State of Violence

"Yu-Jeon-Mu-Jwae, Mu-Jeon-Yu-Jwae" - Innocent if rich, guilty if poor.

This is a movie about a prisoner escape that occurred during the heyday of Korean nationalism and international image-consciousness, the Seoul World Olympics of 1988. The movie exposes the contemptuous practice of lengthening prison sentences for petty crimes by decades at the whim of the prison warden, juxtaposed against the light sentences given to corrupt bureaucrats. The basic message is that Korea has a long way to go before it can step up to 1st world standards in human rights and equality, starting with its criminal justice system.

As noble as the message is, there is just way too much melodrama and over-the-top clichés to take this movie seriously. The one-dimensional warden goes out of his way to be cocky, snide, and evil with every spoken syllable and every gesture. Pick any villain in your favorite Saturday morning cartoon and he is it. The prisoners are portrayed with a schoolboy-like innocence obviously meant to draw viewer sympathy. The music, the pacing, the agonizingly long death scenes, all serve to squeeze as much viewer sympathy for the prisoners as possible. The point could have been made more powerfully if it were made with more subtlety. If you watch this, be prepared for a head pounding to make sure you get the point.