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A Taxi Driver
택시운전사
2017 138 min South Korea 16+
★8.3
Action, Drama, History
Director: Hun Jang
Trailers
Description
May, 1980. Man-seob is a taxi driver in Seoul who lives from hand to mouth, raising his young daughter alone. One day, he hears that there is a foreigner who will pay big money for a drive down to Gwangju city. Not knowing that he’s a German journalist with a hidden agenda, Man-seob takes the job.
Budget:
$12.82M
US Gross:
$1.53M
Worldwide:
$81.93M
Starring
Song Kang-ho
Actor
Thomas Kretschmann
Actor
Yoo Hae-jin
Actor
Awards
Asian Film Academy 2018
— Best Supporting Actor
Asian Film Academy 2018
— Best Original Score
Key opinion
A powerful, emotionally charged historical drama, the film earns widespread acclaim for Song Kang-ho’s transformative performance and its visceral depiction of the 1980 Gwangju Uprising. While many viewers find it a compelling and accessible entry into Korean history, opinions diverge on its tonal shifts and its tendency to prioritize emotional narrative over nuanced political analysis.
| Acting | Song Kang-ho anchors the film with a masterful performance, convincingly portraying the protagonist's evolution from a self-interested citizen to a courageous activist. | |
| Production | Director Jang Hoon creates an immersive atmosphere, successfully reconstructing the look, feel, and tension of early 1980s South Korea through detailed production design and cinematography. | |
| Pacing | The film balances intense, gut-wrenching historical drama with moments of humor and adventure, though this tonal blend feels jarring or overly conventional to some viewers. | |
| Screenplay | The screenplay is highly effective at driving emotional engagement, yet some critics argue it relies too heavily on clichés and simplifies complex political motivations for broader appeal. | |
| Theme | While the narrative is praised as a deeply moving humanistic story, others find the historical framing one-sided and lacking in deeper socio-political context. |