The City of Violence
The City of Violence (Korean: 짝패; RR: Jjakpae; lit. "Partner" or "Pal") is a 2006 South Korean action thriller film co-written and directed by Ryoo Seung-wan, who stars in the film opposite action director and longtime collaborator Jung Doo-hong. The story re-unites former childhood friends for their friend's funeral, which prompts two of them to find the killer.[2][3][4][5]
| The City of Violence | |
|---|---|
Film poster | |
| Hangul | 짝패 |
| Revised Romanization | Jjakpae |
| McCune–Reischauer | Tchakp‘ae |
| Directed by | Ryoo Seung-wan |
| Written by | Kim Jung-min Lee Won-jae Ryoo Seung-wan |
| Produced by | Kim Jung-min Ryoo Seung-wan |
| Starring | Ryoo Seung-wan Jung Doo-hong Lee Beom-soo |
| Cinematography | Kim Yeong-cheol |
| Edited by | Nam Na-yeong |
| Music by | Bang Jun-seok |
| Distributed by | CJ Entertainment |
Release date |
|
Running time | 92 minutes |
| Country | South Korea |
| Language | Korean |
| Budget | US$2.7 million |
| Box office | US$6.2 million[1] |
Plot
Wang-jae, an ex-gangster, chases a gang of punks into an alley where he is fatally stabbed to death. His four childhood friends reunite in nearly 20 years at Wang-jae's funeral. Up to then, each person has gone their own way: Tae-su became a Seoul police detective. Pil-ho has taken over his brother-in-law Wang-jae's business. Seok-hwan, who works as a debt collector while his older brother Dong-hwan struggles as a mathematics professor. After the funeral, Tae-su decides to investigate the murder within a week before he would return to his job in Seoul.
Meanwhile, Seok-hwan decides to find and kill Wang-jae's murderers. While investigating, Tae-su is attacked by youth gangs, who use an array of weapons including baseball bats, hip hop, bikes, hockey sticks, and yo-yo's. Tae-su barely escapes with his life after Seok-hwan's unexpected arrival. They decide to work together. After hunting the gangs, they discover Wang-jae's death isn't a random mindless attack. It was a planned murder. The revelation leads them to Seok-hwan's own brother, who confesses a secret. It's Pil-ho who was behind the plan, which was hatched after Wang-jae disapproved Pil-ho's plans to turn their city into a tourist district. After strangers tried to kill him as part of tying up Pil-ho's loose ends, Wang-jae's young murderer agrees to testify against Pil-ho. A killer douses the young murderer in gasoline and sets him on fire. When Tae-su realizes there's no legal way to take Pil-ho down, he confronts Pil-ho, but he ends up badly beaten.
Meanwhile, Seok-hwan, Dong-hwan and their mother are on their way to a restaurant when a truck smashes into their car. After Dong-hwan and his mother's funeral, Seok-hwan and Wang-jae's widow leave the funeral house and sees Tae-su waiting outside. Tae-su persuades Wang-jae's widow into revealing information on her brother Pil-ho's whereabouts. No longer bound by law, Tae-su and Seok-hwan storm Pil-ho's fortress where they fight their way through swarms of armed cooks and bodyguards until the banquet room. They witness Pil-ho killing a Seoul president, which prompts all guests to leave just Tae-su, Seok-hwan, Pil-ho and his four elite guards alone in the room. The elite guards immediately take Tae-su and Seok-hwan.
Victorious but exhausted, Seok-hwan and Tae-su set to take on Pil-ho, but Pil-ho takes them by surprise by attacking Seok-hwan, who loses his fingers. Pil-ho turns and stabs Tae-su, ignoring Seok-hwan, who is binding the katana to his hand with torn table cloth. Tae-su informs Pil-ho that the last man who stands last wins. Before Pil-ho could react, Seok-hwan stabs him through the chest, killing him. As Tae-su bleeds to death, an exhausted Seok-hwan glances around, noting the carnage he and his late friend Tae-su had created, and sighs heavily.
Cast
- Ryoo Seung-wan ... Yoo Suk-hwan
- Kim Shi-hoo ... Yoo Suk-hwan (young)
- Jung Doo-hong ... Jung Tae-soo
- On Joo-wan ... Jung Tae-soo (young)
- Lee Beom-soo ... Jang Pil-ho
- Kim Dong-young ... Jang Pil-ho (young)
- Jung Suk-yong ... Yoo Dong-hwan
- Park Young-seo ... Yoo Dong-hwan (young)
- Lee Joo-shil ... Yoo Suk-hwan's mother
- Ahn Gil-kang ... Oh Wang-jae
- Jung Woo ... Oh Wang-jae (young)
- Kim Byeong-ok ... Youth president
- Kim Seo-hyung ... Jang Mi-ran
- Jo Deok-hyun ... Boss Jo
- Kim Gi-cheon ... Sal-soo
- Kim Kkot-bi ... high school girl with razor blade
- Kim Su-hyeon ... Seoul detective
- Im Jun-il ... Team leader Im
- Lee Na-ri ... Miss Bae
- Park Ji-hwan ... teen gang boss
- Lee Hong-pyo ... Onsung area cop
- Oh Joo-hee ... hanbok-wearing woman in special room 2
- Kim Hyo-sun ... secretary
Awards and nominations
- Best Supporting Actor - Lee Beom-soo
2006 Busan Film Critics Awards[6]
- Best Cinematography - Kim Yeong-cheol
- Nomination - Best Supporting Actor - Lee Beom-soo
2006 Korean Film Awards
- Best Supporting Actor - Lee Beom-soo
- Nomination - Best Editing - Nam Na-yeong
- Nomination - Best Music - Bang Jun-seok
- Nomination - Best Sound - Seo Yeong-jun, Jo Min-ho
- Nomination - Best Director - Ryoo Seung-wan
- Nomination - Best Supporting Actor - Lee Beom-soo
- Nomination - Best Cinematography - Kim Yeong-cheol
- Nomination - Best Editing - Nam Na-yeong
References
- ^ "The City of Violence". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved 2022-11-29.
- ^ . Twitch Film. 10 May 2006. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 2014-03-17.
- ^ Lee, Hoo-nam; Lee, Min-a (15 May 2006). "Film noir showcases duo's martial arts skills". Korea JoongAng Daily. Retrieved 2014-03-17.
- ^ . Twitch Film. 27 May 2006. Archived from the original on 17 March 2014. Retrieved 2014-03-17.
- ^ Kim, Kyu Hyun (5 February 2008). . OhmyNews International. Archived from the original on 2016-09-16. Retrieved 2022-11-29.
- ^ "The City of Violence - Awards". Cinemasie. Retrieved 2022-11-29.
External links
- The City of Violence at the Korean Movie Database
- The City of Violence at IMDb
- The City of Violence at HanCinema
- The City of Violence at AllMovie
- The City of Violence at Rotten Tomatoes