Taking its motto from a Robert Frost poem, Righteous Ties is a gangster movie largely set in prison, and Jang Jin’s most generic work. But that’s not to say that it lacks his usual sparky originality. The prison-break scene, for example, involves a slow-mo bird’s-eye view of a bullet, a fighter jet and a prisoner who imagines he can knock down a thick perimeter wall by throwing himself against it.
Dong Chisung, gang boss Kim’s right-hand man, takes the rap for an attack on a rival and serves time in Suncheon Penitentiary. But while he’s inside, his elderly parents are attacked and Dong himself is wounded in a furtive ambush. After breaking out, his agenda is revenge. Notions of an ‘honour code’ don’t get much of a look-in, but emotional ties (rooted in shared childhood memories) are paramount.
Film details
- Country of production
- South Korea
- Year
- 2006
- Festival edition
- IFFR 2015
- Length
- 126"
- Medium/Format
- 35mm
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