Chilsu and Mansu

The film Chilsu and Mansu shows a period in Korea when Roh tae Woo, the first democratically elected president, comes into power and the country gradually becomes democratic. As the country is changing from frequent suppressed dissents to a more liberal country with more freedom of speech allowed by the citizens, the film depicts the struggles of two laborers who have trouble finding jobs and are constantly having financial problems.

The film starts with a panorama of the city with overcrowded streets and sirens in the background, which shows the constant urbanization, modernization, and change that was happening in Korea. With this change, Chilsu, an optimistic man with high hopes for the American Dream, he seems to be very content in the beginning of the movie. He quits his job, voicing his opinions to the boss as he believes a democratic person should have a freedom of speech. However, as the film progresses, his dreams seem to shatter, as his lover, Gina, leaves him, and he is struggling financially all the time after losing his job.

There is a scene when Mansu and Chilsu are walking outside of the bar towards a bright pathway. It seemed to me that the light coming from the front symbolized the hope both of the men had at the time. When they almost reach the point where the light is coming, Chilsu stops to ask if he could stay at Mansu’s house. This led me to think that while they are both walking towards the light of hope of a better life, these financial struggles catch them behind. Along with money problems, social disorder of the change that is symbolically represented by the numerous sounds of sirens, honking on the road and loud TV sounds broadcasting all the societal issues daily, leave the laborers like the two to be frustrated. The last scene of the movie was both very funny and interesting. The billboard, which had a cleavage-exposing woman holding a bottle of alcohol, seemed to represent the openness and liberality that the two wanted to feel as the country was becoming more democratic. When they were noticed by the citizens, police and even the CEO of the company come to persuade them to let them down. It seemed that all the two were doing was just expressing their opinions about society without harming anyone, but the policemen weren’t pleased. At one point, their venting and the policemen’s demand to come down is muted to symbolize the unheard voices of the citizens. Overall, Chilsu and Mansu was an excellent film that represented the unheard voices of the working class and the government’s inability to hear their opinions.