Low Life

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Japanese DVD cover

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Movie: Low Life
Hangul: 하류인생
Revised romanization: Haryu insaeng
Director: Kwon-taek Im
Writer: Kwon-taek Im
Producer:
Cinematographer
Release Date: May 21, 2004
Runtime: 105 min
Language: Korean
Country: South Korea

Plot

Low Life

Tae-woong goes to a rival school to revenge his friend but only find himself being stabbed by Seung-moon on his way out. But ironically, Tae-woong ends up becoming adopted into Seung-moon's family after Seung-moon's father, Park Il-won, took pity on him.

In the meantime, Park Il-won is running to win a seat as in independent lawmaker in the National Assembly. On the day of the candidates' public speech, some political mobsters instigated by the opposition Freedom Party throws the whole place topsy-turvy. A gangster of the Dongdaemoon Gang hurts Seung-moon's sister, Hae-oak. Tae-woong becomes furious and chases after him. He knocks the gangster down with one punch and receives much praise from the Myongdong Gang's boss. Through this incident, Tae-woong seals his position in the gang. However, the collapse of the Freedom Party brings about the disappearance of the Dongdaemoon Gang, which was supported by the Freedom Party, and that of its rival Myongdong Gang as well.

Afterwards, Tae-woong manages his life by serving a middle boss of the Myongdong Gang, Oh Sang-pil, as a trouble-solving broker. As Tae-woong heads for to an ex-congressman's office to resolve a late debt, he accidentally bumps into Seung-moon at a rally and is surprised to see him as a college student. Tae-woong later meets Hae-ok again who became a primary school teacher. Soon after, they fall in love and get hitched.

As the new coup de tat government makes a clean sweep of organized crime, Tae-woong quits his life as a gangster and makes a new start as a film producer. Tae-woong overcomes many painstaking hurdles to complete his first film, but it all ends up to no avail. He falls into major debt and once again seeks Oh Sang-pil for help. Thanks to Sang-pil, Tae-woong lands a job as a broker for the Fraternity Club, a phantom organization that works as an illegal broker for the U.S. Army and Korean construction companies. Tae-woong comes to realize the lobbying and briberies his job entails in a merciless dog-eat-dog world that he's caught up in. Tae-woong keeps looking out only for himself, being indifferent to the torrents of Korean modern history such as the April 19 Citizens' Uprising, May 16 Military Coup de tat, and the October Constitution Manipulation. The young man that Tae-woong is only grows more and more out of control.

Production Notes

The thriving streets of Myungdong during the 60s, where the life of gangsters and artists coexisted has been recreated at the Pucheon Fantastic Studio. Art director JU Byoung-do having worked in recreating the scenes of , has joined lighting director KIM Dong-ho to complete the open set on a scale reaching over 64 thousand square feet, a masterful achievement of elaborate and refined details. Add on the prop master KIM Ho-gil with over 20 truckfuls of realistic props and a wardrobe of over 20 thousand pieces (with 80 specially designed clothes) are some of the details that the audience should not miss.

Characters

Low Life

CHOI Tae-woong is the man who goes head to head with the world with his two fists and plenty of guts. Even when the whole city is enraged against the Liberal Party, he's only concerned about his revenge upon a kid who beat up his friend. Even in the midst of historic events such as the Student Revolution of April 1960 and the Revolution of May 1961, he's only concerned about earning his living. Starting at a young age, he gets recognized for his fighting skills, and naturally, he begins his walk in a gangster's life. Luckily, with help from Hae-ok, he cleans up his act and marries her. However, in order to survive through the whirlpool of modern history, Tae-woong has no choice but to change again.

Hae-ok is the woman who stands by Tae-woong through thick and thin. Despite her conventional occupation as a school teacher and her background of being raised in a strict household under her father who is a provincial governor, she manages to develop a sincere love with Tae-woong, who is a gang member. Contrast to her pure and innocent appearance, she's a fearless girl who falls in love at the first sight with Tae-woong when he shows up at her front door with a bloody knife stuck in himself. She's also an audacious girl who promises her father that she'll turn Tae-woong into a new man and gains his approval of their marriage.