Chilsu And Mansu
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''Chilsu and Mansu'' () is a 1988 South Korean film, and noted director
Park Kwang-su Park Kwang-su (born January 22, 1955) is a South Korean filmmaker. He was born in Sokcho, Gangwon Province and grew up in Busan. Park joined the Yallasung Film Group as a student of Fine Arts at Seoul National University. Upon graduation, he fo ...
's debut film. Though not a box-office hit (only attracting 73,751 people in theatres), the film is remembered as a major step towards freedom of expression in South Korean cinema. ''Chilsu and Mansu'' was the directorial debut of Park Kwang-su, who went on to become not only an accomplished director in his own right, but an influential role model for a new generation of socially conscious filmmakers. The film is one of the most memorable performances of two famous veteran actors,
Ahn Sung-ki Ahn Sung-ki (; born January 1, 1952) is a South Korean actor. One of the country's most respected actors, he has appeared in more than 130 films during his career of over 60 years. He received Bog-wan Order of Cultural Merit in 2005 Culture Day. ...
and
Park Joong-hoon Park Joong-hoon (born March 22, 1966) is a South Korean actor. Early life and family Park was born and raised in Eunpyeong-gu, Seoul, South Korea. He was classmates with retired basketball legend Hur Jae at Yongsan High School and attended ...
. The easy and convincing onscreen camaraderie shown by the two men foreshadowed their being cast together again in the hit comedy ''
Two Cops ''Two Cops'' () is a 1993 South Korean action comedy film directed by Kang Woo-suk. It stars Ahn Sung-ki and Park Joong-hoon as a pair of police detectives with different outlooks who end up working on a case together. Plot The experienced detec ...
'' (1993) and the action/art film '' Nowhere to Hide'' (1999).
Bae Jong-ok Bae Jong-ok (; born May 13, 1964) is a South Korean actress. She debuted as a TV actress after she was recruited by KBS, and has since been active in theater, film and television. While concurrently maintaining an acting career, Bae completed ...
, who plays Chil-su's girlfriend, continues to make her mark on contemporary cinema, taking on an acclaimed role in the award-winning ''
Jealousy Is My Middle Name ''Jealousy Is My Middle Name'' () is a 2003 South Korean film. It won Best Film honors at the Busan International Film Festival and the Rotterdam Film Festival and was the directorial debut of Park Chan-ok. It was inspired by the poem of the same ...
'' (2003).


Background

1988 was the year of the
Seoul Olympics The 1988 Summer Olympics (), officially the Games of the XXIV Olympiad () and officially branded as Seoul 1988 (), were an international multi-sport event held from 17 September to 2 October 1988 in Seoul, South Korea. 159 nations were represe ...
and a time of great political and social change for South Korea. Massive street protests against the military government and on behalf of workers' rights had recently reached their peak. Korean society portrayed through cinema in those days, however, hardly resembled the passion on display on the streets. Government censors, wielding an iron grip over the film industry, ensured that the slightest hint of social criticism was clipped in the screenplay or in the editing room before reaching audiences. ''Chilsu and Mansu'' seemingly depicts the hopes and aspirations of Korean youth in the late 1980s when the country was gradually democratizing. As the film progresses, however, the storyline does not turn out to be what the audience expects and ends with a stand off between the protagonists and the establishment.http://lifeinmotion.wordpress.com/2006/12/21/%E2%80%9Cchilsu-and-mansu%E2%80%9D/ The movie was based on the
short story A short story is a piece of prose fiction. It can typically be read in a single sitting and focuses on a self-contained incident or series of linked incidents, with the intent of evoking a single effect or mood. The short story is one of the old ...
"Liang Ge Youqijiang" written by
Huang Chunming Huang Chun-ming (; born 13 February 1935) is a Literature of Taiwan, Taiwanese literary figure and teacher. Huang writes mainly about the tragic and sometimes humorous lives of ordinary Taiwanese people, and many of his short stories have been ...
. It was uncredited because Huang's works were banned in South Korea at the time.


Summary

Two men, Chilsu and Mansu, are both painters without stable jobs who lead pointless lives marked by desperation and lack of employment. The film sends many messages to the viewer, of which the most poignant is the daily struggle of the common man in 1980s Korea with no education. It reflects the hopelessness of the poor, as well as the outsider. This is shown by Chilsu's dream of migrating to
Miami Miami is a East Coast of the United States, coastal city in the U.S. state of Florida and the county seat of Miami-Dade County, Florida, Miami-Dade County in South Florida. It is the core of the Miami metropolitan area, which, with a populat ...
as an escape from his world and a solution to his life, though he has never been there. Mansu fails to secure stable work due to his father's history of being a communist. Another theme is
cultural imperialism Cultural imperialism (also cultural colonialism) comprises the culture, cultural dimensions of imperialism. The word "imperialism" describes practices in which a country engages culture (language, tradition, ritual, politics, economics) to creat ...
by the West in Korea. Jina, whom Chilsu loves, works at
Burger King Burger King Corporation (BK, stylized in all caps) is an American multinational chain store, chain of hamburger fast food restaurants. Headquartered in Miami-Dade County, Florida, the company was founded in 1953 as Insta-Burger King, a Jacks ...
, Mansu dresses up as a painter from France to impress women, Chilsu wears a shirt resembling the
American flag The national flag of the United States, often referred to as the American flag or the U.S. flag, consists of thirteen horizontal Bar (heraldry), stripes, Variation of the field, alternating red and white, with a blue rectangle in the Canton ( ...
and the billboard that the two men paint is an adv for American whiskey. Chilsu falls in love with Jina, appearing upbeat and excited about the changes going around him. Korea has begun to democratize and he is in love with Jina. He is so elated that he quits his job painting movie billboards to work with Mansu, telling his old boss that he has freedom of choice. Despite this, things are not what they seem. First, the film begins with a civil defense drill, which is used by the government to condition citizens to deal with a North Korean attack and as a form of control to keep the populace on edge. Second, a newscast makes a vague reference to the working-class tale '' A Dwarf Launches a Little Ball'' in reporting about a man climbing down an apartment chimney to look for his wife. Finally, the biggest giveaway is that the characters are constantly in need of money while others reap the benefits of economic and political changes at this time. Later in the film, both men are found to be downtrodden and have ''minjung'' (working class) connections. The optimistic Chilsu is from an area dependent on American soldiers for income. His worst problems stem from his sister being disowned for selling herself to American soldiers and his father leeches off his new wife. Chilsu's sister has not spoken to his family and his dreams of emigrating and marrying Jina are a delusion. On the other hand, Mansu's problems stem from his father's affiliation with communists, which denies him an education and decent employment and is the root of his extreme pessimism. Their frustrations reach a climax when both characters confide their secrets to each other. They climb to their just-completed billboard and vent their frustration at "rich bastards" in downtown Seoul, which culminates with a tense standoff with authorities. Chilsu and Mansu's anger symbolizes the working class's frustration of being marginalized from the nation's economic miracle and the standoff near the end represents society's inability to understand their plight. As a whole, the film engages with its message of hope and the need to fight for change.


Cast

*
Park Joong-hoon Park Joong-hoon (born March 22, 1966) is a South Korean actor. Early life and family Park was born and raised in Eunpyeong-gu, Seoul, South Korea. He was classmates with retired basketball legend Hur Jae at Yongsan High School and attended ...
as Chilsu, a smooth-talking billboard painter who struggles to hold down a job; and his evolving friendship with Man-su *
Ahn Sung-ki Ahn Sung-ki (; born January 1, 1952) is a South Korean actor. One of the country's most respected actors, he has appeared in more than 130 films during his career of over 60 years. He received Bog-wan Order of Cultural Merit in 2005 Culture Day. ...
as Mansu, a capable and intelligent worker who is held back in life because his father is an "unreformed"
Communist Communism () is a sociopolitical, philosophical, and economic ideology within the socialist movement, whose goal is the creation of a communist society, a socioeconomic order centered on common ownership of the means of production, di ...
sympathizer, serving a long sentence in a South Korean prison. *
Bae Jong-ok Bae Jong-ok (; born May 13, 1964) is a South Korean actress. She debuted as a TV actress after she was recruited by KBS, and has since been active in theater, film and television. While concurrently maintaining an acting career, Bae completed ...
as Jina, a college student and part-time
Burger King Burger King Corporation (BK, stylized in all caps) is an American multinational chain store, chain of hamburger fast food restaurants. Headquartered in Miami-Dade County, Florida, the company was founded in 1953 as Insta-Burger King, a Jacks ...
worker whom Chilsu falls in love with. * Kim Myeong-kuk * Kwon Jae-hee


Reception and importance

At the 42nd
Locarno International Film Festival The Locarno International Film Festival is a major international film festival, held annually in Locarno, Switzerland. Founded in 1946, the festival screens films in various competitive and non-competitive sections, including feature-length narr ...
, it was the winner of the second runner up prize for the Young Critics' Award. It was also presented during the
39th Berlin International Film Festival The 39th annual Berlin International Film Festival was held from 10 to 21 February 1989. The Golden Bear was awarded to American film ''Rain Man'' directed by Barry Levinson. The retrospective was dedicated to German film producer Erich Pommer ...
as well as the third
Singapore International Film Festival The Singapore International Film Festival (SGIFF) (Simplified Chinese, Chinese: 新加坡国际电影节) is the longest-running film festival in Singapore, founded in 1987. The 35th Singapore International Film Festival took place from 28 Novem ...
. Contemporary audiences may look upon ''Chilsu and Mansu'' as a comparatively light-hitting political statement, but taken within the context of 1980s Korean cinema and society, it was a bold attempt to mix popular and political cinema. It was not a box-office hit, but in reflecting the frustrations of a generation growing up under social inequality and authoritarian rule, ''Chilsu and Mansu'' has become one of the best-remembered Korean films of its era.


References


Bibliography

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External links

* * {{IMDb title, 0150113, Chilsu and Mansu 1988 films South Korean drama films Films set in Seoul 1980s Korean-language films Films directed by Park Kwang-su