Once Upon a Time in High School
Encyclopedia
Once Upon a Time in High School: The Spirit of Jeet Kune Do is a 2004
South Korea
n drama film. The background of the film is set in a high school in South Korea
, 1978. The original Korean title literally means "Cruel history of Maljuk street" where filming was located in the present neighborhood of Yangjae-dong
, Seocho-gu
district, Seoul
.
Hyun-soo, after a failed relationship with Eun-joo (played by Han Ga In
) , decides that he will no longer put up with the conduct of Jong-hun and his boys as well as the harsh and violent disciplinary techniques being put up by the teachers, and so starts to train himself in Jeet Kune Do
, inspired by his greatest hero Bruce Lee
. His father, a master in Tae Kwon Do
, frequently resorted to extreme violence to discipline his son.
Hyun-soo challenges Jong-hoon to a duel one day when he is no longer able to put up with his irrational behaviour. Jong-hoon and his friends are grievously injured by Hyun-soo's nunchaku
. Hyun-soo is expelled after this incident.
Hyun-soo meets his friend Hamburger again at the GED institute and they talk about their past. He meets Eun-joo again, but they say their goodbyes on a bus. The film ends with Hamburger and Hyun-soo outside of a movie theater showing Jackie Chan
's 1978 movie Drunken Master
, rough-housing as they argue about Jackie Chan and Bruce Lee.
2004 in film
The year 2004 in film involved some significant events. Major releases of sequels took place. It included blockbuster films like Shrek 2, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, The Passion of the Christ, Meet the Fockers, Blade: Trinity, Spider-Man 2, Alien vs. Predator, Kill Bill Vol...
South Korea
South Korea
The Republic of Korea , , is a sovereign state in East Asia, located on the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula. It is neighbored by the People's Republic of China to the west, Japan to the east, North Korea to the north, and the East China Sea and Republic of China to the south...
n drama film. The background of the film is set in a high school in South Korea
South Korea
The Republic of Korea , , is a sovereign state in East Asia, located on the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula. It is neighbored by the People's Republic of China to the west, Japan to the east, North Korea to the north, and the East China Sea and Republic of China to the south...
, 1978. The original Korean title literally means "Cruel history of Maljuk street" where filming was located in the present neighborhood of Yangjae-dong
Yangjae-dong
Yangjae-dong is a dong, neighbourhood of Seocho-gu in Seoul, South Korea.-External links:** at the Seocho-gu official website...
, Seocho-gu
Seocho-gu
Seocho-gu is a gu of Seoul, South Korea. It is a popular residential area for the mid- or upper-class residents in Seoul and home to the Supreme Court and the Supreme Prosecutors' Office. Seocho Samsung Town in Seocho-dong, near Gangnam Station, is the headquarter of the several corporations of the...
district, Seoul
Seoul
Seoul , officially the Seoul Special City, is the capital and largest metropolis of South Korea. A megacity with a population of over 10 million, it is the largest city proper in the OECD developed world...
.
Plot
Kwon, who starred as Hyun-soo, transfers to another school. He is sent to a bottom-rank class and experiences violence in classroom by a group of gangsters in his class, led by Jong-hoon, who is a stereotypical Korean bully in school. The teachers are also depicted as authoritarian to the students, using violence for the sake of discipline, as did most Korean teachers in the '70s and to some extent in modern days as well.Hyun-soo, after a failed relationship with Eun-joo (played by Han Ga In
Han Ga In
Han Ga In is a South Korean model and actress. Her birthname is the same as fellow actress Kim Hyun-ju. She made her debut in Sunshine Hunting. She starred in Super Rookie with Eric Mun of Shinhwa after marrying fellow actor Yun Jung Hoon, who was her co-star on Yellow Handkerchief, on April 26,...
) , decides that he will no longer put up with the conduct of Jong-hun and his boys as well as the harsh and violent disciplinary techniques being put up by the teachers, and so starts to train himself in Jeet Kune Do
Jeet Kune Do
Jeet Kune Do is a hybrid martial arts system and life philosophy founded by martial artist Bruce Lee with direct, non classical and straightforward movements. Due to the way his style works they believe in minimal movement with maximum effect and extreme speed. The system works on the use of...
, inspired by his greatest hero Bruce Lee
Bruce Lee
Bruce Lee was a Chinese American, Hong Kong actor, martial arts instructor, philosopher, film director, film producer, screenwriter, and founder of the Jeet Kune Do martial arts movement...
. His father, a master in Tae Kwon Do
Taekwondo
Taekwondo is a Korean martial art and the national sport of South Korea. In Korean, tae means "to strike or break with foot"; kwon means "to strike or break with fist"; and do means "way", "method", or "path"...
, frequently resorted to extreme violence to discipline his son.
Hyun-soo challenges Jong-hoon to a duel one day when he is no longer able to put up with his irrational behaviour. Jong-hoon and his friends are grievously injured by Hyun-soo's nunchaku
Nunchaku
is a traditional Okinawan weapon consisting of two sticks connected at their ends with a short chain or rope.-Etymology:The Japanese word nunchaku is the Kun'yomi reading of the Kanji term for a traditional Chinese two section staff....
. Hyun-soo is expelled after this incident.
Hyun-soo meets his friend Hamburger again at the GED institute and they talk about their past. He meets Eun-joo again, but they say their goodbyes on a bus. The film ends with Hamburger and Hyun-soo outside of a movie theater showing Jackie Chan
Jackie Chan
Jackie Chan, SBS, MBE is a Hong Kong actor, action choreographer, comedian, director, producer, martial artist, screenwriter, entrepreneur, singer and stunt performer. In his movies, he is known for his acrobatic fighting style, comic timing, use of improvised weapons, and innovative stunts...
's 1978 movie Drunken Master
Drunken Master
Drunken Master, also known as Drunk Monkey In The Tiger's Eye, is a 1978 Hong Kong martial arts comedy film directed by Yuen Woo-ping, and starring Jackie Chan, Yuen Siu-tien, and Hwang Jang Lee...
, rough-housing as they argue about Jackie Chan and Bruce Lee.