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Anarchist from Colony
Theatrical poster
Hangul	박열
Hanja	朴烈
Revised Romanization	Park Yeol
Directed by	Lee Joon-ik
Written by	Hwang Seong-gu
Produced by	Kim Sung-cheol
Starring	Lee Je-hoon Choi Hee-seo
Cinematography	Park Sung-joo
Music by	Bang Jun-seok Kang Eun-koo
Distributed by	Megabox Plus M
Release date	June 28, 2017 (2017-06-28)
Running time	129 minutes
Country	South Korea
Languages	Korean Japanese
Box office	US$16.9 million

Anarchist from Colony (Korean: 박열; Hanja: 朴烈; lit. "Park Yeol") is a 2017 South Korean biographical period drama film directed by Lee Joon-ik about the life of independence activist Park Yeol (also spelled "Pak Yol"), with Lee Je-hoon taking on the title role. It premiered in South Korea on June 28, 2017.

Synopsis

The film is based on the true story of the anarchist and revolutionary Park Yeol (Lee Je-hoon), who organizes the anarchist group Futei-sha [ko] (in Korean "Heukdohoe"), which planned to assassinate Japan's Crown Prince Hirohito during Japanese colonial rule of the Korean Peninsula. The movie also highlights the relationship between Park and his lover Kaneko Fumiko (Choi Hee-seo), a Japanese nihilist who sympathized with Koreans oppressed under Japanese rule.

Park Yeol is the leader of the anarchist group Bulryeongsa, which has 14 Korean and five Japanese members. He seems like an easygoing, courageous and disobedient young man who never troubles others. His partner Fumiko is a strong and intelligent woman who appears to be positive with a sense of humor, though she is imprisoned with her lover.

Plot

The film shows the anarchist group Heukdohoe (which goes by multiple names) discussing their methods for resisting the Japanese harassment against Koreans. Park Yeol (Bak Yeol) as the leader of this group, plots a bombing against Prince Hirohito. Then, the Kanto Earthquake of 1923 hits Japan, leaving the city in ruin. In the film, Former Minister of Affairs Mizuno suggests that Koreans had been poisoning water wells and setting the city on fire following the earthquake. He promotes an idea that Japanese patriots go out and enact revenge; it is highly hinted at that he only wants this to enact revenge against Koreans following the March 1st Incident, where Korean anarchists made a rebellious stance against Japanese imperialism.

Following this, the Kanto Massacre occurs, where over 6000 Koreans were massacred by Japanese vigilantes. In order to cover up the massacre, Mizuno focusses on Yeol and his organization’s activities. Because they are self-proclaimed anarchists, he looks to trying them for crimes against Japan to minimize discussions about the massacre, eventually focusing on Yeol’s plot against Hirohito. The following trial highlights how Yeol and Kaneko made a mockery of the Japanese government and imperialist ways. They discuss their desire for the Japanese people to become disillusioned from the imperial family’s godly power over the nation. They note that in this way, equality between classes and peoples can occur; they also discuss how they are well aware their trial is meant to cover up the Korean Massacre and will do everything they can to prevent this. Underlying these beliefs are the intense moments of their companionship and love that center on their shared desire for revolution.

The film ends showing the guilty verdict Kaneko and Yeol faced, and how they narrowly avoided the death sentence. Once the two are separated, Kaneko mysteriously dies in prison from supposed suicide, though none of the Heukdohoe believe this—they fully believe she was murdered. They go to retrieve her body, and Yeol is said to have been released from prison after occupation ended in 1946. The final shot shows the film’s picture of Yeol and Kaneko and then the real one fading out to black.

Historiography

The Kanto Massacre that took the lives of over 6000 Koreans began from rumors the Hongō Komagome police heard about Koreans poisoning wells and starting fires.

Korean anarchism is largely understood as a reaction to the Japanese imperialism and anarchist ideas coming from Chinese and Japanese students. Korean anarchism always placed freedom from Japanese imperialism first. As nationalism influenced anarchism so did the ideology of socialist revolution creating a more equal world.

Cast

Main

• Lee Je-hoon as Park Yeol
• Choi Hee-seo as Kaneko Fumiko

Supporting

• Min Jin-woong as Hong Jin-yoo
• Kwon Yul as Lee Seok
• Baek Soo-jang as Choi Young-hwan
• Bae Je-gi as Choi Gyoo-jong
• Kim In-woo as Mizuno Rentarō
• Kim Jun-han as Datemas Kaisei
• Tasuku Yamanouchi as Tatsuji Fuse
• Wi Ha-joon as Korean youth in prison
• Kim Sung-cheol as Fumio Koto.

Reception

The film topped the box office during its opening weekend, earning US$5.9 million with 817,971 admissions.

By the end of two weeks since the film was released, it has earned US$12.36 million in total.

The film earned a total of US$16.1 million after one month run.

The film was released in Los Angeles and Buena Park, California, also in Dallas, Texas in the United States.

Awards and nominations

See also

• Kantō Massacre
• Anarchism in Korea
• Pak Yol
• Fumiko Kaneko
• March 1st Movement

References

1. "Anarchist from Colony". Korean Film Biz. Retrieved August 8, 2017.
2. Conran, Pierce (28 October 2016). "LEE Joon-ik Preps New Period Biopic". Korean Film Biz Zone. Retrieved 13 January 2017.
3. ^ Lee, Soon-ki (12 January 2017). "[공식입장] 이준익 새 뮤즈 이제훈 확정..'박열', 9일 크랭크인". OSEN (in Korean).
4. "Yonhap News Agency".
5. "[Herald Interview] Viewing history through an anarchist's eyes: Director Lee Joon-ik". 26 June 2017.
6. Shim Sun-ah (June 18, 2017). "(Movie Review) 'Anarchist from Colony': Distinct but bland". Yonhap News Agency. Retrieved July 20, 2017.
7. ^ Ryang, Sonia (2003). "The Great Kanto Earthquake and the Massacre of Koreans in 1923: Notes on Japan's Modern National Sovereignty". Anthropological Quarterly. 76:4 (4): 733. JSTOR 3318287 – via JSTOR.
8. "Korean Anarchism Before 1945: A Regional And Transnational Approach", Anarchism and Syndicalism in the Colonial and Postcolonial World, 1870-1940, BRILL, pp. 95–129, 2011-01-01, doi:10.1163/ej.9789004188495.i-432.39, ISBN 9789004188488, retrieved 2022-04-17, 96.
9. Hwang, Dongyoun (2016). Anarchism in Korea : Independence, Transnationalism, and the Question of National Development, 1919-1984. State University of New York: State University of New York Press, Albany. pp. 1–17. ISBN 978-1-4384-6168-7. OCLC 1023180893.
10. "05월 22일 05시 20분 OCN 방영 영화 '박열', 이제훈x최희서 주연". Incheon Ilbo (in Korean). 2019-05-22. Retrieved 2019-06-23.
11. ^ Conran, Pierce (3 January 2017). "GWON Yool, MIN Jin-woong and More Join PARK YEOL". Korean Film Biz Zone. Retrieved 13 January 2017.
12. "Actress Choi Hee-seo Looks Forward to a Promising Career". 16 February 2018.
13. "June 28, 2017 Box Office". Korean Film Biz.
14. Shim, Soun-ah (July 3, 2017). "'Anarchist from Colony' nabs top spot over 'Transformers' on opening weekend". Yonhap News Agency. Retrieved 2017-08-08.
15. Maala, Jon (July 10, 2017). "Spider-Man tops Korean box office for 5th straight day". International Business Times. Retrieved 2017-08-08.
16. Kil, Sonia (July 25, 2017). "Korea Box Office: 'Dunkirk' Beats 'Spider-Man'". Variety. Retrieved 2017-08-08.
17. Shin, Paige (June 30, 2017). "'Anarchist from Colony' released with English subtitles in Songdo". The Korea Herald. Retrieved 20 July 2017.
18. "A TAXI DRIVER Tops Buil Film Awards". Korean Film Biz Zone. October 17, 2017.
19. "Stars shine at Daejong awards: A successful year for film industry celebrated at annual ceremony". Korea JoongAng Daily. October 27, 2017.
20. "THE FORTRESS Dominates 37th Korean Film Critics Association Awards". Korean Film Biz Zone. October 30, 2017.
21. "'서울어워즈' 송강호·나문희·지성·박보영 주연상…·'박열'·'비숲' 대상[종합]". TV Report (in Korean). October 27, 2017.
22. "Hong Sangsoo Receives 5th Grand Prize from Busan Film Critics". Korean Film Biz Zone. December 7, 2017.
23. "A TAXI DRIVER Drives Off with 4 Blue Dragons". Korean Film Biz Zone. December 1, 2017.
24. "BONG Joon-ho Scores 4th DGK Award for OKJA". Korean Film Biz Zone. December 15, 2017.
25. "Asian Film Awards 2018 nominations". South China Morning Post. January 11, 2018.
26. "'1987' chosen by film reporters as the best film of 2017". Yonhap News Agency. January 30, 2018.
27. "제54회 백상예술대상, TV·영화 각 부문별 수상 후보자 공개". JTBC (in Korean). April 6, 2018.
28. "[2018 백상예술대상 종합] tvN '비밀의 숲'·영화 '1987' 대상 영예+3·4관왕". Osen (in Korean). May 4, 2018.
29. "제23회 춘사영화제 5월18일 개최..홍상수·김민희 참석하나". Newsen (in Korean). May 3, 2018.
30. "[23rd 춘사영화제 종합]'남한산성' 최우수감독상 수상…최희서 11관왕 달성". Herald Corporation (in Korean). May 18, 2018.
31. "이제훈·최희서 등 2018레지스탕스영화제 수상". Naver (in Korean). 4 September 2018.
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33. "Review: Anarchist from the Colony: Japan Through the Lens of Korean Cinema".

External links

• Anarchist from Colony at HanCinema
• Anarchist from Colony at IMDb

• 2017 films
• 2010s Korean-language films
• Films directed by Lee Joon-ik
• South Korean biographical drama films
• South Korean political drama films
• South Korean historical drama films
• 2017 biographical drama films
• Films about anarchism
• 2010s political drama films
• Films about the Korean independence movement
• Films set in the Taishō period
• 2010s South Korean films
• Kantō Massacre
• Films about Zainichi Korean people
• Plus M Entertainment films