Kundo: Age of the Rampant

Kundo: Age of the Rampant
Hangul 군도: 민란의 시대
Hanja 群盜
Revised Romanization Gundo: Min-ran-eui Si-dae
McCune–Reischauer Kundo: Min-ran-eui Si-dae
Directed by Yoon Jong-bin
Produced by Yoon Jong-bin
Yoo Jeong-hun
Written by Jeon Cheol-hong
Story by Yoon Jong-bin
Starring Kang Dong-won
Ha Jung-woo
Music by Jo Yeong-wook
Cinematography Choi Chan-min
Edited by Kim Sang-bum
Kim Jae-bum
Distributed by Showbox/Mediaplex
Release dates
  • July 23, 2014 (2014-07-23)
Running time
 137 minutes
Country South Korea
Language Korean
Budget US$7 million

Kundo: Age of the Rampant (Hangul: 군도: 민란의 시대; RR: Gundo: Min-ran-eui Si-dae) is a 2014 South Korean period action film starring Kang Dong-won and Ha Jung-woo, and directed by Yoon Jong-bin.[1][2][3][4][5] Set in mid-19th century Joseon, it is about a power struggle between the unjust wealthy noblemen who run society and a group of righteous outlaws who steal from corrupt officials to give to the downtrodden and starving.[6][7][8][9][10]

Plot

The year is 1862. The late Joseon dynasty was a period of social and economic unrest in Korea, and it was also a time of great tyranny. Due to continuous natural disasters and poor harvests, poverty, hunger and death are rampant. The aristocracy rule the country and, concerned only with their own wealth, they exploit and persecute the poor.

In these turbulent times, a band of fighters named Kundo rise against the authorities. They raid corrupt officials, then share their loot with the vulnerable and impoverished. While the king stands powerless against them, Kundo becomes a figure of fear to undeserving nobles, and a ray of hope in the lives of long-suffering citizens. The members of Kundo believe that their cause is more important than their own lives.

In an era when one's status is decided by birth, Dolmuchi was born to a poor butcher, while Jo Yoon, though born into a powerful and wealthy family, is illegitimate. The two men strike a dangerous deal and Dolmuchi loses his mother and sister as a result. He is trampled by Jo Yoon who commands absolute power in his oppressive world. Bringing together the men who are on the fringes of this dark society, Dolmuchi is accepted as a member of Kundo and opens his eyes to the world. Reborn under the new name "Dolchi," he draws his sword out of its sheath and disperses the shadow cast on the poor and helpless. Then before him, the man who took away his family appears. Standing in front of Jo Yoon, Dolchi challenges his arch-enemy to a final duel.[11][12][13][14]

Cast

  • Kang Dong-won as Jo Yoon, a nobleman's son who is gifted in martial arts, but twisted by the fact that he was born to a concubine and thus is unacknowledged by his father and has no rights in the family or Joseon society.
  • Ha Jung-woo as Dolmuchi/Dolchi, a former butcher (the lowest class in the Joseon Dynasty) who joins a makeshift band of outlaws to avenge the death of his family.
  • Lee Geung-young as Ttaeng-choo, mood-maker of the band
  • Lee Sung-min as Dae-ho, leader of the band
  • Cho Jin-woong as Lee Tae-ki, a thief who used to be an aristocrat
  • Ma Dong-seok as Tianbao
  • Yoon Ji-hye as Ma-hyang
  • Joo Jin-mo as Song Young-gil
  • Song Young-chang as Jo Won-sook
  • Jung Man-sik as Butler Yang
  • Kim Byung-ok as Toposa
  • Kim Jong-gu as Choi Hyun-ki
  • Kim Sung-kyun as Jang
  • Kang Hyun-joong as Park
  • Kim Jae-young as Geum-san
  • Im Hyeon-seong as Yeom-tong
  • Woo Jeong-guk as Citizen 1
  • Choe Yeong-do as Citizen 2
  • Park Myung-shin as Choi's wife
  • Cho Seon-mook as Foreigner
  • Kim Sam-il as Jang's father
  • Noh Gang-min as young Lee
  • Eom Ji-seong as Joong-man-yi
  • Nam Da-reum as young Jo Yoon
  • Jang Woo-jin as Warehouse constable 1
  • Park Song-taek as Warehouse constable 2
  • Yeon Jun-won as Kundo 1
  • Eom Ji-man as Kundo 2
  • Kim Tae-su as Jo Yoon's slave 1
  • Yoon Kyeong-ho as Jo Yoon's slave 2
  • Ri Min as Tribute government official
  • Heo Ji-hye as Former gisaeng
  • Jeon Seong-ae as Former midwife
  • Jeong Dae-yong as Oksa elder
  • Kim Hae-sook as Dolmuchi's mother
  • Han Ye-ri as Gok-ji

Box office

Kundo: Age of the Rampant drew 551,848 viewers on its first day in theaters on July 23, 2014, grossing ₩4.08 billion (or US$3.997 million). This was the all-time highest opening day box office in South Korea, for both a foreign and domestic film, breaking previous records set by Transformers: Dark of the Moon (2011) and Secretly, Greatly (2013) (Kundo's record would shortly be broken eight days later by The Admiral: Roaring Currents.[15][16][17] It reached 3.1 million viewers in five days.[18][19][20][21]

Awards and nominations

Year Award Category Recipient Result
2014
23rd Buil Film Awards[22]
 Best Supporting Actress Yoon Ji-hye Nominated
Best Cinematography Choi Chan-min Nominated
Best Art Direction Park Il-hyun Nominated
Best Music Jo Yeong-wook Won
34th Korean Association of Film Critics Awards[23]
 Best Cinematography Choi Chan-min Won
Best Music Jo Yeong-wook Won
51st Grand Bell Awards[24][25]
 Best Actor Kang Dong-won Nominated
Best Supporting Actress Yoon Ji-hye Nominated
Best Art Direction Park Il-hyun Nominated
Best Costume Design Jo Sang-gyeong Won
Best Music Jo Yeong-wook Nominated
Technical Award (visual effects) Lee Jeon-hyeong, Jo Yong-seok Nominated
22nd Korea Culture and Entertainment Awards
Excellence Award, Actor in a Film Jung Man-sik Won
35th Blue Dragon Film Awards[26][27]
 Best Supporting Actor Lee Sung-min Nominated
Best Cinematography Choi Chan-min Won
Best Lighting Yu Yeong-jong Won
Best Art Direction Park Il-hyun Nominated
Best Music Jo Yeong-wook Won
Technical Award (martial arts) Jung Doo-hong, Kang Young-mook Nominated
1st Korean Film Producers Association Awards
 Best Supporting Actress Yoon Ji-hye Won
Best Music Jo Yeong-wook Won

References

  1. ↑ Sunwoo, Carla (13 June 2014). "Chemistry for Ha, Kang in Kundo". Korea JoongAng Daily. Retrieved 2014-06-20.
  2. ↑ Chung, Joo-won (11 June 2014). "Ha Jung-woo calls Kang Dong-won a 'macho'". The Korea Herald. Retrieved 2014-06-18.
  3. ↑ Lee, Seung-mi (21 July 2014). "Kang back in bitter bad boy role". Korea JoongAng Daily. Retrieved 2014-07-21.
  4. ↑ "Ha Jung-woo Talks About Directorial Ambitions". The Chosun Ilbo. 19 July 2014. Retrieved 2014-07-21.
  5. ↑ Jang, Sung-ran (7 August 2014). "In Kundo, Yoon aimed to entertain". Korea JoongAng Daily. Retrieved 2014-08-08.
  6. ↑ Frater, Patrick (17 December 2012). "Ha and Gang form Kundo gang". Film Business Asia. Retrieved 2012-12-17.
  7. ↑ Noh, Jean (17 December 2012). "Showbox picks up Yoon Jong-bin's Kundo". Screen International. Retrieved 2012-12-17.
  8. ↑ Lee, Hye-ji (14 December 2012). "Ha Jung-woo, Gang Dong-won Cast in Period Action Pic". TenAsia. Retrieved 2012-12-17.
  9. ↑ Ho, Stewart (14 December 2012). "Ha Jung Woo, Kang Dong Won Cast in 19th Century Joseon Period Movie, Islands". enewsWorld. Retrieved 2012-12-17.
  10. ↑ An, So-hyoun (23 April 2013). "Ha Jung Woo and Kang Dong Won's Band of Thieves Confirms Its Cast". enewsWorld. Retrieved 2013-04-23.
  11. ↑ "HAF 2013 Projects: KUNDO Age of the Rampant" (PDF). Hong Kong - Asia Film Financing Forum. Retrieved 2013-04-23.
  12. ↑ Ahn, Sung-mi (7 July 2014). "Historical films set to cool off summer". The Korea Herald. Retrieved 2014-07-08.
  13. ↑ Sunwoo, Carla (17 July 2014). "Hilarious Ha steals show in Kundo comedy". Korea JoongAng Daily. Retrieved 2014-07-21.
  14. ↑ Ahn, Sung-mi (20 July 2014). "Herald Review: No heroes in hero flick Kundo". The Korea Herald. Retrieved 2014-07-22.
  15. ↑ Frater, Patrick (24 July 2014). "Kundo: Age of the Rampant Smashes Korean First Day Box Office Record". Variety. Retrieved 2014-07-25.
  16. ↑ "Kundo breaks box-office record on opening day". The Korea Herald. 24 July 2014. Retrieved 2014-07-25.
  17. ↑ Conran, Pierce (25 July 2014). "Records Fall as KUNDO Revives Korean Film Industry". Korean Film Biz Zone. Retrieved 2014-07-25.
  18. ↑ "Kundo draws 1m viewers in 48 hours". The Korea Herald. 25 July 2014. Retrieved 2014-07-26.
  19. ↑ Ma, Kevin (28 July 2014). "Kundo breaks 3m admissions in South Korea". Film Business Asia. Retrieved 2014-07-29.
  20. ↑ Ahn, Sung-mi (28 July 2014). "Kundo draws record 3 million viewers in 5 days". The Korea Herald. Retrieved 2014-07-29.
  21. ↑ "Ha Jung-woo's New Film Draws 3 Million Viewers in 5 Days". The Chosun Ilbo. 29 July 2014. Retrieved 2014-07-29.
  22. ↑ Kim, June (6 October 2014). "SHIM Eun-kyung, SONG Kang-ho, HONG Sangsoo and ROARING CURRENTS Win at 23rd Buil Film Awards". Korean Film Biz Zone. Retrieved 2014-10-09.
  23. ↑ Conran, Pierce (4 November 2014). "Top Honors for HILL OF FREEDOM at 34th Korean Film Critics Association Awards". Korean Film Biz Zone. Retrieved 2014-11-08.
  24. ↑ Kim, June (12 November 2014). "The 51st Daejong Film Awards Nominations Announced". Korean Film Biz Zone. Retrieved 2014-11-12.
  25. ↑ Conran, Pierce (24 November 2014). "ROARING CURRENTS Tops 51st Daejong Film Awards". Korean Film Biz Zone. Retrieved 2014-11-25.
  26. ↑ Kim, June (18 December 2014). "35th Blue Dragon Awards Names THE ATTORNEY Best Film". Korean Film Biz Zone. Retrieved 2014-12-18.
  27. ↑ Ma, Kevin (18 December 2014). "Attorney wins four at Blue Dragon Awards". Film Business Asia. Retrieved 2014-12-18.

External links

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