My Year-End's Movie: 변호인

I must''ve become so Korean-ized that I would not have felt this ease, had I not seen this much talked-about movie in Korea: 변호인 or The Attorney. Of course, I got to make up my mind when I decided to buy the ticket since I knew that the 2-hour movie would be full of Busan-dialect which surely tested my Korean language comprehension. ㅋㅋㅋ

But, boy oh boy...did I regret it? nope. I kinda liked the sensation of having to squirm my brain into 'understanding' the dialogues.

But..thank God..the well choreographed scenes did help me out in catching what's going on throughout the movie. 

Now I understood as to why so many Korean people thronged to the theater for the past two weeks to watch this movie. Even I saw lots of middle-aged women and men (some in groups) watching this movie. Well, I learned that this movie's background was (they say--loosely) inspired by the former president Roh Moo-hyun's life before he entered politics. hmmm..that alone kinda worked to urge me see the movie. and it did for lots of Koreans.

(Oh...Hobbit; The Desolation of Smaug was not even the runner up of box office in Korea). wow..that's simply showing how powerful this movie is. 

Starred by the famous Song Kang-ho (송강호) whom 99% of Koreans know well, this movie surely steal the hearts of movie goers by portraying how Korean society was back in the late 1970's and leading up to the early 1980's. Gosh..I was like "what-the-heck-was-going-on back then" I knew I had to brush up my Korean history class again.

If I am not mistaken, it must've had something to do with the then-president Chun Doo-hwan's military rule..which easily charged innocent people (as portrayed in the movie) by labeling them 'communist' so as to instill 'FEAR' within Korean society at that time.

and..THIS movie really scared the hell out of me...just by thinking of it. 

I was drawn into the characters (most of them) since they sort of immersed themselves in portraying the people affected by the then-dictatorial rule. But, what captivated me for the most part was simply by the sheer portrayal of how a materialistic lawyer (attorney) turned or changed 180 degree to become a socially aware attorney--of course after some internal conflict!!

but boy....the movie did bring about its premise: bring out the joy and tears to (some) audiences.

But, I only cried once: ㅋㅋㅋ 

when....the attorney (after his first success) brought his family to dine out in a small restaurant he needed to re-visit simply because he once ditched paying his meal 7 years ago--when he was still poor with no money at all.

The emotional meeting really overwhelmed me.

My verdict: (**** out of 5)

What I am now pondering about:

- that I should learn more about Korean history.

- that I should learn more and care more about my surrounding.

- 인맥 /인연 in good and positive sense is indeed important.^^

_ 임시완 (ㅋㅋㅋ)