A Bittersweet Life (2005) Dalkomhan insaeng (original title)

Director:

Jee-woon Kim

Writer:

Jee-woon Kim

Release Date:

1 April 2005 (South Korea)

Genre:

Action | Crime | Drama

Tagline:

When doing right goes very, very wrong.

Plot:

Plot Keywords:

Tragic Hero | Mafia | Warehouse | Death Of Protagonist | Last Stand

Awards:

4 wins & 1 nomination

Cast

Jeong-min Hwang	...	President Baek
Yu-mi Jeong
Ku Jin	...	Min-gi
Hae-gon Kim	...	Weapon smuggler
Roe-ha Kim	...	Mun-suk
Yeong-cheol Kim	...	Mr. Kang (as Kim Young-Chul)
Byung-hun Lee	...	Sun-woo
Gi-yeong Lee	...	Mu-sung
Mu-yeong Lee
Eric Moon	...	Gun Dealer's Brother (as Eric)
Dal-su Oh	...	Myung-gu
Kwang-rok Oh
Min-a Shin	...	Hee-soo
Sang-Jeon Woo

Directed by
Jee-woon Kim

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Jee-woon Kim

Produced by
Yu-jin Lee	....	producer
Jeong-wan Oh	....	producer
Jung-Wan Oh	....	executive producer

Original Music by
Dalparan
Yeong-gyu Jang

Cinematography by
Ji-yong Kim

Film Editing by
Jae-geun Choi

Production Design by
Seong-hie Ryu

Stunts
Doo-hong Jung	....	fight director

Production Companies

• B.O.M. Film Productions Co.

Distributors

• Herald Film Company (2005) (Japan) (theatrical)
• Mars Distribution (2006) (France) (theatrical)
• Shaw Organisation (2005) (Singapore) (theatrical)
• Tartan Films (2006) (UK) (theatrical)
• A-Film Home Entertainment (2009) (Netherlands) (DVD)
• AXN (2007) (Japan) (TV)
• CJ Entertainment (2005) (worldwide) (all media)
• Madman Entertainment (2006) (Australia) (DVD)
• Palisades Tartan (2009) (UK) (all media)
• Palisades-Tartan Acquisitions (2008) (UK) (DVD)
• Splendid Film (2006) (Germany) (DVD)
• Tartan Video (2006) (UK) (DVD)
• Visual Filmes (2006) (Brazil) (DVD) (TV)

Other Companies

• HFR  dailies
• HFR  digital intermediate
• Seoul Film Commission  location support

Also Known As:

"Dalkomhan insaeng" - South Korea (original title)

Runtime:

120 min | Argentina:120 min (Mar del Plata Film Festival)

Country:

South Korea

Language:

Korean | Russian

Colour:

Colour

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital EX

Certification:

Singapore:M18 | Taiwan:R-18 | UK:18 | Ireland:18 | Portugal:M/16 | Sweden:15 | Argentina:18 | Germany:18 | Australia:MA | France:-12 (with warning) | New Zealand:R18 | Finland:K-18 | Brazil:14 | South Korea:18 | Japan:R-15

Filming Locations:

South Korea

Company:

B.O.M. Film Productions Co.

Trivia:

The narration that opens and closes the film are Buddhist parables.

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: Toward the end of the film, when Kim Sun-woo is walking down the corridor searching for his former boss, a guard sitting and reading a newspaper gets up to stop him. Kim Sun-woo shoots him but his gun is not pointed at the guard. Rather, it is clearly pointed at the wall where fake blood appears after the shot like a paint gun.

Quotes:

Mr. Kang:Let's not make a fuss.
Sun-woo:This is my last place. I have nowhere else to go.
Mr. Kang:Do you really want to take this too far?
Sun-woo:[Ignores his question, rebukes] Why would you do this to me, Mr. Kang?
Mr. Kang:Because you did not follow my orders.
Sun-woo:No, none of that stuff. Tell me the real reason why. Were you really trying to kill me? Do you know how long I have worked for you? Like a dog, I have served you for 7 years! Why? Tell me anything. Anything. Tell me!
[shoots Mr. Kang]

Movie Connections:

References Taxi Driver (1976)

A truly excellent movie!

I had the opportunity to watch this brilliant movie at home, while translating it from English to Greek for the viewers of the Thessaloniki Film Festival in November, 2005.

I was impressed by the stunning performance of the leading actor, as well as of the other actors. The music of the film was also wisely selected.

Some -few- funny moments in the film help the viewer lighten up and get ready for what I saw as brilliantly directed fighting scenes, that neither bored me nor made me look away.

At the end of the film, when the desciple was crying for "a dream that can never come true" I was absolutely sure that what I saw was nothing less than a true work of art.