CRYING FIST aka JUMEOGI UNDA
Year: 2005
UK: Contender Entertainment Group
Cast: Choi Min-sik, Ryoo Seung-Bum, Lim Won-hee, Chun Ho-jin, Oh Dal-su, Seo Hye-rin, Lee Jun-gu
Director: Ryoo Seung-wan
Country: South Korea
Language: Korean (English subtitles)
UK: 121 mins
UK Certificate: 15 contains strong language and violence
UK Release Date: 9 December 2005 (Limited Release)
UK Distributor
Synopsis
From director Ryu Seung-wan (ARAHAN; NO BLOOD NO TEARS; DIE BADad), the man who has been hailed as Korea's answer to Quentin Tarantino, comes CRYING FIST, a gritty and violent, yet deeply moving tale of two boxers featuring a final twist that turns the boxing film genre completely on its head.
The film stars Ryu Seung-beom (the director's real-life brother and star of all his films to date) and the acclaimed star of OlLDBOY, Choi Min-sik (TAEGUKGI; SHIRI) as two desperate men forced by circumstance into the boxing ring where, ultimately, each will play a significant role in the other's future. Basing the film's initial premise on the two true stories of real-life fighters, Hareruya Akira and Seo-Cho (often referred to as "Korea's Tyson"), Ryu Seung-beom has fashioned their separate tales into one personal epic of fate and destiny.
Sang-hwan (Ryoo Seung-beom) is a bitter and angry delinquent from a neglected neighbourhood who makes ends meet by committing petty crimes. Despite his father's efforts of his father, Sang-hwan's criminal behaviour finally lands him in juvenile prison. When a personal tragedy reduces him to the lowest point in his life, a benevolent prison guard suggests he takes up boxing as a way of channelling his rage and overcoming his despair. Tae-sik (Choi Min-sik) is a middle-aged man, a washed-up fighter whose moment of glory came long ago when he won the silver medal as an amateur boxer at the Asian Games. With his family life disintegrating as a result of mounting debt, he makes a living as a novelty street performer, offering himself up as a human punching bag to passers by. With nothing left to lose, both men decide to enter an amateur boxing championship as a final attempt at achieving something before it's too late. It is a choice that will change their respective lives in a way neither could have possibly imagined.
A poignant and sentimental exploration of life and the power of human nature, CRYING FIST is an inspirational drama portrayed through the medium of boxing and features mesmerising performances from the film's two stars, Ryu Seung-beom and Choi Min-sik.