Holiday
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Synopsis:
Ji Kang-hun is imprisoned after taking part in a protest against the government for clearing out their neighborhood to make way for the 1988 Seoul Olympics. After being repeatedly beaten by prison officials, Ji Kang-hun, with the help of 12 inmates, escapes the prison and is able to elude the police for 9 days. Kang-hun’s main objective is to tell his story of prison abuses and the favoritism held by the Korean legal system for the wealthy to the media or government officials. When they are finally caught and surrounded by the police and media, it is now up to Ji Kang-hun to decide whether he will go out as a hero or criminal.
Cast
Review:This movie made me realize that Korea has bloody history, since it was based in a true story. The story is cliche, people versus government, but the revenge of Kang-hun (Lee Sung-jae) makes the movie more dramaric and brutal. This film shows the true picture of Korean 'democracy' on 90s, which was the period of image and identity making of South Korea. The government should 'clean up' the country to please foreign visitors at any cost.
Kang-hun's character is strong-willed, determined and brave. His goal in the film is to escape the prison and to tell prison abuses to the media. The characters around Kang-hun, the inmates, gave a good mixture with him. They served as Kang-hun's ally in fulfilling his mission until brotherhood between each other created. They learned to accept freedom and know the real meaning of life since they become fugitives. But suddenly, they gave up by death, leaving Kang-hun alone as a crazy foe of the government. Atleast, he fulfilled his goal but it leads to his death. He is a great hero.
One good thing in this film is the specificity to represent the general thought of the movie. Kang-hun represents the Koreans that time while Kim Ahn-suk (Choi Min-soo) is the government. Ahn-suk is an abusive and ambitious government official that slaves anyone on his way. He don't accept defeat and will fight for his glory no matter what.
I really don't know why 'Holiday' is the title of the film but I guess, this was the day when the government abolished the 'Care and Custody Law' which sentenced longer terms for prisons than regular sentences that time, or the Seoul Olympics day. The foundation of the movie, 'Money buys justice, lack of money leads to guilt' served as the moral of the film. This belief is happening until today, especially in most Asian countries. Bureaucracy is the main reason why justice is not available to all. It creates borderline between the powerful and the weak. The good thing was this film told a real story about abusive powers of the Korean government to the world, resulting in the recession of the law for real.
The cinematography fits the film's genre. They established the classical 90's era by including the real TV broadcast of Seoul Olympics and the barbaric treatment to the prisons. I loved that the movie has an emotional parts that make me cry. I expect bloody scenes and dominance of Ahn-suk. If this movie is totally real, Kang-hun should be the hero of prison rights.
My favorite part in the movie was when the prisons escaped from the jail by creating unique tactics to run away and the scene when Ahn-suk was begging his life to Kang-hun. The worst fact of the movie is that the powerful uses weak people to bring themselves glorified while the poor and 'criminals' stayed helpless and fool enough to die, but they are heroes for me. Thumbs up!
This is highly recommended to those who want to know the meaning of bureaucracy and the reality of democracy.
My ratings:
Direction: 8
Editing: 9
Uniqueness: 9
Emotonal impact: 10
Story: 10
Set design: 9
OVERALL: 9.2 ★★★★ -DS
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