In the hospital, a criminal is handcuffed to the bed courtesy of a detective named Kang Ha-Na. With numerous other workers dotted around, the pair switch the cars and remove any labels or discerning markings that could tell these cars apart. Entering a tunnel, he works with a fellow driver, Jang Sung-Cheol. Do-Chul tries to intimidate the driver but Do-Ki is having none of it.Īfter some light antagonization, Do-Ki stabs the man and knocks him out. Suddenly, the taxi starts racing down the backstreets, with a fellow employee stopping the other works courtesy of a smoking engine and a broken engine.ĭo-Chul laughs in triumph…until he realizes he’s going in the wrong direction. Reporters follow in hot pursuit, prompting our mysterious taxi driver to turn on the police radio and listen to their chatter. However, he gets into a taxi and takes off to Busan. This entire event happens to be broadcast live too, and as everyone starts throwing things at Do-Chul, he locks eyes with a woman he recognizes. They demand he be locked back up, as items are thrown left and right. A crowd gather outside, unhappy at this sexual predator being released. Their performances, combined with Jang Hoon’s outstanding vision, is what makes this film so powerful.Episode 1 of Taxi Driver begins with the announcement that Cho Do-Chul is being released from prison after 10 years behind bars. Ryoo Jeon-yeol also impressive as the sweet Jae-sik as he proves to be a striking presence whenever he’s onscreen.
Even if their characters don’t understand each other they are able to bounce off each other brilliantly just by throwing an insult or sharing a look.
Song Kang-ho and Thomas Kretchmann are excellent as the leading pair, creating many comedic and emotional moments thanks to their onscreen chemistry. A Taxi Driver does an excellent job presenting the story without it becoming insolent, and this is particularly thanks to the cast. What happened to the town’s citizens is not easy to take in but it’s important that the story, and the horrible injustices they suffered, be told and remembered so that it’s not repeated. The Gwangju uprising is a dark chapter in South Korea’s past. This imagery creates a heightened tension which is expertly crafted by director and actors alike It’s scenes like this that make the film as intense and heart-breaking as it is, and Jang Hoon’s approach to the event ensures that the narrative is respectful to the victims. He sets the tone with moody colour palettes and slow-motion shots, one scene, in particular, sees Hinzpeter, Sa-bok, and student protestor Jae-sik run away from the military through the back streets of the city, the whole area bathed in an eerie red light cast from a towering inferno. The director, Jang Hoon, worked alongside Kim Ki-duk for many years and has a keen eye for stunning visuals, as a result. The military are ruling over the city with an iron fist, and are even willing to kill those protesting against them. What they find isn’t good, though, as it’s quickly revealed that the media have been publishing propaganda to hide the truth. When he hears that a foreigner is willing to pay 100,000 won to get to Gwangju, he jumps at the opportunity to help and will do anything to get the pair into the city. In director Jang Hoon’s retelling of the event, Sa-bok is a man struggling to make ends meet and provide for his daughter. Without his determination and wits, the pair would never have got past the military blockades surrounding the city but as he used an alias he’s never been found or honoured for his bravery, until now. The driver, who used a false name with the reporter, is the unsung hero of this true story. Martial law may have been declared but that won’t stop him from doing what he thinks is right, besides he’s thought of another way to get into the area –he’s going to go by taxi, and Kim Sa-bok is the man for the job. The city is on lockdown, the phones have been cut off, and rumours of a violent conflict between protestors and the military are in the air. He craves an interesting story, a chance to uncover a hidden truth to the world so when he hears about what’s happening there, he knows he must go. “As a journalist, you shouldn’t be in a place that’s too comfortable,” German reporter Jürgen Hinzpeter says to his colleagues as they discuss the civil unrest in Gwangju, South Korea.