Finally watched 도가니 last night with Busan to assist, because I got tired of waiting for English subtitles to emerge. I was shocked how well I did, despite the fact that I haven’t studied for ages and even Busan can’t figure out what I’m trying to say most of the time, these days. It seems my reading and listening stay in tact, but speaking and writing go dramatically downhill somehow if I’m not actively studying. Blah.
The first half of the film was cake, because the dialogue focused on conversations in school, conversations directed toward children, etc. But once the courtroom scenes hit, I started to flounder a little. Busan did a nice job of interjecting a line or two every five minutes or so, just to make sure I was alright. At one point, he referred to the crowd on the prosecution’s side of the courtroom as their “jury”, and my mind was blown for a minute in regards to Things I Didn’t Know About Korea’s Legal System, until I realized he was just using the wrong word. Haha.
After the film was over, he gave a little on his stubborn anti-Gong Yoo stance, and admitted that he’s a talented actor. I said, see? That’s why I like him. He’s not got only face value. He then tried to argue that actually So Ji Sub is a better actor. Bull. When have you ever seen So Ji Sub play anything other than a pouty, brooding, put-upon poor guy? Never. He’s not bad, but he’s a one trick pony, as far as I’m concerned. Gong Yoo has a lot more diversity and, in my opinion, a lot more talent.
After it was over, we watched the news for a bit and Busan grumbled about how “obsessed” with the US the Korean media is, as about half of the air time was devoted to American coverage. To be fair, the politics are fairly tied, and so is the economy, he said. I took the opportunity to point at the screen during the coverage of the Republican debates and say, “What do you not see that you would expect to see in any large crowd of gathered Americans?”
“…. Black people?”
Ding ding. He got excited when he spotted one, but then quickly shifted back on his haunches and said, “Oh. He’s security guard.”
Now it’s burrowing down in bed with Hitchcock and coffee, until lunchtime rolls around and I can make use of the load of fresh produce I grabbed on the way home for stir fry. I wish I always had the luxury.
