International Film Critique – My Way
International Film Critique
Huma 1100
M/W 2:30
Audrey Davis
1. Title of Film: My Way
2. Year of release: 2012
3. Language of original film: Korean
4. Director: Je-Gyu Kang
5. Actors: Jo Odagiri, Dong-gun Jang, Bingbing Fan, In-kwon Kim, Seung-hyeon Han.
6. Plot Summary: This film is about two boys, one is Korean, the other Japanese. They have known each other since childhood, but not as friends, as enemies and competitors. Both the boys are very athletic and interested in marathon running. Since the first time they ever ran together, Tatsuo Hasegawa has beaten Jun-shik Kim. Time and time again Tatsuo has been the champion, winning every medal in high school and going on to be champion of marathon running in the Olympics. One day, Jun-shik gets asked to represent Korea in an Olympic race. He beats Tatsuo and thinks he’ll finally get his moment to shine. He is disqualified for tripping another runner though and is outraged, as well as all his friends and supporters. They start a riot and are all sentenced to be soldiers in the Imperial Army under the Emperor of Japan. A while later, while in the army, Jun-shik’s Colonel is sentenced to death by the Emperor and the new Colonel turns out to be Tatsuo. After an attack by the Soviet Union, they are taken over and forced to become Soviets, and Tatsuo no longer has any authority. Germany declares war on the Soviet Union and they go into battle. Tatsuo and Jun-shik are the only survivors and travel to Germany together, Tatsuo being injured the entire journey. Jun-shik ends up trying to save Tatsuo’s life, but gets captured. Three years later and Tatsuo is alive and is now with the French Army and we don’t know what has happened to Jun-shik. But eventually he is put into the French Army as well, they have found each other again. A few days later D-Day happens and the Allied Forces attack the French camp. Jun-shik and Tatsuo make a run for it, hoping to find their way home. Jun-shik is shot and gives Tatsuo his army tags so that he can say he is Korean so they will not kill him. As Jun-shik dies, the enemy surrounds Tatsuo. Fast forward in time and Tatsuo is home, and he is running again, under the name Jun-shik Kim.
7. Analyze the social and philosophical issues the film addresses: This film addresses some issues in another world we might not be so familiar with. It shows us a different culture and lifestyle of the Japanese, Koreans and even the French during the time of WWll. I honestly thought it was going to be so boring because their way of life did not interest me and I didn’t understand it, but I was wrong. I came to earn a lot about how