Movies:
Crying Fist
- Rating:
- Director: Ryu Seung-wan
- Main Cast: Choi Min-Sik, Ryoo Seung-Beom, Lim Weon-Heui, Cheon Ho-jin, Oh Dal-su
- Release Year: 2005
- Country: KR
- Run Time: 133 minutes
Plot
After the success of the modern-day comic martial arts epic Arahan, writer/director Ryu Seung-wan changed gears and again teamed up with his brother, actor Ryu Seung-beom, to produce Crying Fist, a much more serious boxing drama. Actor Ryu plays Yu Sang-hwan, a street thug who rejects the life of his hard-working, struggling father for a life of petty crime and run-ins with the law. He winds up in a juvenile detention center, where he responds to some bullying by flying at the bully, Roc (Kim Su-hyeon), and biting his ear off. Yu is then taken under the wing of the prison's boxing trainer, and he learns a bit of self-discipline through boxing, gradually recognizing his own strengths, and eventually acknowledging the support of his caring family. Meanwhile, 40-year-old Kang Tae-shik (Choi Min-sik of Oldboy), is a washed up former champion whose home and professional life have completely fallen apart. His wife leaves him, taking their young son. Besieged by creditors, Kang earns a meager living by charging people on the street for the privilege of punching him out. In danger of losing his son forever, his own health deteriorating rapidly, Kang decides to enter one last boxing competition, the same one which the equally desperate Yu has chosen to show his mettle. Crying Fist won a FIPRESCI Award at the 2005 Cannes Film Festival, and had its North American premiere at Subway Cinema's 2005 New York Asian Film Festival, with director Ryu in attendance. ~ Josh Ralske, All Movie GuideReview
Fans of Ryu Seung-wan's exuberantly goofy and action-packed Arahan may not be prepared for the somber tone of his follow-up, the boxing drama Crying Fist. One benefit of writer/director Ryu's eclecticism is that it gives his talented actor brother, Ryu Seung-beom, a chance to show off his range. After an enjoyable comic turn as the bumbling nerd action hero in Arahan, Ryu convincingly plays Yu Sang-hwan, a feckless neighborhood tough, complete with dreadlocks, whose hopelessly cynical outlook finds a momentary salve in the ring. Opposite him, the estimable Korean superstar Choi Min-sik (Oldboy) plays Kang, a grizzled, desperate former South Korean boxing champ who charges people a nominal fee to beat him up on the street. Yu is in prison, with his life clearly going nowhere, while Kang, in a bitter alcoholic daze, is in danger of losing his fragile connection to his young son. At its root, Crying Fist is a family drama, with two not-very-likeable antiheroes struggling through sport to regain their self-esteem and earn the respect of their loved ones. Director Ryu eschews the high-flying fanciful action of Arahan for a very earthbound, gritty approach, shooting boxing matches handheld, often in a single take. Thanks to his facility with visual storytelling and the strength of the cast, Crying Fist is never boring, but it does go on a bit long, and the filmmaker never generates much sympathy for either of his deeply flawed protagonists. While the film builds to an inevitable showdown between the two, it remains difficult to root for the success of characters who squander the blessings they already have. ~ Josh Ralske, All Movie GuideCast
- Choi Min-Sik - Kang Tae-shik
- Ryoo Seung-Beom - Yu Sang-hwan
- Lim Weon-Heui
- Cheon Ho-jin
- Oh Dal-su
Seo Hye-Rin; Lee Jun Goo; Byun Hee-bong; Gi Ju-bong; Na Mun-heui; Kim Su-hyeon - Roc
