Bad Guy
2001
While strutting through Downtown Seoul, Hang-gi, a local gangland pimp, spots young Sun-hwa, a pretty, middle-class college student, waiting on a park bench. He sits next to her, creating a disparate scene of two classes in soft harmony, until she sneers at his advances and rushes into the arms of her preppy boyfriend. Offended,.. Read more
| Starring | Jae-hyeon Jo, Won Seo |
|---|---|
| Director | Kim Ki-Duk, Ki-Duk Kim |
| Genres | Drama, World Cinema |
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Bad Guy
While strutting through Downtown Seoul, Hang-gi, a local gangland pimp, spots young Sun-hwa, a pretty, middle-class college student, waiting on a park bench. He sits next to her, creating a disparate scene of two classes in soft harmony, until she sneers at his advances and rushes into the arms of her preppy boyfriend. Offended, he grabs her and forcefully kisses her. Sun-hwa demands an apology, and when Ha-Gi refuses, he is beaten by a group of soldiers who had witnessed the assault. As a final insult, Sun-hwa spits in his face while he is restrained. Soon after, Sun-hwa makes the mistake of taking a seemingly forgotten wallet filled with cash. She is apprehended by the owner, and forced to pay a huge sum or be turned into the police. With no money, she signs a contract that results in her being sold into prostitution to repay the debt. Whisked away to the neon colors of a Seoul brothel, her introduction to street life is harsh and cold, her teacher an iron-hearted woman with only disdain for the untrained Sun-hwa. As she is brought into her drab room for her first encounter, we learn who is really behind her imprisonment. Watching from behind a double mirror in her room, sits Hang-gi, the 'Bad Guy.' As Sun-hwa descends further and further into street life, she takes on the full-fledged traits of a john-luring prostitute. Hang-gi's curtain parts to reveal Sun-hwa's harsh education through the mirror, and his tears expose his growing feelings for her. Hang-gi's language is reduced to facial gestures, his throat marked with the long lash of a scar straight across from ear to ear. After a failed escape attempt, Sun-hwa is taken to the seashore by Han-gi. Here she is confronted with a series of mysterious torn photographs that seem to suggest a hidden past or even a possible pre-determined future between Han-gi and herself.
| Starring | Jae-hyeon Jo, Won Seo |
|---|---|
| Director | Kim Ki-Duk, Ki-Duk Kim |
| Studio | PALISADES TARTAN |
| Run time | DVD: 1 hr 40 mins |
| Certificate | |
| Genres | Drama, World Cinema |
| Language | Korean |
| Subtitles | English |
| Released | DVD: 26 Jul 2004 Production year: 2001 |
| Format | DVD |
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Critics' reviews (3)
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Cult Korean director Kim Ki-Duk's stylised view of exploitation and crime on the backstreets of Seoul combines disconcerting realism with moments of grim humour and unexpected tenderness. Duped into prostitution by unscrupulous loan sharks, student Seo Won endures endless humiliation at the hands of her clients and co-workers in a gaudy shop-front brothel. But at least she has low-ranking mobster Cho Jae-Hyeon keeping tabs on her through a two-way mirror. It's a sordid neon-lit hell, but the evocative design and doughty performances enable romance and a semblance of redemption to seep through the pain.
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More sexual terrorism from the self-styled bad-boy outsider of Korean cinema - or is that Korean society? Mute thug... read more on Time Out
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Most helpful member's review
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11 out of 12 people found this review helpful
No Political Correctness Here.
This film is sure going to alienate a lot of people. This Korean movie is decidely non politically correct and will upset many people with its explotation of women. But it is also a very moving, hard and brutal film which eventually succeeds in its storytelling. The Korean backstreets look like 70's disco hangouts, and looks great. Give the film a try, you may not like it, it does leave an unhealthy taste in the mouth, but it does have a certain something. I'll leave it to you to decide what.
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Most recent members' review
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3 out of 3 people found this review helpful
Really warped
This is another thought-provoking film from Korea, a country who's films up until recently have been mostly unknown to the British public. It's very unpleasant and depressing in it's story of a young, pretty college girl who's life is transformed into a living hell by a silent and deranged pimp who develops an obsession with her. Though morons (like the Guardian film critic) have called it politically incorrect (since when is that a bad thing?) and over-violent (what, you want nice, gentle violence in films about pimps and hookers?), they have mainly missed the point. It's a very deep and complex film which does turn out to be probably the most warped love story I've ever seen. It is a bit heavy going and the violence is really nasty, but the acting and thought that went into this film make these things secondary.
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