The President’s Last Bang
2005, NR, 102 min.
Directed by Im sang-soo, Narrated by , Voices by , Starring Han Seok-gyu, Baek Yun-shik, Song Jae-ho, Kim Eung-su.

The blazing torch of the current crop of South Korean films glows brightly in this political action thriller by Im Sang-soo. His story re-imagines the events surrounding the 1979 assassination of President Park Chun-hee. The lead-up to the murder (a bloody massacre) is told from very human dimensions. The players all have their background stories, and the president’s self-serving authority is shown to be contemptible, while gorgeous shots and ironic distance provide the icing on this bowl of kimchee.

This article appears in September 23 • 2005.

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Marjorie Baumgarten is a film critic and contributing writer at The Austin Chronicle, where she has worked in many capacities since the paper's founding in 1981. She served as the Chronicle's Film Reviews editor for 25 years.