钱  TheMoney

Synopsis　　Bong-su(KimSeung-ho)isasimplefarmer.Butnomatterhowhardheworks,hissituationneverseemstoimprove.HehasevenpostponedhisdaughterSun'smarriagebecausehecannotaffordtheexpense.HissonYeong-ho(KimJin-kyu),whohasjustreturnedtothevillageaftercompletinghismilitaryservice,andOk-gyeong(ChoiEun-hee),whogrewupalongsidehiminBong-su'shousehold,areinlovewitheachother.Ok-gyeonghelpsoutatabarrunbyloansharkEok-jo'swife(HwangJung-seun).　　Tiredofhisimpecuniouslife,Bong-suisluredbyEok-jo(ChoiNam-hyeon)intosellinghiscowandgettingintobusinesssellingsecondhandgoods,butheblowsallhismoneywhenheistrickedbyaconartist(NoKyeong-hee)hemeetsinSeoul.Despondent,hereturnstothevillage.　　Onenight,Eok-jotriestorapeOk-gyeonganddropssomemoneyintheattempt.Whiletryingtopickupthemoney,Bong-sugetsintoafightwithEok-joandendsupkillinghimintheheatofthemoment.Ok-gyeongretrievesthemoneyandgivessomeofittoYeong-ho.ThetwotrytoleaveforSeoul,buttheyarecapturedbythepolice,whoareinvestigatingEok-jo'smurder,andaretakeninforquestioning.DiscoveringEok-jo'smoneyintheirpossession,thepoliceconcludethattheyaretheculpritsandputthemonatrainheadedforthepoliceheadquarters.Bong-surunsafterthetrain,cryingouttobetakenintheirstead.　　Notes　　"Anoutstandingfilmthatrealisticallyandtragicallydepictstheagriculturalcommunity'sfailuretoobtaincapitalatatimewhenKoreawastransitioningintoanindustrialsociety."　　TheMoneyreceivedconsiderablecriticalacclaimatthetimeofitsrelease.TheKoreaTimesevenpraiseditasafilmthatpointedout"aclearpathforKoreancinematofollow"(March9,1958).ManycriticsofthedaytendedtoconsiderItaly'sNeorealismasthemostappropriatecinematicperspectiveforilluminatingtherealityofKoreansociety,andtoadvocateitastheproperdirectionforKoreanmoviestofollow.InKorea'sculturalcontext,suchanorientationmeantexcludingsentimentalityandtheblindpursuitofhappyendingstorevealwithoutembellishmentthebleakanddesperaterealityofthetime.Ifafilmcouldaddsomelocalcolori.e.theidiosyncraticconditionsaffectingKorea'sagriculturalcommunitiesintothemix,thatputthecherryonthecake.Consideredinthislight,onemightsayTheMoneywasperfectlysuitedtotheidealsespousedbyKoreancinemaatthetime.Astutelycapturingtherealitiesfacedbyagriculturalvillagesduringtheperiod,TheMoneywasinfactcomparedtoItalianNeorealistfilmsinseveralnewspaperreviews.　　Thisfilmdepictswithasharpeyevariouseventsrevolvingaroundmoneyunderthedestitutecircumstancesthatprevailedinatypicalruralvillageatatimewhenthecountrywastransitioningfromanagriculturaltoanindustrialsocietyanditdoessotoveryimpressiveeffect.TheviciouscycleofpovertysufferedbyfarmersinBong-su'svillagecontinueswithouthopeofescape.ItdrawsthenoosetighterandtighteraroundBong-su'sthroat,butevenwhenheventuresintothecity,heisunabletoadapttothelogicofcapitalandisswindledoutofwhatlittlemoneyhehas.Althoughmoneygoesroundandround,itonlyleadstotragedyforBong-suandotherslikehim.Inparticular,theclosingsceneofthefilmaclose-upstillofBong-suasherunsafterthetraincarryinghissonawayisanunforgettableshotthatsymbolizesthehopelesssituationofruralsocieties,andrevealsrealitytobeacagewithoutanexit.TheMoneyalsoshowcasestheperformancesofthetopactingtalentsofthetime,includingChoiEun-hee,KimJin-kyu,ChoiNam-hyeon,HwangJung-seun,andNoKyeong-hee.KimSeung-hointheleadroleofBong-su,inparticular,showshimselftobeatthepinnacleofhisart,evenwhilepreservinghisexistingimage.　　Afterword:　　-TheMoneywasoriginallyslatedforsubmissiontothe5thAsianFilmFestival,butthedecisionwasrevokedbecausethefilm'smoodwasconsideredtoodark.Asaresult,themoviebecamethefocusofaheateddebatebetweenthegovernmentauthoritiesandthefilmcommunity.