The President's Last Bang

Year: 2005
Genre: Black Comedy
Directed: Sang-Soo Im
Stars: Suk-Kyu Han, Yun-Shik Baek. Jae-Ho Song, Eung-Soo Kim, Sang-Geon Jo, Byung-Gil Kwun, Won-Joong Jung, Eun-Ji Jo, Yoon-Ah Kim, Jong-Jun Jung, Jae-Goo Lee, Sang-Ho Kim
Production: MK Pictures

In the United States we claim to have a long tradition of free expression which we hold dear, or at least insist we do. I say the words "we claim" because the ability to print Communist propaganda in Minnesota, sell gangsta rap in Arkansas and dunk a crucifixes in urine and call it art aren't exactly things that have been blithely accepted by America's moral majority. But while these things have been met with controversy, protest and even litigation, for the most part we as Americans enjoy a pretty wide birth when it comes to things we're willing to accept in the public square. This is not the case in other more draconian nations. "They hate us for our freedom," I hear some of you cry. Indeed, they're the countries we think about least; the Eastern Bloc kleptocracies, the South American socialists, the ultra-conservative caliphates and, of course, the bulwark remnants of Communism.

Looking at you buddy...

You wouldn't expect South Korea to be high on that list of freedom hating dystopias. Sure our understanding of the Korean peninsula is largely centered on the 1950-1953 era, but we all know South Korea is the "free" Korea, right? Well in 1961-1979, South Korea was actually under the leadership of Park Chung-Lee, a former military general turned President for life after a coup d'etat left the country in his power. Within a controversial 18 year reign, Park's expansion of emergency powers, curbing of constitutional rights and overall gestapo-ism led to large-scale student protests resulting in chaos and bloodshed.

Conspicuously left out of the movie

It is under those conditions we first meet Korean Central Intelligence Service (KCIA) Agent Ju (Han). Ju is the head of President Park's (Song) security detail and along with Director Kim (Baek) doesn't seem to like the libertine political figure too much. They along with Colonel Min (Kim) plan to assassinate the President at one of his luxurious villas. The entirety of the film takes place within the golden hours before the assassination attempt and twilight hours after the deed. It is at this point the history of the event gets a little hazy. If you're watching The President's Last Bang in the United States, you're used to true stories being fudged. But in South Korea, the events in the film comes with baggage.

The movie itself is menacing and uneasy in it's voyeurism. The feeling evoked by the cinematography is somewhere between bemusement and revulsion; it's otherworldly and murky all at once. The camera has a habit of peering out behind fences, and tilting and buzzing into the four corners of the room like a spying gadfly. Other times the camera seems to stand at attention, squinting up at grimacing generals and bookish bureaucrats. The only person we tend to view at eye level is Agent Ju, probably the only person in the group who's heart is in the right place.

Of course it's not that clear at first. Agent Ju calmly converses with fellow agents knowing full well he's likely going to kill them. We're thrown right into the action with Ju, Colonel Min and Director Kim never really explaining their actions. To those with familiarity on the subject, the feeling must have been similar to the gentle wisp of wind that pre-impacts a mousetrap. I, knowing nothing still tasted the bitter taste of adrenaline pumping through my veins.

The cynicism, bitterness and inspired bits of gallows humor all work in the film's favor serving a surprisingly literal film that, like the event itself, leaves you with more questions than answers. With judging eyes primed by President Park's bacchanalian vices we're chained to characters left either dead or disappointed and no one, including the audience is wiser for it.

It is arguably for that reason the reaction following the film is so polarizing. The Colonel and Director Kim state their reasons for the coup with identical democratic log lines. They along with their targets the President, Bodyguard (Jung) and Chief Secretary (Kwun) act unilaterally callous and equally despicable. Meanwhile President Park's legacy, which includes being Korea's "greatest president" according to actual Koreans, is thrown in the air like a flank steak being fed to pitbulls. The Park family successfully sued the production company for $105,000 over the President's portrayal. And before you go saying $105,000 is a tiny amount to a studio, also consider the Park family includes current president Park Geun-Hye.

Yup, that Park Geun-Hye

The President's Last Bang is quietly and assuredly one of the murkiest political statements ever committed to the screen. While speaking a story that offers little resolution, the images on the screen clearly pierces a wound into the psyche of contemporary Korea. Seeing the American DVD release, I was not aware until later that the Korean release purposely left blank screen for images deemed offensive. While that technical detail was left out of the American release, what's left out of both are 4 minutes of documentary footage of the student demonstrations that revealed Park for a despot.

Final Grade: B+