A poor fisherman kills a doctor, goes to prison, and loses everything — Korean cinema's forgotten tragedy.
Young-sik, a young fisherman in a fishing village, lived with his blind old man and sister. One day, when an old man is suddenly sick, he runs to the doctor, but is rejected because he has no money. Enraged, Young-sik hits the doctor, but he dies. Yeong-sik goes to prison, and his younger brother, Young-ae, becomes the wife of a certain bar. After years of release, Young-sik wanders in search of the old man and his younger brother, and eventually meets his younger brother, but the old man has already passed away. The siblings return to their hometown. Young-ae marries her Tae-sik, who has loved her for a long time, and Young-sik also vows to live steadfastly by fighting the sea.
Acting
Mun Ye-bong's silent suffering face — devastating.
Direction
Lee Gyu-hwan's unflinching gaze at colonial-era desperation.
Director
Gyu-hwan Lee
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
Made during Japanese colonial rule, the film's focus on Korean rural poverty was politically loaded — highlighting native suffering under imperial neglect.
Director Lee Gyu-hwan was a pioneering figure in Korean cinema; most of his pre-1945 films are lost, making surviving prints like this culturally priceless.
KR
