First of all, I have to lament that Korean movies have indeed surpassed China in terms of skills and ideological depth. (This is not to deny the achievements of some domestic directors.)
Before watching "The Defender", I also watched "The Crucible". Since then, I have admired the courage of Korean filmmakers. At least in China, it is still very difficult for a film that exposes social injustice and the ugly face of the government to be released. Anyone can imagine how difficult and difficult it will be to be an embodiment of justice and openly defy the entire system. It is impossible for people with great courage to do it.
? The first part of the film spent a lot of energy and time paving the way for the growth experience of the film's protagonist Song Yuxi (played by Song Kanghao). From a poor student with only a high school diploma, to a judge who successfully passed the judicial examination, to a tax lawyer who relied on his keen business sense to ride the trend of the times and make a fortune, the film seems to be trying to present a selfish, greedy, and uncompromising person. Buckled bastard. But we must not ignore the tenacity and certainty hidden under this appearance. (The protagonist still firmly does his own thing despite the cynicism of others and the contempt of his peers. Drinking soup and eating rice every day also reflects the protagonist's love and righteousness, paving the way for the reversal of life below). Careful consideration of the director's preparation for this delicate story shows the director's good intentions.
? The turning point of the film occurs when Park Jin-woo (played by Yan Wansi), the son of the protagonist's benefactor, is arrested as a "red element". The South Korean authorities sent Cha Dongying, a police officer who is very good at managing "red elements" to take over the case (his father died in the riots, so he hated the "red elements"), which is undoubtedly the beginning of the feature film.
? Song Yuxi was completely awakened at this time. He used the perseverance he had fought for his family (for which he once carved "Never Give Up" on the wall) and vowed to rescue his benefactor's son. In the next few scenes, I stayed up late to analyze the incident and then asked my former boss to be the defender, saying the touching sentence "I will never give up"; I despised the prosecutor who was used as a puppet by interests and power; I defended Park Zhenyu and other classmates alone; I took risks Risking his life to find the place where the police tortured him to extract a confession; and an angry accusation against the crimes committed by Cha Dongying and others (this is the most touching part of the film. I must pay tribute to Song Kanghao's acting skills! Song Kanghao, Choi Minzhi, and Kim Yunseok) The uncle with the same style is really a national treasure of South Korea), they all successfully aroused the audience's sense of justice without reservation.
? However, the reality is cruel. Song Yuxi still failed to defeat the dominant regime. Under Cha Dongying's instigation, the soldiers who risked their lives to testify were taken away as deserters, and their testimonies were declared invalid and deleted by the judge. Song Yuxi lost everything. Fortunately, with the negotiation of the defense, Zhenyu was sentenced to three years and is expected to be released from prison early. Song Yuxi was arrested and prosecuted at a memorial service he later led (to commemorate a student in this incident). The film also left a heartwarming ending, that is, 99 of the 144 lawyers in Busan served as Song Yuxi's defender. , while the prosecutor opposite sits alone. This may be the director's support for reality, or it may be a way to soothe the audience's conscience.
Watching the whole movie is unavoidable and moving. The empty sense of justice in our hearts seems to emerge from generate all of a sudden. We are all willing to contribute to justice, but only the brave can truly make it to the end. Not everyone has the courage to be independent. But justice must not lack this meager strength. It seems powerless, but it can gather sand to form a tower, and water drops can penetrate rocks. It is in response to what Zhenyu once taught Song Yuxi: "Putting an egg against a stone seems fragile, but no matter how hard the stone is, it is dead, and no matter how fragile the egg is, it is alive. The stone will eventually turn into sand, and the egg will Breeding life, it will eventually pass through the rock."
? Throwing eggs at stones is never a fool's errand, it should be done by brave people.
Finally, Uncle Song salutes justice with a smile!