The Man Standing Next

I remember seeing another historical Korean movie on people's riot. Same as this time, some story lines are hard to understand. Luckily as long as there is LBH, I have nothing to lose.

One thing that kept going over and over in my mind was that this was based on a story that was serialized into 60 parts, in some magazine. And yet, with packing each episode into less than two minutes per, very little happens. Until about the last twenty minutes or so. Okay, so plenty happens, but not enough. This is one of those films that could have lost a few seconds, on average, from each and every shot. It would have made a taut 104 minutes, rather than an often tedious 114.

Its another political history drama, this one about the build up towards the assassination of president park in 1979. all this was uncharted teritory to me, knowing extremely little about south korean history, but interesting it was, and something new ive learned. historical dramas do have frames to follow when the story shall be told, so you cant waver around the bush as in a non fictional drama. but the build up for me knowing less than nothing it was quite intense, the actors good, and as usual the score of south korean film making of high quality. even though there was a bit too many Parks in the plot, the grumpy old man will recommend a watch, south korean politics and democracy were and maybe still are a wasps nest to rule.