Before that, many movies only reflected a certain historical event, and "International Market" seems to be a summary of all the previous movies, except that the famous "Gwangju Incident" in Korean history was not shown, and changed South Korea from the "625 Incident". ” (that is, the “Korean War” as the Chinese call it), the historical development process of more than half a century from the beginning to the present is fully displayed through the changes of the family. Let people who have experienced the entire historical process recall their life in front of the screen, and give a vivid history and ideological education class to the young generation who have never endured hardship. It is said that the film eventually mobilized more than 10 million Koreans to go to the cinema, that is, nearly a quarter of the Koreans watched the film. From this point of view, the director's creation is very successful, not only using the market to test the excellent results of his labor, but also fulfilling his social responsibility as an artist and an intellectual.
There has always been no shortage of film and television works that reflect social changes from the perspective of small people. But it is very difficult to shoot such works smoothly and naturally, or even excellent. The director either accidentally fell into overly provocative and disgusted audiences, or ignored the coherence of the story in order to penetrate the timeline. The director of "International Market" is very tactful to resolve these two problems. The thrust behind every historical event the hero experiences is supported by emotion and morality. This makes the progression of the story both natural and logical. Viewers who empathize will make the same choices as the male protagonist. In this way, private feelings drive the development of the story, and the hero unwittingly becomes a witness to the development of the country step by step. The film also portrays a man who is forbearing and responsible. It is precisely because there are countless such little people that South Korea has survived the difficult period of arduous development and leapt to become a developed country. Therefore, this is not only a historical film that reflects historical reality, but also a work that eulogizes the beautiful qualities of little people.
Good movies know no borders. It inspires you to proactively find and resonate with your own memories and emotional experiences when you read other people’s stories. Therefore, although the film is about Korean history and the story of a small Korean character, Yin Deoksu, because people have the same perception of history and various emotions, these unfamiliar and familiar things can still impress viewers in foreign countries. You will be touched by the separation of Yin Dexiu's family because of the war, the friendship between Dajiu and Dexiu, the love between Yingzi and Dexiu, and the affection between Dexiu and his family.
The film was translated into "The Promise of Half a World" in Hong Kong, and the English name is "ode to my father". Some people say that the name of Hong Kong translates well. I think the name "International Market" is more appropriate and meaningful. After the protagonist of the movie got old, his children kept persuading him to sell the imported goods that his aunt bought from the store in the international market, and enjoy a few days of happiness. But the old man has been stubbornly refusing to sell. The reason is revealed at the end of the film. It turned out that when he was separated from his father because of the war, his father told him that he would meet up at the "Pollen House" opened by his aunt's house in the Busan International Market in the future. Only then did we know that it turned out that the male protagonist was not willing to sell because he had been keeping his promise with his father. Even if he failed to find his father, he still wanted to protect the only thought he had with his father. In my opinion, the changes in the international market are also a reflection of the changes in the Korean economy. From the beginning of the scene, a few young people asked him to sell the store to his friend Da Jiu who persuaded him to sell a new department store. Later, his children told him that now Chinese people do not use foreign products, but use foreign products instead. This shop used to be the mainstay of my aunt and his two generations' livelihood, and finally declined with the development of society. The international market is also constantly changing. When the male protagonist feels that he can't wait for his father any more, he finally decides to sell the shop, which also indicates that an era has come to an end. This is a new era of globalization.
The director tells the whole story with the usual interweaving of history and reality. Although the shooting method is quite satisfactory, some small details are both eye-catching and profound metaphors. Several South Korean high school students mocked the country's backwardness towards foreign couples and spoke the Pusan dialect. Foreign couples argue that even if they are foreigners, they are Koreans if they speak Korean in Korea. The hero witnesses all this with mixed feelings. Because his former hometown of Heungnam now belongs to another country - North Korea. The division between North and South is an irreparable wound for the Korean people. In addition, there is the issue of national identity. One of the most interesting episodes of the movie is the family gathering where the adults let the children perform a show, and the granddaughter stood up to sing, but instead of singing a nursery rhyme, it was the song that her grandfather taught her in her own era about the separation of relatives by war. When the sons and daughters heard the children sing such songs, they accused the elders of not teaching such songs to their children. I will smile when I see this. It turns out that it is not just us, the younger generation everywhere is reluctant to remember the difficult history of the past. But the director also gave us hope. Let the little girl learn that song. History is always to be remembered and should be remembered.
In order to survive, small people must have tenacity and perseverance. Because of their inability to change anything, they are often coerced by the power of the state, and their fate changes accordingly. In order to live, they cannot resist, only accept. While fighting for their own lives, they jointly promoted the development of the country. Countries have changed their destiny, and they have changed the face of the country. While the direction of history is often determined or changed by big men, the course of development is driven by little men. Therefore, when praising the great people for their contributions to social progress, we should not forget the sacrifices and contributions made by the little ones for the country. Of course, all this also needs to be remembered.
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