Wow. Was so unbeschwert mit einem nachgesungenen Popsong beginnt, endet als ergreifende Geschichtsstunde und Loblied auf die Menschlichkeit. Hier trifft die fiktionalisierte Geschichte eines sich durchs Leben mogelnden Taxifahrers auf die echte Geschichte des Reporters Jürgen Hinzpeter, der als einziger westlicher Journalist Bilder vom Gwangju-Massaker im Mai 1980 aufnehmen und außer Landes bringen konnte.

Den Taxifahrer gab es, so viel ist überliefert. Ob er wirklich ein Witwer war, der weder die Miete, noch Schuhe für seine Tochter zahlen konnte, ist wohl pure Spekulation. Aber diese wird von Song Kang-ho (Memories of Murder, JSA, Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance) wieder mal großartig gespielt. Wie er sich immer wieder empört, sobald er sich überführt fühlt und sich trotz allem, was sein Leben und…

As far as political events go upon Korea’s history, I am pretty much ignorant of the steps and tragedies that have been taken to have gotten to this point. Hun Jang’s A Taxi Driver goes back to the Gwangju Uprising that took place in 1980 where martial law was declared after the assassination of Chung-hee Park - a fact that I researched prior to writing this review. As protesters begin to rise, many of which were young university students, Gwangju was in lockdown with all of its entry/exit points barricaded and guarded, covering the scandal of its climbing deaths caused by excessive force from the South Korean army.

A German reporter, Peter (Thomas Kretschmann), desires to capture the happenings taking…

BEST FILM OF 2017.
There's a moment during this film where Song Kang ho's character had to choose between the right thing and the easy thing. He went for the former and it made all the difference. Here's hoping whenever life puts us in that situation, we do the same.
As I said before, this is the BEST film of 2017. I don't think anything would come close. Song Kang ho is the best actor in the world right now. If you want to know why, go straight to 1:54:10 of the film run time. That would do it.
The cinematography is so exquisite. The design of car is such that it's of green color and it has to go…

At first amusing then heartbreaking but riveting throughout its runtime, A Taxi Driver brings an infamous incident from South Korean history to cinematic life in an upsetting, hard-hitting & powerfully moving manner, and benefits a lot from another rousing performance by the ever-reliable Song Kang-ho.

The story follows a Seoul taxi driver who decides to drive a foreign passenger to a small town for a generous sum. Taking the job without being aware that his customer is a German journalist with a hidden agenda, he finds himself accidentally involved in the commuter’s reporting of the events unfolding in that town.

Directed by Jang Hoon, the film takes its time to pave the necessary groundwork before bringing the heavy elements into the…

I was expecting this to be a bit of a fun time, given the poster, but in the end I was very emotional and sad throughout. Not saying that’s a bad thing! 

This is a truly remarkable story that I had no idea about, and while it’s tense and there is plenty of action throughout, it’s the smaller, more intimate moments that make this movie shine. 

While the story of the Gwangju riots and the taxi driver’s involvement in it is true, the events outside of Gwangju (e.g. his home life) are fictionalised. I still think this works as it makes us empathise with him much more as someone who’s been thrust into the conflict. 

Song Kang-ho is amazing, an…

Song Kang ho is god.
I wasn't expecting this type of film by any means. I hadn't read anything about it, only a slight synopsis. So looking at the poster and title, I was thinking I'd be in for a heartwarming little film. But what I got is a far cry from that. An terrifying political thriller based around the Gwangju Uprising in South Korea. I only had the bare minimum knowledge of the events, but seeing this is a real eye opener.
Song is once again brilliant. The range that man has is unique and unlike any other.
I also didn't expect to sob uncontrollably either. Sure it's melodramatic at times and the score doesn't help that fact. But…