Movie No. 53 (2018): A TAXI DRIVER
A Taxi Driver (2017)
Director: Jang Hoon
Cast: Song-Kang Ho, Thomas Kretschmann
In Korean and occasional German and English, with English subtitles
The movie starts off showing a jolly taxi driver in Seoul minding how to make ends meet. Then an opportunity to earn money to pay for overdue rent comes along, which he snatches from another taxi driver. He's being hired by a foreign journalist for trip to Gwangju. This is 1980. Gwangju is under martial rule. No news leaks from the Gwangju despite rumors of student demonstrations and other forms of uprisings. The foreigner is interested in whatever newsworthy events that he can cover.
Director: Jang Hoon
Cast: Song-Kang Ho, Thomas Kretschmann
In Korean and occasional German and English, with English subtitles
The movie starts off showing a jolly taxi driver in Seoul minding how to make ends meet. Then an opportunity to earn money to pay for overdue rent comes along, which he snatches from another taxi driver. He's being hired by a foreign journalist for trip to Gwangju. This is 1980. Gwangju is under martial rule. No news leaks from the Gwangju despite rumors of student demonstrations and other forms of uprisings. The foreigner is interested in whatever newsworthy events that he can cover.
The trip starts off as cold, while the driver tries to be as entertaining as possible. The real story starts as soon as they enter Gwangju. The movie is mostly about what they see in the city. We see terror in the eyes of the taxi driver, while in the eyes of the journalist, everything they see is news that needs to be broadcast to the world. We see different and interesting characters; their stories help make the narrative flow fluidly.
The movie is entertaining. On another note, it is terrifying. More than these, the history lesson than one can get by simply paying attention to the narrative is satisfying.
Rating: 4.0/4.0
Date seen: August 18. 2018
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