Hwaryeohan Hyooga

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.

This heart-wrenching story is sadder because it is history. The violence from military to citizens was unbelievably cruel, 'May 18' documents that violence rather than running away from it. Thus, some parts are hard to watch not only because of physical violence but also because of emotional stress and resentment coming from injustice. However, the director balances that stress with humorous scenes and comical acting. Also, clear contrast between the battle and people's ordinary lives dramatizes and emphasizes affliction, tragedy, and absurdity of May 18 Democracy Movement.

The most eeriest sequence of the film is when the national anthem is played through speakers. The moment of peace when citizens sing along lasts fleetingly. Then, you hear the sound of bombardment, bullets touching the ground, and screaming with the national anthem in the background. Historically, the shooting really started with the cue of the national anthem. I knew the facts, but witnessing with my own eyes and ears is one of the creepiest experiences. I also love the ending. Sin-ae is the one who survived and the one who cannot smile in the imaginary wedding. This picture shows the sorrow of the living very intelligently and metaphorically.

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.

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.