Obaltan

A couple years after the Korean war, Seoul has only begun to be rebuilt. The first parts of the city reconstructed are for the few wealthy while the majority of the people make do in their squatter huts. The hardships and anxieties of the social and economic devastation are played out by a few people trying to better themselves and those just trying to get by. Hopelessness and chronic unemployment lead to alternative attempts at income and normalcy which trigger a downward spiral.

Review: It was banned in Korea because it was so realistically stark in it's post war depiction. It was similar to and inspired by Italy's "The Bicycle Thief," but not as good. The film was pretty dark so the titles showed up even better. You could see that the locations were real because of the adaptations people had made in their shanties were so numerous & functional. The disparity between the barely haves & have nots was a source of conflict shown by the rubble which also representative of the human spirit. The cinematographic efforts were clearly present, but it was obvious there wasn't much experience with the tools of the trade on hand. The individual character development was complete in that the many problems exemplified by the individuals seemed to be a basic part of their make up, and it was the subtext to their every action. The pacing felt a bit slow at times, and the direction seemed to be trying to copy the film's predecessor rather than break wholly new ground. This film was certainly ground breaking in Korea; that is of course why it was banned. The many actors became their characters and successfully showed their struggles as individuals with their own ways of coping.

Unfortunately, this is not on video, and is a very rare find in the States even though it is such an important work.

If you got a chance to see the very recent South Korean war movie "Tae-guk-gi," then this post-war offering makes for a nice companion piece. Basic storyline involves two brothers and their highly contrasting lives (though they share the same house). 'Chul-ho Song', the older brother has a dead-end job as a clerk, a sick mother, his sister, wife, and two kids. But at least he's working, since 'Yong-ho Song', the younger brother is unemployed but still manages to spend his evenings drinking with his war buddies (exhibiting an interesting assortment of war wounds). Since this film was shot in Seoul shortly after the war there are occasional shots of walls with bullet holes, barbed wire, and bombed out areas of the city. Well-made drama with quite a few melodramatic flourishes, but the divergent plot line keeps you guessing how the brothers will resolve their difficulties. Most ominous of all is sick mother waking up repeatedly and gasping, "let's get out of here." With one brother trapped in the "cage of conscience" and the other willing to go to extremes to get money, the only real escape is death and the eventual tragic ending exemplifies that attitude. Check this one out, you won't regret it. Film will be screening in NYC at the Walter Reade theater in November 2004 as part of a Korean retrospective, then hopefully head elsewhere for more USA exposure to the rising Korean film industry.

Another film from post-war Korea, Obaltan is the story of two brothers, war veterans. One is working a dead-end job at an accounting firm, providing his meager earnings to support his family.? The other is jobless and not really searching, opting to spend his days with his friends drinking.

This film is depressing and it drives slowly towards its conclusion. On the other hand, compared to the often over-the-top melodrama present in other films I've seen from the era, Obaltan is a stark contrast. Owing more to Italian Neorealism than Hollywood, the film has many moments of mundaneness and potentially existentialist commentary. That Obaltan means "the aimless bullet" should give that away from the start.

But it is surprisingly powerful and I found myself remembering my own depression as a result of it--the sense of hopelessness and helplessness mixed with a strong desire to escape. It's as the crazy grandmother character in the film says over and over, "Let's get out of here!" The print that we had was sometimes poor in quality and missing a few frames here and there, the subtitles were a little bit ridiculous at times and sometimes entirely missed the dialogue. But it was a rare chance to see Seoul after the Korean War, complete with some rubble, barbed wire and bullet holes.

Good stuff, but not recommended for those without patience (because of the slow-paced nature of the film) and that like happy or even bittersweet endings. This one just lays the smack down and leaves you crying on the ground. Otherwise, go for it. 8/10.