by Sebastian Kluth
A Taxi Driver, originally known as Taeksi Woonjunsa, is a South Korean action drama based upon true events. It tells the story of the Gwangju Uprising in 1980 when student-led demonstrations in favour of democracy where met with brutal police and military violence orchestrated by a dictatorial government that led to thousands of innocent people getting brutally murdered. Even when this movie was created more than three and a half decades later, governmental forces still tried to prevent director Jang Hoon and actor Song Kang Ho from making this very important movie. Luckily, the movie was not only made but released to massive critical acclaim and ultimately even selected as South Korea's entry for Best Foreign Language Film at the Ninetieth Academy Awards. Contemporary events such as the martial law declaration by President Yoon Suk Yeol still show the fragility of democracy and the importance of this movie's crystal clear pro-democratic messages.
The film itself revolves around divorced and impoverished taxi driver Kim Man Seob who struggles to pay his numerous debts and to take care of his young daughter who suffers from mental and physical bullying by other children. Kim Man Seob isn't interested in politics and has even a negative perception of university students who demonstrate against the government instead of using their talents to work hard for their country. It's only by coincidence that Kim Man Seob overhears how another taxi drivers states that he will be paid the generous sum of one hundred thousand won to drive German journalist Jürgen Hinzpeter from the country's capital Seoul into barricaded Gwangju and all the way back again. Kim Man Seob decides to steal his colleague's job and picks up the foreign journalist due to his desperate need for money. Even though the two men can barely communicate at first and even clash due to their different perceptions of politics, military and demonstrations, they grow closer when experiencing first-hand the horrors the dictatorial government commits against its very own people in Gwangju. The two men learn to trust each other and even become friends when facing grave dangers in the upcoming days portrayed in this magnificent movie.
Other than its previously mentioned gripping historical accuracy, important pro-democratic messages and resounding cultural significance standing the test of time, this wonderful movie also convinces due to its excellent cinematic elements. A Taxi Driver has been filmed with calm camera work and realistic lighting effects. The settings are often authentic and events from the early eighties have been reproduced with much realism. The isolated rural locations between Seoul and Gwangju are haunting. The cheap clothes have been chosen with great care. The cars look appropriately miserable. Tortured, injured and dead citizens are shown with bruises, cuts and broken bones in a shockingly honest manner. The creators of this movie aren't afraid to show a developing country suffering from a dictatorial government that was at times even worse than North Korea's dictatorship at the same time. One must also point out this movie's excellent acting. Song Kang Ho has already been one of the country's most prolific actors in the past two decades but his dedicated effort in this film has definitely propulsed him to even outclass legendary colleague Choi Min Sik and become the country's greatest contemporary actor. German actor Thomas Kretschmann has already been known as one of Germany's most versatile actors across the globe but this film has propulsed him to be considered even the best contemporary actor of his country.
By now, you should be convinced to watch gripping action drama A Taxi Driver due to its historical accuracy, pro-democratic messages and cultural significance as well as its excellent acting, precise camera work, realistic lighting effects, memorable locations and wonderful set pieces. This movie will keep you on the edge of your seat for one hundred thirty-seven most entertaining minutes. A Taxi Driver deserves even more acclaim, attention and support than it has gotten thus far. I'm proud to spread the word about this film and would suggest anyone reading my review to watch this film as soon as you possibly can.