Simple-hearted man’s adventurous ride to Gwanju Democratic Uprising

Song Kang-ho plays taxi driver Man-seob in “A Taxi Driver.” (Showbox)

“A Taxi Driver,” a 2017 action drama flick by Jang Hoon (“The Front Line,” “The Secret Reunion”), is not the first movie to have depicted the Gwangju Democratic Uprising of May 18, 1980.

But unlike other movies cover the student-led democratization movement — “Peppermint Candy,” “May 18,” “26 Years” — “A Taxi Driver” sets itself apart by following the day’s events from an outsider’s point of view — a German journalist on the scene.

Director Jang doesn’t force a surplus of emotions on the audience throughout the 137-minute running time. Rather, the movie allows room for viewers to follow along and digest the story as a third party.

“A Taxi Driver” starts with taxi driver Man-seob (played by Song Kang-ho), singing Cho Yong-pil’s “Bobbed Hair.” This simplehearted, cheerful man who lost his wife years ago and is raising an 11-year-old daughter by himself, is one of many ordinary Seoulites who looks down on university students protesting on the streets.

One day, he encounters a foreign national by chance, who offers Man-seob 100,000 won ($74) for a round trip from Seoul to Gwangju. Without knowing what’s happening in Gwangju, Man-seob drives Peter, a German journalist played by Thomas Kretschmann, to the southern city. There, he meets university student Jae-sik (played by Ryu Jun-yeol) and another taxi driver Tae-sool (Yoo Hae-jin) and learns about the reality of the student-led demonstrations taking place in Gwangju.

Just as he did in his previous films, Jang draws the turbulent history of contemporary Korea without leaning on tear-jerking moments. Rather he employs a simple, composed tone to deliver the movie’s message clearly and calmly to the audience.

In “A Taxi Driver,” the director reveals a gradual change in Man-seob’s values. Before, he thought of the Gwangju Uprising as something unrelated to his life, but he grows to accept it as his own event, and viewers follow along as Man-seob’s point of view evolves.

Featuring an ordinary citizen like Jae-sik, who wished to be a singer, and Tae-sool, who has dedicated his entire life to his family, the movie emphasizes how the tragedy that unfolded in Gwangju could have happened to anyone.

Ryu Jun-yeol plays Jae-sik in “A Taxi Driver.” (Showbox)

Reproduction of iconic ’80s taxi models used back then, such as Hyundai’s Pony and Kia’s Brisa, add the movie’s immersive power. The director also combined scenery from nine different landscapes in Korea for a realistic portrayal of Gwangju.

Aside from the high-caliber acting from Song Kang-ho, Yoo Hae-jin and Ryu Jun-yeol, the movie includes indispensable supporting roles. In particular, an army officer played by Um Tae-goo, who inspects Man-seob’s cab at a pivotal moment, contributes to what is still picked as one of the most tense scenes in the history of Korean films.

“A Taxi Driver” is available on streaming platforms such as Wavve and Watcha.

The article is the fifth installment of the eight-part series that looks into Korea’s modern and contemporary history through films released between 2000 and 2020. — Ed.

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