This is a Korean gangster movie, and more strictly speaking, it's a very down-to-earth gangster movie with little pretence. In nearly two hours, it tells us how one, or even more, gang members survive in the scramble, intrigue, and bloody rivers and lakes. It's real, it's cruel, it's tender, it's despicable!
Reality - whether it's at the beginning of the film, the hero Bing Doo was ordered to collect debts, or those few breath-holding, classic fights, as well as their daily living conditions, are very real. Real, like a gorgeous gangster documentary.
Cruel——Bingdou is a gangster, but he can't pay the rent, he has no money to see his mother, he is always on the offensive, but he is repeatedly bullied by the boss Xiangtie. Killed, and even the body can not be found. Sang Tetsu is the eldest. After a conflict with Bing Doo, he was stabbed to death in the toilet by Bing Doo at his sister's wedding. Minggen, as the boss behind Sotetsu, is a very wealthy man, but when he sees the district prosecutor, he can only stand up obediently and listen to his lectures and abuses. Wait...not just the gangsters, but the real world as well. The strong eat the weak, the survival of the fittest, and the phenomenon of "cannibalism" happens all around us every day.
Warmth - Most Korean gangster films show the audience the kind-hearted side of gangsters. This cannot be said to be the director's beautification of the gangster, but an all-round interpretation of human nature. There are no downright good guys, and likewise, no downright bad guys.
Despicable - Several gangsters in the film have shown their despicable human nature to varying degrees. Murder, crowd fights, forced demolition... All these are related to their vital interests. So, there are many people who sympathize with the hero, but I don't. Because the road is yours to walk, the right to choose is in your own hands, and no one is forcing you. Including Byung Doo being killed in the end, I also think he deserves it. Because of what he's done, it's just a matter of time.
To sum up - a person's good or bad is not determined by how many good things he has done, but by how many bad things he has done and what kind of bad things he has done.
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