Do I really understand the Korean gangster films?

       I love watching Korean films because I can relate to them the most; however, there was a period when I just stopped watching Korean films for a while because most of the Korean movies were about Korean gangsters. According to Jinhee Choi, “South Korean gangster films have not only become one of the most profitable trends in the contemporary South Korean film industry, but they have also provided icons for the other film cycles to incorporate and adapt”(Choi 60). Majority of box office hits involved the life story of gangsters. I just did not like the way the gangsters were portrayed. In the movies, they were heroes. Even though they use violent words, harass the weaker ones, and commit murder, they were still seen as champions of the society.

         One of the reasons why I hesitate to watch gangster films are because there’s a dramatic change in the tone of the film (Choi 83). The film “Friends” starts off by portraying the childhood of four friends which seems impossible to take them apart. As they grow, they take four different paths. When they choose their own way, their youth friendship slowly loses its shape to the point where they are against each other.  Even though they turn their backs, they still have that childhood memory that they cannot ignore or let go of. Jun-Suk sacrifices his latter half of the life just for sake of protecting Dong-Su, who betrayed their friendship. In parallel, Dong-Su tries to go to the airport to see their old friends’ right after having the intense/ harsh talk with Jun-Suk. What caused this complication? Was it money?  Was it the society? Or Was it their social status?

         To me, all four friends looked very fragile in that musicalized space. As I watched this film, I figured out why I hated gangster films. I think the reason is because I cannot put myself in that situation. I just feel like gangster films are filled with cliché after cliché. I still do not know if the relationship between Dong-Su and Jun-Suk can be defined as ‘friendship’. I do not think it is bromance; however, I still think it is something deeper than just the friendship. I wonder if I will ever be able to understand the relationship between Jun-Suk and Dong-Su’s.