Commune, 1968 France, The Occupy Movement, The Yellow Vests, are probably better examples. Jeju had their own uprising as well. 9/11 was a terrorist attack that galvanised the powers that actually oppress the people. So they're kinda opposites really.