I'm busy working on a Korean project, which includes research about the Gwangju Massacre of 1980, when 4,000 people - mainly students - were killed in protests against a military coup. It's central to the modern Korean psyche, as evidenced by the current crisis after President Yoon attempted to introduce martial law. The massacre and its aftermath has featured in several films. I'd already seen
A Taxi Driver (2017), which is terrific - I rated it
9/10.
I've just watched three more:
May 18 (2007)
8/10
As with
A Taxi Driver, it's a film of two halfs. It begins with gentle comedy, and then transforms into melodrama when the violence starts. This one takes liberties with the facts, but provides a vivid sense of the chaos and tragedy.
You must be logged on to see media items
The Attorney (2013)
9/10
Song Kang-ho (who also stars in
A Taxi Driver) is a huckster tax attorney in Busan who takes on the case of a student reading group who are collectively charged with being North Korean agitators in the wake of Gwangju. Brilliant courtroom drama based on a true story. The real attorney, Roh Moo-hyun, later became president of South Korea.
You must be logged on to see media items
26 Years (2012)
7/10
A thriller about a plot to kill former president Chun Doo-hwan, the man who ordered the Gwangju Massacre. Incredible that it got made, because Chun was still alive at the time with a loyal support base. (Imagine in the 90s making a UK thriller about killing Thatcher.) Funding was pulled while it was in production, so it was crowd-sourced. The end credits include a list of everyone who donated - it goes on for 10 minutes.
You must be logged on to see media items