The Show Must Go On DVD Review

Plot

Song Kang-Ho plays In-Gu, a gangster who just wants to provide a picture perfect life for his family. Problem is, his daughter wants nothing to do with him and wishes he would die, and his wife constantly nags him to get out of the life and get a real job. If those problems aren’t enough In-Gu also faces a challenge of power from a overly ambitious comrade.

Thoughts on the film

Ryan

Han Jae-Rim writes and directs this wonderfully original take on the gangster life. Not only is his script pretty awesome, but Han Jae-Rim also knows exactly how to balance the comedy that appears in the first half of his film with the drama that he has present throughout. There is a great comic scene in the beginning of the film featuring gangsters, a contract, and vomit, but I won’t spoil it for you. While the mixture of comedy and drama is great, the greatest and most praise worthy point of this film is the always amazing Song Kang-Ho. Song Kang-Ho brings his style of quiet cool and perfection to the role of In-Gu, which truly helps bring the character to life and allows you to feel what he feels. While I found the story and approach of The Show Must Go On highly original there are times when the film is intentionally slow and needs the shoulders of Song Kang-Ho to carry it to the level Han Jae-Rim is trying to reach. Really, my only complaints about the film are that there are a lot of characters other than In-Gu and most of them aren’t really fleshed out. Also, I felt that there could have been a couple of scenes trimmed near the end of the film to give it a bit of a tighter feel. All complaints aside though, The Show Must Go On is a beautifully acted, well written/directed, and highly original look at dealing with the family side of life while being a gangster. I for one can’t wait to see what Han Jae-Rim has planned for his future in the film business. Also any film with Song Kang-Ho in it is highly anticipated by me, in my opinion, he is the Robert De Niro of Korea and one of my favorite actors working today. I highly recommend The Show Must Go on!

Mark

This out of the ordinary gangster film won a number of awards in its homeland of South Korea. It’s not hard to see why the film has acquired such a great following. Instead of glamorizing gangster life, director Han Jae-Rim gives us an emotionally charged story of a gangster’s struggle to provide for his family. Now, what separates The Show Must Go On from many other gangster films is that its focus is aimed more towards the characters and their development throughout the film. Director Han Jae-Rim did a fantastic job of hiring expert character actor Song Kang-Ho. Song Kang-Ho is one of my favorite actors to watch in the South Korean film industry. He brings a sheer intensity and quiet demeanor to every role he portrays. His presence alone was enough reason for me to watch this film. Song Kang-Ho is probably best known in the U.S. for his portrayal of Park Gang-Du in Joon-Ho Bong’s The Host. He also starred in the highly underappreciated Memories of Murder, which is on my “must see” list for any foreign movie fan.  Song Kang-Ho does a absolutely fantastic job once again of portraying his character in The Show Must Go On. His performance was so admired, that at the 28th Blue Dragon Film Awards in Korea, he won best actor for his outstanding performance. Han Jae-Rim does a great job of giving the audience an honest and real look at the life of a gangster. His direction is quite brilliant, earning the film, the crown of best picture at the 28th Blue Dragon Film Awards. Which is very surprising for a first time director. It will be very interesting to see what future projects he will take on. Because, I am very excited to see what he will do in the future. The Show Must Go On is a very impressive first film and the presence of Song Kang-Ho doesn’t hurt matters at all. The Show Must Go On can only go as far as Song Kang-Ho is able to carry it. Not to say that the films story is weak, but for the film to be really meaningful and memorable, it needed a perfect portrayal to sustain the films slow pace. Song Kang-Ho tackles this challenge perfectly and gives the film a hardened edge. In the end, The Show Must Go On is a very satisfying gangster film. It may not stand up to the likes of a genre classic such as A Bittersweet Life. But, I can honestly say that The Show Must Go On can proudly stand on its own two feet as a very good gangster film. Highly Recommended!!!!!!

 

Ryan

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Mark

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