A Taxi Driver
| Synopsis |
In this powerful true story set in 1980, a down-on-his-luck taxi driver from Seoul is hired by a foreign journalist who wants to go to the town of Gwangju for the day. They arrive to find a city under siege by the military government, with the citizens, led by a determined group of college students, rising up to demand freedom. What began as an easy fare becomes a life-or-death struggle in the midst of the Gwangju Uprising, a critical event in modern South Korea.
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| Year Released |
2017
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| Running Time |
138 min
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| Date Released |
2017
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| Publisher |
The Lamp; Shadowbox Entertainment
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| URL | |
| Chronology | |
| Region | |
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| Rating |
Reviews
Please login to review this resourceA Critical Review of A Taxi Driver
This was the first time I have watched a movie that was in any other language other than English. As such, it was difficult to see past the sub-titles. But the story was so compelling, I watched it twice more and each time my love for the characters and their country grew stronger.
The story starts out with a down on his luck taxi driver (Man-seob played by Kang-ho Song) desperately trying to make ends meet and keep a roof over he and his daughter. While in a dining establishment with other taxi drivers, Man-seob over hears another driver bragging about his upcoming appointment to deliver a German reporter (Peter, played by Thomas Kretschmann) to the town of Gwangju, a trip that would solve all Man-seob's financial troubles.. Unaware of the civil unrest in the southern city, Man-seob snipes the other drivers fare and off they go. When the pair arrive in Gwangju, Man-seob quickly realizes the danger they are in and tries to convince the reporter to immediately return to Seol. His need for the money is slowly superseded by his awareness of the struggle of his fellow countrymen. Other taxi drivers, supported by students, are committed to making sure the world knows of their struggle by smuggling out the reporter with his news footage.
This movie grabs at your heart and makes you feel the pain and suffering Gwangju is undertaking. You will cry at the pain of the ordinary citizen, and will cheer for the heroics of the band of taxi drivers!
