By Rosario Brenda Gonzalez
Corruption is a recurring theme in movies as these mirror society which has seen an abundance of corruption cases. This was on the mind of both the director and one of the male leads of Inside Men. Director Woo Min-ho and Cho Seung-woo in interviews conceded that their movie should offer something different to make a mark on the movie-going public.
Woo based the story of Inside Men on the webtoon of Yoon Tae-hoo, who also created Moss and Misaeng. With the webtoon unfinished, Woo had to write a most intriguing and insightful ending to Inside Men. Cho despite his initial reluctance to act in the film convinced himself that there is more to a movie than an often-used subject matter. The overall execution including outstanding acting and a captivating way of storytelling can still cater to popular taste.
Made in 2015, Inside Men went on to win the Best Film Award in both the Blue Dragon Film Awards and the Grand Bell Awards in South Korea. One of its lead actors, Lee Byung-hun won five Best Actor awards in South Korea and at least two acting awards in international film festivals. It was also a box-office hit validating Woo’s and Cho’s position that Inside Men has got what it takes to hit a homerun despite its theme that has been a staple fare in the film industry.
Ahn Sang-goo played by the highly acclaimed Lee Byung-hun heads a talent agency which is actually his front for shady deals with all sorts of personalities from power-hungry politicians to aspiring actresses forced to use their bodies to get film assignments. After being betrayed by big-time players in South Korea’s political arena, namely Congressman Jang Pil-woo, and eventually by editor Lee Kang-hee, Ahn vowed revenge, teaming up with prosecutor Woo Jang-hoon. The latter, a former hot-tempered cop was bypassed for a promotion due to his lack of political connections. Coming from humble beginnings, Woo refused opportunities for patronage and promotion, instead focusing on improving his work performance.
Ahn and Woo ran into massive obstacles, revealing all that is wrong in mainstream politics: the influence of business interests in media and the fragility of press freedom; hypocrisy of traditional politicians in their use of power, sex and violence vis-à-vis their usual rhetoric; and toxic sexism emanating in all spheres of society. How to navigate such a labyrinth of elaborate systems and interplay of social institutions proved to be the biggest challenge to the Ahn and Woo tandem. It would require not only their life skills and unique experiences but also a well-thought-out plan and strategy.
Both have gone beyond their limited and individualistic aims in pursuing legal cases against prominent and popular personalities in politics, business and media. Ahn used to want nothing but revenge for the wrong done to him while Woo merely desired promotion and personal recognition. Being aware of their own flaws, they realize that they can still do something to bring truth and justice, probably fleetingly, to this world that they live in.
A tightly written script, albeit going back and forth in time, coupled with superb acting from Lee Byung-hu, Cho Seung-woo (Prosecutor Woo) and Baek Yoon-sik (Editor Lee), kept this movie from being the typical corruption tale that ends in the “crime does not pay” mode. It is a realistic portrayal of what ails modern society and not merely South Korea.
Bringing to the fore the concessions of politics and business, as when a business tycoon funds the election campaign of a Congressman who would eventually block the passage of a bill for workers’ rights, and the pressures of business on the media, exemplified by the dependence of a media outfit on the advertisements of an automobile conglomerate, Inside Men raises questions that not only need answers but also action.
Corruption as shown in Inside Men has its counterpart in real life. It is noteworthy that months prior to the film’s showing in November 2015, South Korea’s Prime Minister Lee Wan-ko resigned due to accusations he accepted bribes for his election campaign. And from November 2016 to March 2017, a series of protests against then President Park Geun-hye’s alleged corruption erupted in South Korea. On April 6, 2018, President Park was convicted of charges of corruption and abuse of power.
Truth is indeed stranger than fiction. It will continue to be a motivation for enduring film making. #
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Rosario Brenda Gonzalez is a long-time development worker who discovered South Korean films and television series during the pandemic. She was encouraged to review 18 South Korean movies, 2 South Korean television series, and 1 Japanese television series upon realizing that many of these tackled social issues in an informative and entertaining manner.
A BA Journalism graduate of UP Diliman, Ms. Gonzalez has been a project evaluator and development management trainer for more than three decades. Prior to that, she was a human rights and church worker.
