Kang Dong Won in KUNDO & ROARING CURRENTS

# I watched two movies, "Kundo" and "Roaring currents."

"Roaring currents " was so exciting and Kundo was interesting. Both movies had its own individuality.

I want to give  Kundo high mark, standing on its plot composition of writing technique, scenario, direction and realizing characters.

In Korea, "Roaring Currents" has a box office success. It was in an all-time high. Its number of spectator can't not be compared to "Kundo". "Roaring Currents"s box office record will not be broken easily in Korea.

I recognize "Kundo" is a good movie. The point of my value on Kundo doesn't mean "Kundo" isn't a good movie.

"Roaring currents", I judge its features are as in the following;

It put emphasis on director's ability, film crews' capability, reducing relative importance of scripts and actors. Naval combat scenes condensed movie director's and shooting director's all know-how, their passions. Costumers, prop masters, SFX masters participated in those, too. It leaned to one-side. I don't want to criticize that. I think it has its intention.

We can't imagine the role of admiral Yi Sun-shin but actor Choi Min Sik. Because -

Yi Sun-shin's character wasn't made of lines and stated of affairs. The character didn't create its own character for himself in the screen play. Only actor Choi Min-sin's own charisma made it.  His long history as an actors has built his career, his unique personality. The character of Yi Sun-shin was actualized  in virtue of those.

Simply putting Choi Min-sin in the scene of the screen, - though without any lines and performances -  we can watch the stately look of "great Yi Sun-shin".

The movie didn't make others detailed characters, the lines were simple. It focused on just only combat scenes. It was simple and honest, a little rough. It wasn't detailed, juicy story.

Nevertheless, I watched "Roaring currents" with interest.

Before watching it, I decided watch it without fail. And I think the watching has no regrets.

"Roaring currents"s marketing point is that this movie arouse the desire to watch it ardently. In other words, movie attraction was so strong. When audiences' reaction was good, they filled their needs what they expected in this movie. Whereas when someone unsatisfied with this movie, they expected another things, they didn't take that.

A touching movie or attraction movie isn't a good movie. Deep gratifying movie doesn't have the equal value with a good movie.

Box office movie isn't directly proportinal to its literary value. I prefer the movie having high literary value and excitement. But if big amount of audience love a movie, it accomplishes its own utility. As another shades of meaning, the movie is a good - great - movie. This movie made many people happy, it is blessing.

Yi Sun-shin's lines : "Your majesty, there are still 12 battleships to prepare for my showdown war."  It was deeply moving lines. The bat scene was a spinning spectacle.

"Gundo" is made according to a composition method. Before big climax, there are various plots. There are wit, tension, entwine, twist, reversal. It has multiple layers.

Naturally, each character has to have their own stories dramatically in order that this movie is closely packed. This movie remind of "The thieves (2012)" in many aspects. But 'The thieves' fulfilled the story by their big personalities as movie star's brilliant career. "Gundo' had to make their personalities by their own story. It must be making the characters be impressed.

# Bad guy in Gundo, Kang Dong-won

Playing villain, Kang Dong-won. I'm saying.

        

         

         

          

Villain more increasing in power, a movie's power is more enriched. When a villain is evil, good guys gain the duty to beat the bad guy. And the audiences can get the catharsis the evil going downfall.

So the bad guy has its charisma by unique personality for the movie's whole power. Cho Yun (Kang Dong-won) is distinguised from other general villains. He was aloof and mystic like as a man living in a land lush peach trees.

He was contrast with the thieves having wild and rough looks. He is un-come-at-table. He has wintry manner and cold-hearted.

Maybe he was the one in theives' view. 

Kang Dong-won showed speedy, powerful action though having slim body. Although being having strong emotional expression, he keeps his sharp, delicate facial mood.  

His unique atmosphere is unrivaled. But I feel the lack of diction. His prononciation has trace of dialect. I know he is a hard conscientious worker to be a perfect actor. It's regrettable that he doesn't have perfect diction. 

In "Gundo", Kang Dong-won has the role of villain, at the same time taking the visual part like Jun Ji-hyun in "The thieves".

In addition to his beautiful figure, he showed dynamic and splended image in screen. Jun Ji-hyun did in "The thieves". She has a well-proportioned figure, furthermore she made the beautiful scenes hanging skycraper with rope. The rope and her figure made a beautiful curved lines on a screen against city background with angled planes.

From an esthetic point, static background was contrast with her motion, it made beauty like an motional picturesque scenery. And the actress' body line did final achievement.

Kang's character was an unusual, it gave me fresh impact. I felt good.

And his hair style... was so wonderful... ^ ^

written on August 9. 2014