A still cut from the Korean biopic “Park Chung-hee: The Man Who Dreamed of an Economic Powerhouse,” provided by Megabox JoongAng (Image courtesy of Yonhap)
SEOUL, Jul. 4 (Korea Bizwire) — The biopic “Park Chung-hee: The Man Who Dreamed of an Economic Powerhouse” is a live capture release of a theater musical about the former South Korean president credited with rebuilding the country after the devastation of the 1950-53 Korean War but decried as a dictator.
The movie opens with the wedding of Park and his wife, Yook Young-soo, which was initially puzzling as to its significance in the narrative.
As the movie progresses, it delves into significant events in Park’s life and presidency, including a military coup that brought him to power in 1961, the construction of a highway from Seoul to Busan, the country’s export-led industrialization and the initiation of the Saemaeul (New Community) Movement, aimed at revitalizing the nation’s economy.
It also portrays his humble beginnings, the challenges of living under Japanese colonial rule and his wife’s commitment to the underprivileged, as seen in her visits to a leper colony on Sorok Island off the southern coast and a shantytown located in a southern suburb of Seoul.
A still cut from the Korean biopic “Park Chung-hee: The Man Who Dreamed of an Economic Powerhouse,” provided by Megabox JoongAng (Image courtesy of Yonhap)
The film is actually not a live recording to “Park Chung-hee: The musical,” which opened and achieved modest success in 2021, but of its sequel, titled “Yook Young-soo: Acacia of the Era,” which highlights the former first lady’s dedication to social causes. This connection was not made clear in the film’s promotional materials.
“Park Chung-hee: The Man Who Dreamed of an Economic Powerhouse” is essentially a series of drama and musical performances loosely joined together by incidents that mainly happened in the ’60s and ’70s to Park and his wife.
All of the elements needed to make a fascinating film were there because Park is one of the most controversial leaders in South Korea, lauded for his role in the country’s rapid economic rise, known as the “Miracle on the Han River,” yet also criticized for his authoritarian rule and suppression of civil liberties. But despite that, there is just no depth to the story on a historical, musical or emotional level.
The characterization also remains superficial, and the plot inconsistently juxtaposes Park’s 18-year presidency with his wife’s efforts to aid the socially vulnerable.
A still cut from the Korean biopic “Park Chung-hee: The Man Who Dreamed of an Economic Powerhouse,” provided by Megabox JoongAng (Image courtesy of Yonhap)
Despite highlighting his economic legacy and love of the nation and his people, the film is slightly too deferential to Park, never allowing him to appear as anything less than a hero. To achieve commercial success, the film should strive to win the hearts of those who previously had no interest in the former president or misunderstood him. But this film seems to target mainly those who already know him well and his staunch supporters.
The biopic’s lack of engaging drama makes its 144-minute runtime feel excessively long, with pacing that drags. The musical score, intended to evoke the hardships of the era and the misunderstood emotions of a lonely leader blamed for his unyielding pursuit of his vision, fail to bring anything new or captivating to the table.
Overall, “Park Chung-hee: The Man Who Dreamed of an Economic Powerhouse” falls short in several respects, making it less than the groundbreaking biopic it aims to be.
The filmed version of the musical “Yook Young-soo: Acacia of the Era” was directed by Son Hyun-woo and featured cast members from the musical production — Shin Min-ho, Kim Hyo-sun and Park Da-jung.
(Yonhap)
