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Public Enemy (film)
Encyclopedia
Public Enemy is a 2002
South Korea
n film directed by Kang Woo-suk
. The film was well-received by audiences and critics alike, being seen by almost 3 million people in South Korea, while winning Sol Kyung-gu
"Best Actor" at the 39th Grand Bell Awards
for his lead role. The success of the film led to the making of the sequel Another Public Enemy
in 2005.
The two main characters first meet by chance in a dark alley shortly after Cho brutally murders his parents for monetary reasons. Cho first asked then started begging to get his parents to leave their will to him. After his parents refuse, Cho gets a knife and stabs them both dozens of times. He sprays flour all around their body and washes the excess blood by taking a shower. Then he starts walking to get rid of the murder weapon. Kang is defecating in the dark alley during an unrelated stakeout and runs into Cho, who ends up slashing Kang in the face with a knife.
Kang later joins the investigation into the murders, but doesn't recognize Cho as he didn't get a good look at his face. His instincts tell him that something is wrong about Cho, and Kang starts stalking him. Kang soon convinces himself that Cho is the murderer, although no one else believes that he has a case. He is eventually fired from the police force and becomes a traffic cop.
Eventually, Kang discovers a crucial piece of evidence, a broken fingernail, at the murder scene and confronts Cho with it. This leads to the two facing off against each other in a fight, which ends with Kang beating Cho to death. Kang is restored to the force, and at the end his internal affairs tail reports that he "is getting better."
2002 in film
The year 2002 in film involved some significant events. The first significant releases of sequels took place between The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones, Men in Black II, Analyze That, Spy Kids 2: The Island of...
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 film directed by Kang Woo-suk
Kang Woo-suk
Kang Woo-suk is a South Korean film producer and director. He has often been called the most powerful man in Korean cinema, topping Cine21 magazine's list of '50 Most Powerful Men in Korean Cinema' for seven consecutive years from 1998 to 2004.Kang started as a director of successful comedy films...
. The film was well-received by audiences and critics alike, being seen by almost 3 million people in South Korea, while winning Sol Kyung-gu
Sol Kyung-gu
Sol Kyung-gu is a Grand Bell Award, Golden Space Needle Award, and Bratislava International Film Festival Best Actor winning South Korean actor. He studied film and theater at Hanyang University and upon graduation took part in mostly theatrical productions...
"Best Actor" at the 39th Grand Bell Awards
Grand Bell Awards
The Grand Bell Awards is an awards ceremony presented annually by The Motion Pictures Association of Korea for excellence in film in South Korea....
for his lead role. The success of the film led to the making of the sequel Another Public Enemy
Another Public Enemy
Another Public Enemy is a 2005 South Korean film and the sequel to Public Enemy.-See also:*List of Korean language films*Cinema of Korea*Contemporary culture of South Korea*List of Korea-related topics...
in 2005.
Plot
The film's plot pits a tough loose-cannon cop, Kang Chul-jung, and a psychopathic killer, Cho Kyu-hwan, against each other. Kang typifies the anti-hero cop genre, taking bribes and stealing drugs from criminals. His career is in a slump and internal affairs are investigating his actions. The antagonist Cho, on the other hand, leads a life as a successful business and family man. Under his cool exterior however, he displays a total disregard for others, killing people for the slightest perceived misdeed.The two main characters first meet by chance in a dark alley shortly after Cho brutally murders his parents for monetary reasons. Cho first asked then started begging to get his parents to leave their will to him. After his parents refuse, Cho gets a knife and stabs them both dozens of times. He sprays flour all around their body and washes the excess blood by taking a shower. Then he starts walking to get rid of the murder weapon. Kang is defecating in the dark alley during an unrelated stakeout and runs into Cho, who ends up slashing Kang in the face with a knife.
Kang later joins the investigation into the murders, but doesn't recognize Cho as he didn't get a good look at his face. His instincts tell him that something is wrong about Cho, and Kang starts stalking him. Kang soon convinces himself that Cho is the murderer, although no one else believes that he has a case. He is eventually fired from the police force and becomes a traffic cop.
Eventually, Kang discovers a crucial piece of evidence, a broken fingernail, at the murder scene and confronts Cho with it. This leads to the two facing off against each other in a fight, which ends with Kang beating Cho to death. Kang is restored to the force, and at the end his internal affairs tail reports that he "is getting better."
Main cast
- Sol Kyung-guSol Kyung-guSol Kyung-gu is a Grand Bell Award, Golden Space Needle Award, and Bratislava International Film Festival Best Actor winning South Korean actor. He studied film and theater at Hanyang University and upon graduation took part in mostly theatrical productions...
... Kang Chul-jung - Lee Seong-jaeLee Seong-jaeLee Seong-jae is a South Korean actor.- Biography :A theater and film graduate from Dongguk University, Lee Seong-jae rose to prominence in 1999 in Kim Sang-Jin's comedy film Attack the Gas Station. His portrayal of a dog-hating lecturer who desperately wants to become a professor in Bong...
... Cho Kyu-hwan - Kang Shin-il ... Chief Investigator Eom
- Kim Jeong-hak ... Detective Kim
- Do Yong-gu ... Detective Nam
External links
- Public Enemey at the Korean Movie Database
- Public Enemy at HanCinema
- V. Naldi's review at koreanfilm.org