Serve the People (film)

Serve the People (Korean: 인민을 위해 복무하라; Hanja: 人民을 위해 服務하라; RR: Inmineul Wihae Bongmuhara) is a 2022 South Korean romantic drama film, written and directed by Jang Cheol-soo and starring Yeon Woo-jin, Ji An (지안), Jo Sung-ha and Kim Ji-chul. Based on the eponymous novel by Chinese writer Yan Lianke, it depicts a romance between Mu Gwang, a model soldier, and Su-ryun, the young wife of the division commander and the inner conflicts of Mu Gwang. The film set in a fictional socialist country much similar to North Korea in the 1970s, was released theatrically on February 23, 2022 in South Korea.[2]

Serve the People
Official release poster
Hangul
인민을 위해 복무하라
Hanja
人民을 위해 服務하라
Revised RomanizationInmineul Wihae Bongmuhara
Directed byJang Cheol-soo
Screenplay byJang Cheol-soo
Based onServe the People!
by Yan Lianke
Produced byPark Jin-seong
Starring
Production
companies
  • Leopard Film Company
  • Joy N Cinema
Distributed byJNC Media Group
Release date
  • February 23, 2022 (2022-02-23)
Running time
146 minutes
CountrySouth Korea
LanguageKorean
Box officeest. US$562,357[1]

Synopsis

Explaining the meaning of title the director of the film said, "The supreme leader has given the soldier the duty written on the sign to serve the people, and the ear of barley engraved next to it symbolizes a bountiful harvest and the red star symbolizes a brilliant future. The division commander values this sign more than life. And he said the same to Mu-gwang, the first to go to work. Su-ryun uses this sign to create rifts and widen the gaps. The language of revolution is replaced by the language of desire. It becomes a medium of love."[3]

Cast
  • Yeon Woo-jin as Mu-gwang[4]
  • Ji An as Soo-ryeon[5]
  • Jo Sung-ha as Division commander[6]
  • Kim Ji-chul as Company commander
  • Park Jung-eon as Instructor's wife
  • Woo Ju-bin as Veteran soldier
  • Han Min-yeop as Driver
  • Jang Hae-min as Mu-gwang's wife
  • Han Il-gyu as battalion commander[7]

Production

In July 2013, the film was planned based on the novel Serve the People! by the Chinese novelist Yan Lianke. Director Jang Cheol-soo was assigned direction of the film and Yeon Woo-jin was offered the lead role of a soldier, who while struggling between class differences and sexual desire, succumbs to the temptation of his boss's wife.[8]

In an interview the lead actor Yeon Woo-jin said that he had read the script back in 2014,[9] but the filming began in 2020.[10] In September 2020, it was reported that Yeon Woo-jin and Jian has been cast in the film Serve the People directed by Jang Cheol-soo and produced by Leopard Film Company.[11] Serve the People is a comeback film of Ji An, who is appearing after 5 years. Her last film was The Way in 2017.[12]

Reception

Box office

The film was released on 595 screens on February 23, 2022.[13] On the opening day the film ranked at number 4 on the Korean box office.[14][15]

As of May 19, 2022 it is at 15th place among all the Korean films released in the year 2022, with gross of US$562,357 and 74,138 admissions.[1]

Critical response

Kim Mi-hwa of Star News criticized the presentation of the film, writing, "the content of satire and resistance to the original system was not well expressed in the film". She further stated that the depiction of sex scenes "continues for a long time" and "the subject matter this film was trying to talk about in the first place becomes more and more distant." Kim found the character Soo-Ryun, played by actress Ji-An, "disappointing" as "it feels hard and awkward without knowing where it is". Concluding her review Kim opined, "Serving the People seems to be difficult to leave behind more than a problematic work."[16]

Yang Yu-jin of My Daily in her review, termed the film as "A problematic work that shakes emotions by going back and forth between reason and instinct seeks the audience." She praised the performances of lead pair writing, "Yeon Woo-jin and Ji-an's challenging spirit stand out." Yang further stated, "in particular, Yeon Woo-jin's acting transformation is impressive." Concluding Yang wrote, that the film conveyed the impression that the heavy theme of anti-socialism has been somewhat volatilized, and it is only a description of exceptional 19-karat gold [sex scenes]."[17]

Lee Bora of Cine21 reviewing the film stated that the endeavour was made to show the setting of the film in fiction world "with imagination added based on the tone of the characters and the overall mise-en-scène." Bora opined, that the conflict between the protagonists, "who go back and forth between reality and desire, is produced very stiffly". Bora felt that the narrative of the film was not tightly woven, it felt "as if a screw is missing". Bora concluded, "the focus of [the film] is on sexuality rather than love.[18]

References
  1. "KOFIC, KOBIS (Korean Box Office Information System) The Box office: Korean films of 2022". KOFIC. Retrieved May 19, 2022.
  2. Kim Na-yeon (February 22, 2022). "개봉 D-1 '인민을 위해 복무하라', 파격멜로의 탄생..필람 포인트 셋" [Release D-1 'Serve the People', the birth of an extraordinary melodrama... Three pillars]. Star News (in Korean). Naver. Retrieved February 22, 2022.
  3. Kim Na-yeon (January 27, 2022). ""단순히 야한 영화 NO"..'인민을 위해 복무하라', 파격 로맨스의 끝 [종합]" ["Simply a naughty movie NO"..'Serve the people', the end of an unconventional romance [Comprehensive]]. Star News (in Korean). Naver. Retrieved February 22, 2022.
  4. Jo Ji-young (January 19, 2022). "[공식] 연우진X지안 파격 멜로 '인민을 위해 복무하라', 2월 개봉 확정" [[Official] Yeon Woo-jin X Ji-an's extraordinary melodrama 'Serve the People', confirmed for release in February]. Sports Chosun (in Korean). Naver. Retrieved February 22, 2022.
  5. Koh Seung-ah (February 16, 2022). "'복무하라' 지안 "파격 노출에만 초점 속상해…최선 다해 후회 없다" [N인터뷰](종합)" ['Serve' Jian "I'm upset that I only focus on the extreme exposure... I do my best and have no regrets" [N Interview] (Comprehensive)]. News 1 (in Korean). Naver. Retrieved February 22, 2022.
  6. Kim Mi-hwa (February 20, 2022). "'인민을 위해 복무하라' 조성하, 압도적 존재감 비결 [일문일답]" ['Serve the people' Jo Seong-ha, the secret of overwhelming presence [Question and Answer]]. Star News (in Korean). Naver. Retrieved February 22, 2022.
  7. Jin-ah Son (March 15, 2022). "'인민을 위해 복무하라' 한일규, 스틸 컷 속 차가운 아우라" ['Serve the People' Han Il-gyu, a cold aura in the still cut]. MK Sports (in Korean). Naver. Retrieved March 15, 2022.
  8. Yoon Kim-jay (July 29, 2013). "유아인, '인민을 위해 복무하라'로 19금 영화 첫 도전" [Yoo Ah-in's first 19-gold film challenge with 'Serve the People']. Hankook Media (in Korean). Retrieved February 22, 2022.
  9. Song Seung-hyun (February 21, 2022). "[Herald Interview] Yeon Woo-jin 'thirsty' for innovative movies like 'Serve the People'". The Korea Herald. Retrieved February 22, 2022.
  10. Bae Hyo-joo (September 17, 2020). "'은위' 감독 신작 멜로 '복무하라' 연우진X지안 출연 확정(공식입장)" [Yeon Woo-jin X Ji-an confirmed to appear in the new melodrama 'Serve' by the director of 'Eun-wi' (official position)]. Newsen (in Korean). Naver. Retrieved February 22, 2022.
  11. Kim Hyeon-rok (September 17, 2020). "연우진·지안, 박철수 감독 '복무하라' 캐스팅…병사와 사단장의 아내[공식]" [Yeon Woo-jin and Ji-an cast in director Park Chul-soo's 'Serve'... Soldier and Division Commander's Wife [Official]]. Spotify News (in Korean). Naver. Retrieved February 22, 2022.
  12. Kim Ji-hye (February 14, 2022). "'인민을 위해 복무하라' 지안, 29금 파격 연기 소감 "수많은 고민…"" ['Serve the people' Jian, 29 gold shocking postponement "Many worries..."]. SBS Entertainment News (in Korean). Naver. Retrieved February 22, 2022.
  13. "KOFIC, KOBIS (Korean Box Office Information System) Box office: Serve the People (2022)". KOFIC. Retrieved March 1, 2022.
  14. "일별 박스오피스" [Daily box office]. Korean Film Council (in Korean). KOBIS. February 28, 2022. Retrieved March 1, 2022.
  15. Kim Bo-ra (February 24, 2022). "연우진x지안 '인민을 위해 복무하라' 개봉 첫날 4위 출발" [Yeon Woo-jin x Ji-an's 'Serve the People' debuts in 4th place on the first day of release]. Osen (in Korean). Naver. Retrieved February 24, 2022.
  16. Kim Mi-hwa (February 18, 2022). "[리뷰] '인민을 위해 복무하라!' 섹스 심볼이 된 공허한 외침" [[Review] 'Serve the people!' An empty cry that became a sex symbol]. Star News (in Korean). Naver. Retrieved February 22, 2022.
  17. Yang Yu-jin (February 20, 2022). "'인민을 위해', 이성과 본능 사이 아슬아슬한 줄다리기 [마데핫리뷰]" ['For the people', a tug-of-war between reason and instinct [Madehat Review]]. My Daily (in Korean). Naver. Retrieved February 22, 2022.
  18. Lee Bora (February 23, 2022). "[리뷰] 미묘한 분위기 속 서로를 탐닉하다 '인민을 위해 복무하라'" [[Review] Indulge in each other in a subtle atmosphere 'Serve the people']. Cine21 (in Korean). Naver. Retrieved February 23, 2022.
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