Language reflects culture, as writer-director Eom Yu-na's The Secret Mission thrllingly points out. The story of the creation of a Korean-language dictionary in defiance of Japanese rule, this historical film turns what might've been a very dusty topic — the collection of words, definitions, and regionalisms into a stirring rally cry not only for Korean independence but for the very existence of different cultures as reflections of ways of being and thinking worldwide. It's also a buddy pic in which uptight scholar Ryoo Jeong-hwan (Yoon Kye-sang), and illiterate single father Kim Pan-soo (Yoo Hae-jin) must get over their differences to acchieve the greater good.
Once they've ironed out their difference, they've got help, thankfully: a drunkard poet (Woo Hyeon), an old teacher (Kim Hong-pa), a woman (Kim Sun-young) with her husband in prison, a man with his wife in prison, and all Pan-soo friends from prison, too. Unfortunately, their leader's dad is a traitorous professor who's aligned himself with the conquerors. Don't worry: He'll get his! A sub-plot involving Pan-soo's kids — Soon-hee (Park Ye-na) and (Deok-jin) Jo Hyun-do — leads to some serious tears at the end. Why? Watch the movie and find out. You'll cry but it's worth it.
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment