Anarchists is a South Korea action
movie, made in 2000, and directed by Yu Yong-Sik and written
by Park Chan-wook.
Set in Shanghai, circa 1924, the movie is about a
covert cell of anarchists who attempt to overthrow the
Japanese government's occupation of Korea through propaganda of the deed. Told from the perspective of the youngest member, Sang-Gu, years after
the fact, the story is a sympathetic look at a group of revolutionaries through the eyes of one of their own.
Plot summary
In the opening scene the protagonist begins to reminisce about his youth and remembers the day he was saved from execution in
a raid performed by the anarchist cell he would later join. After reaching a safe house the group begins to teach him the tricks
of their trade. He later takes part in several missions, though he continues to have difficulty throughout the movie with the
violence of his new job.
Eventually a string of tragic events strike the team. One of their members is fatally betrayed during a mission, leading to
their covers being blown during the next. Now wanted by the Japanese and Chinese authorities, their funders turn away from them
and instead choose to support socialist electoral politics to further their cause. This angers
the group, and they leave the larger organization, attempting to survive on their own by earning money through gambling and bank
robbery. Over time the group becomes agitated with simply scraping by and several voice a desire to return to their old ways of
clandestine warfare. They collectively decide to strike at the Japanese government in a high profile attack, leading up to a
dramatic finale.
Cast and character descriptions
Specific character information largely comes from the film's official website, rather than the movie itself. Within the film,
characters aren't overtly developed and exposition largely comes through Sang-Gu's perspective, relying on few monologues and no
flashbacks to tell the backstory. Instead, referinces to some of the events descriped below can be detected within character
interaction and dialogue.
"Seregay is a great fighter and an activist who doesn't care to be compensated.
"A graduate of Moscow University, Seregay is a nihilistic intellectual. He was the leader of an anarchist terrorist group, but unable to overcome the
after-effects of torture from Japanese authorities, he's become addicted to opium, which takes him
down a road of destruction. Aside from his drug addiction, he's an excellent sharpshooter, and with his handsome face and
eccentric charm, he's loved by women all around him."
"A poet and humanist who worships Tolstoy, Lee Geun converts to anarchism after he meets
Seregay and joins the group. Being a romanticist as well as an idealist, he suffers an ethical dilemma throughout the revolution. A handsome man with a manner that gains him
trust, he leads the group with Han Myung-Gon."
Han Myung-Gon and the Japanese military standoff.
- Kim Sang-Joong as Han Myung-Gon
"Han is a cool-headed revolutionary with a gentle appearance. He came to learn Marxist-Leninist ideologies in his early years and become a model conspirator within the group. When he
deals with his foes, he handles them mercilessly, but keeps his cool at all times. As the leader of the group, he keeps the
others in line, while putting forward an image as an all-out stoic."
"Born into the lowest class of society, Dol-Suk is unconditionally hostile to the 'haves.' Even though he acts first and
thinks second, he's always loyal and tends not to be shallow. He enjoys games, practical jokes and loves women, but hates
anything that is complicated. Strong headed with a foul-tongue, Dol-Suk values comradeship and cruelty at the same time."
Seregay and his apprentice, Sang-Gu.
"Having lost his whole family during the Kyungshin Massacre, and in the hope of getting revenge on the Japanese ruling power,
a young terrorist comes to Shanghai all alone. But his life takes a complete turn when he meets the anarchists. Although he's
very brave, he can't actively participate because he's still a young boy. He has trouble adapting to the merciless and
cold-blooded terrorist activities with his weak heart. However, he admires and follows Seregay, Lee Geun and the other members
and plays the observer of the entire story."
"When she sings Sombre Dimanche (Gloomy Sunday), it's bewitching enough
to make you want to know more about the woman behind the mysterious voice. As the Queen of the club, her love overcomes all
ideologies and thoughts, and she comforts the soul of a man who does not trust himself into love. With outstanding beauty and
intelligence she wins the hearts of Seregay and Lee Geun in a single spell."
Production notes and historical significance
Anarchists was the first Korean and Chinese co-production in the history of Korean
cinema. The film was shot entirely in China over a period of three months in Shanghai and in towns nearby. For
Anarchists, the production team worked with a Chinese-based A-level staff who participated in the production of
Chen Kaige's Farewell My
Concubine and Temptress Moon. For an effective production process, the
actors and the core production staff came from Korea, while the production design, elaborate sets, supporting talent and hundreds
of extras were supplied by the Shanghai Film Studio.
Jang Dong-Gun later spoke on the production in an interview: "The opium joint and the pipe I used were all genuine stuff
from that period. The background was authentic as well. Even those cups were genuine antiques. I believed that a lot of spirits
haunted the place. All the elements provided a wonderful atmosphere for filming."
Anarchist themes in the film
Freedom Fighters or Terrorists?
Little about anarchist philosophy is actually explained within the film, much less why the individual characters would be
attracted to it, though clear references to certain facets of anarchism are made. Examples include references to Kropotkin, the definition of the word anarchy, and a brief exchange on
the use of the color black as an anarchist symbol. One scene between the anarchists
and their founder also touches on the relationship between anarchists and socialists, and the
turmoil that occurred among political factions after the Russian Revolution of
1917, as a result of which many anarchists were split over whether to support the Bolshevik state, and anarchism as a movement began to see a decline in Asia.
For their part, the promoters were not at all shy about describing their protagonists as "terrorists," despite the obvious negative connotations the term carries, and the fact that western mainstream
media sources often meet anarchists with hostility. However, the movie is unique among fictional depictions of anarchists in that
its tone is sympathetic. Most interpretations of anarchists are based on the western bias that anarchism is a philosophy grounded
in terrorism. The willingness to accept anarchists as positive historical figures may be owed to the fact that "terrorism" as
practiced by anarchists in Europe and the West never
caught on in Asia; that the anarchists were part of a larger, anti-imperial movement that is celebrated as an important part of
Korean national heritage; and that today anarchism is a relatively unknown philosophy in East Asian countries.
Anarchists are not seen as barbarians, but rather as political novelties who existed during a period when anyone who rebelled
was a hero.
See also
External links
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