A Taxi Driver
2017 · Directed by Jang Hoon
Original language: Korean
- action
- drama
- history
The story
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.
What it’s like
Warm, rough-edged street naturalism that tips into dread: Seoul in 1980 is rendered in hazy daylight, dusty cramped alleys, and the saturated glow of tail lights on a rain-slicked highway, with a handheld camera that stays close to its characters' faces during the car ride. The palette leans on sooty greys and faded yellow cab paint, and the sound design moves between street chatter, engine hum, and the abrupt crack of gunfire, with a restrained, mournful score that surfaces only at emotional peaks. Its vibe is earnest, grief-tinged and wry, shifting from easygoing comedy to held-breath tension. It suits a weekend evening with the lights dimmed, or an absorbing watch for someone curious about recent Korean history. The pacing starts unhurried and character-first, then accelerates into a road-trip of mounting danger. The emotional arc follows a financially strapped, self-interested father whose indifference to politics slowly gives way to conscience. Violence is present and sometimes sudden: brief scenes of police brutality and gunfire, with blood shown but not lingered on, and some crowd cruelty and fear. It is not gratuitous, but it lands hard. For viewers who want humane historical drama, grounded performances, and a mix of warmth and righteous anger.
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